Being an African-American was surely a problem For Senator Obama, but on the other it worked to his advantage in some ways.
I don’t know what the weight equivalent of a Reverend Wright would be, but if John McCain had chosen a white reverent Wright to be his spiritual divisor and religious instructor for his children, it is difficult to imagine his opponent not using it against him.
American election campaigns are centered on the question of does the candidate’s record matches rhetoric? Obama, having no record to begin with, was never really forced to defend what record he did have. Thus, he was able to present himself as a moderate. Perhaps he is in his heart of hearts. He was nothing of the sort in Chicago.
Leave aside the question of whether, on balance, his race was an advantage or disadvantage; it seems clear that his race did constrain what other people would say about him. We can feel in this conversation. Here I am a very conservative Republican asked to talk about the election of a very liberal Democrat to the presidency. Under normal circumstances no one would expect me to be anything but very unhappy. Yet April keep expecting me to celebrate the election of an African-American to the presidency. And if I don’t that I’m some kind of mean person. I am not being allowed to go to the grieving process. And besides, I don’t think if the situation were reversed, if Clarence Thomas had been elected president, the first reaction of all my liberal friends would be oh how wonderful to have an African-American president.
Identity politics matters greatly until the day the man takes office. After that, it is what can he do for us. It is policy. And I for one can’t wait to start talking about it.
That being said, I hope you don’t mind me plugging an NPR story, but it is just great to see the daughter of a slave live to see an African-American elected president. Any American has got to love that.
I don’t know what the weight equivalent of a Reverend Wright would be, but if John McCain had chosen a white reverent Wright to be his spiritual divisor and religious instructor for his children, it is difficult to imagine his opponent not using it against him.
American election campaigns are centered on the question of does the candidate’s record matches rhetoric? Obama, having no record to begin with, was never really forced to defend what record he did have. Thus, he was able to present himself as a moderate. Perhaps he is in his heart of hearts. He was nothing of the sort in Chicago.
Leave aside the question of whether, on balance, his race was an advantage or disadvantage; it seems clear that his race did constrain what other people would say about him. We can feel in this conversation. Here I am a very conservative Republican asked to talk about the election of a very liberal Democrat to the presidency. Under normal circumstances no one would expect me to be anything but very unhappy. Yet April keep expecting me to celebrate the election of an African-American to the presidency. And if I don’t that I’m some kind of mean person. I am not being allowed to go to the grieving process. And besides, I don’t think if the situation were reversed, if Clarence Thomas had been elected president, the first reaction of all my liberal friends would be oh how wonderful to have an African-American president.
Identity politics matters greatly until the day the man takes office. After that, it is what can he do for us. It is policy. And I for one can’t wait to start talking about it.
That being said, I hope you don’t mind me plugging an NPR story, but it is just great to see the daughter of a slave live to see an African-American elected president. Any American has got to love that.
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