Is America Ready for Another White Male President?

[Hissyspit]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lincoln-mitchell/is-america-ready-for-anot_b_107241.html

Is America Ready for Another White Male President?

Posted June 15, 2008 | 10:45 PM (EST)

During the Democratic Primaries, when discussing the chances of Obama and Clinton, with some frequency, the person with whom I was talking would lean in towards me and say "Do you really think America is ready for a black/woman president?" Like many people, I found the former question racist and the latter one sexist. As a white man, I also resented the implication that I somehow understood that America wasn't ready, whatever that meant.

Initially, I responded to these questions with anger, but then began to preempt them. Whenever the presidential election came up in discussion, which was about ten times a day, I began the conversation by leaning forward conspiratorially and say "The Republicans have a problem. America is not ready for another white male president." The responses I received were always similar. First a nod of agreement, than a look of confusion that a sputtering response like "you mean Obama I mean black president Clinton woman..."

When I first started doing this, I thought I was just making up a clever response, but as the election approaches, increasingly I believe that I am right in this assessment. During the recently completed primary season, roughly 35 million people voted for somebody who was not a white man. Clinton and Obama's overall vote total far exceeded that of all the white men in the race, for both parties, combined. In the Democratic Party, none of the three highly qualified white men, made it as far as Super Tuesday. Even in the early states when the Republican primary was still competitive and Republican voters could choose from a broad range of conservative white men, the majority of voters eschewed the white male options in both parties and voted for either Clinton or Obama.

I have never been accused of being an optimist, and would never assert that sexism or racism is somehow finished in American politics. Both were evident in full force, overtly and subtly, in the recently completed primary season. The latter will undoubtedly continue to lurk around the edges of the general election between now and November.

Nonetheless, there is increasing reason to believe that these tactics, although sure to be present, will be less effective in 2008. This is partially due to the deep and broad dissatisfaction with the Bush administration as it winds down, and the corresponding profound desire to see change which many Americans feel. It may, however, be due to something beyond that. During the primary season, Obama was able to appeal to an extremely broad swath of the electorate, while maintaining a strong base in several demographic groups as well. His strength in, for example, western states is very unusual for any Democrat, let alone an African American one. His early, and somewhat persistent, support among some Republicans is even more striking. Clinton's strength, in some states, among blue collar white men, was equally impressive.

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[proud2BlibKansan]

1. No

:)

[baldguy]

2. Does America deserve another white male President?

Haven't we suffered enough?

[Imagevision]

3. Especially a 72 year old White Male President!

[Median Democrat]

4. Will The MSM Allow Anything Else?

I know a lot of us get our news from the internet or from the newspaper. In other words, we read. However, there is a vast population of folks who depend on TV, and TV news with some rare exceptions, is trashy and biased. We all know about "Stolen Honor," "Path to 9/11" and Fox News everyday. However, the attempts to impose a RW view on Americans is much more pervasive. Remember in 2003 when ABC tried to introduce Rush Limbaugh to viewers of Monday Night Football?

I fully expect between now and the election to see Michelle Malkin or Ann Coulter on the View as a permanent host. Perhaps Sean Hannity will be introduced into the broadcasting booth for College Football.

[crankychatter]

5. I want to vote with my remote

while choking on Cheetos and Ding Dongs

[Captain Hilts]

6. They were both very strong candidates and I wish either had run instead of Gore and Kerry.

Hop in! Let's roll!

[blondeatlast]

7. Will the m$m dare ask that question as they keep subtly asking the

"black" or "woman" question?

It's up to us, but the idea has lots of merit.