Black, schmack

[Tab]

Everyone's making this election seem as if the big deal was that a black man was elected. Conservative media is going for it, sort of saying "I guess America was ready - how could we stem that tide?".

Bullshit.

It's not that Obama is black ("bi-racial" is probably more accurate) but that he's NOT GEORGE BUSH. In fact, he's what a President should be. He's learned. He's a former professor of constitutional law. Can you imagine George Bush teaching a class on constitutional law? No, I didn't think so.

Obama can think on his feet. He's intellectually curious. I don't care what you thought about Clinton's personal life, I was electing a President not a Pope. Clinton stayed up into the wee hours learning everything he could about a lot of things. He was a Rhodes Scholar (as was also Bill Bradley, and I think Wesley Clark). I like my Presidents to be smarter than the average bear. I don't give a damn if I could "have a beer with him", as if that would happen anyway. If they can intimidate me intellectually, that's fine with me - better that they be running the country than a Sarah Palin or Joe the Plumber.

The big thing about this election was that we elected a Learned Adult, someone who thinks, someone who is secure enough to accept other viewpoints - and, in fact, encourages them. He will not live in a bubble, I'm pretty sure about that.

The GOP and conservatives don't want to admit that they had no candidates (at least none that they floated) that had the chops to be President. America is no longer a country of sheeple. Maybe it took Katrina, a stock market crash, a crappy job market, a credit crunch and $4/gallon gas to wake their ass up, but Americans finally figured out that their vote DOES count, and that who they vote for IS important. I don't understand people who say there's no difference between the candidates. The difference couldn't be any starker than black and white (no pun intended) or, perhaps, night and day.

So, if it makes the conservatives feel better that this election was trumped by race - or willingness to experiment with a non-caucasian candidate - fine, but to me, that's not what it was. Any credible candidate would have had my vote, and I suspect most of America's too. What America did say was that race wasn't anywhere near as important as competance, and America would like some competancy back in the White House.

As far as I'm concerned, that's what we voted on. Conservatives can believe whatever they want, but they're just fooling themselves if they do. Not that that's that hard to accomplish. But it wasn't about race, and never was. That's just the facade to their loss.

[1monster]

1. I wouldn't have put it quite that way, but I do agree that race was not a major issue

in electing Obama.

Had the Bush Administration been considerably less corrupt and callous toward this country and the world, had our country (and the world) been in less dire straits, (and had McCain not chosen Palin for Veep) the outcome of this election might have been different.

I didn't vote for Obama because his father was African and becuase he was biracial, or black, or a man of color. Neither did my husband.

I voted for him, because between the two, Obama and McCain, Obama was the ONLY choice.

Race, ethnicity, skin color all were totally irrelevant in the voting booth.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Well said!!! Our line-up of high-profile Dems scares the @#*! outta them. nt

[qwlauren35]

3. Yes, America WAS Ready! And it DID Make a Difference!!!

Every person in here knows that there were people who couldn't bring themselves to vote for Obama, DESPITE his credentials, intellect and values, because he was black.

Why pretend that his race didn't matter, when it did to SOME people???

The fact that Obama was black brought out huge numbers of black voters in the South. Can you say: North Carolina???? And maybe even, FLORIDA??? Despite a lot of disillusionment over the voting process?

Now, on top of that, in 1968, WHITE America was NOT ready for a black president; it could have been Jesus Incarnate, and s/he would not have been elected. (Sorry Ms. Chisholm.)

Here it is, 2008... and America isn't as white any more. Take Barack Obama, for example. He's "bi-racial." (That's such a laugh. Like his "white half" would be noticed by a cop stopping him on the highway!)

It is because his race did NOT matter to SOME people, that he was even in the running at all! It was because his race DID matter to SOME people that he had to run a "perfect" campaign. (Or at least, a heckuva lot better than the others.)

There will be plenty of white folks who do not think his race should have mattered. I think you're either young, i.e. under 40, or didn't live anywhere near the South. Anyone old enough to have watched the riots of the 1960's, or to have actually remembered the Weathermen would probably beg to differ on this "whether race was a factor" stuff.

Sure, the conservative press can spin it in a number of ways. But saying that it waSn't a factor in the election is a sign of gross ignorance.

There's a big difference between "it didn't matter to ME", and it didn't matter to anyone.

[JJ]

4. That's why it's a big deal

Race didn't matter. That's a very big deal. I'm 42 and I didn't think I would live to see race not matter.

[happychatter]

5. I can go to the most depressed area in this nation and survive financially

with a truck and tools

for ONE REASON ONLY

I'm White

those are STILL the facts in this country

[Sebastian Doyle]

6. Chimpy teaching Constitutional law

The Constitution is nothin but a goddamned piece of paper.
Y'all got that?
Good... let's go get a drink!

[No Elephants]

7. If Obama were white, he would have gotten 60% of the popular vote.

[redstate_democrat]

8. 75%

the Bush dead-enders maybe would have still voted for McCain.

The more I read DU, the more I realize that some "liberals" don't have a fucking clue.