Is America Really Ready for a Black President?
You always hear people that anyone can be president, but that’s a lie. There are a set of unspoken criteria that every almost every presidential candidate, with a real chance of making it to the General Election, should have. Chief among them was white, male, Christian, and Republican or Democrat, Ivy League education, etc. This year, with Hilary and Obama having a real chance of being their party’s nominees, things have changed.
I have a great deal of admiration and respect for Obama. But to be frank, I jumped on the Obama band wagon out of desperation. It finally dawned on me that all the money in the world won’t convince the Republicans to let Ron Paul win the nomination. Out of the remaining candidates, he’s the only one I’m don’t fear will sell the country out to special interests or Evangelical fanatics. Also the only one who seems genuine in wanting change.
Seeing how well his campaign was going, I was beginning to think that perhaps America had progressed enough to have a African American president. When I initially heard claims like Obama insisted on being sworn in on the Koran not the Bible, I brushed them off thinking no one with any intelligence is going to give propaganda. Clearly I forgot about the people who voted Bush back into office in ‘04 because he promised not to let gay people ruin America’s stellar 50% divorce rate.
Now before you go brushing this off as Down South buffoonery, watch this Mid-West man discuss the Republicans plot with the Media to use Barrack as a pawn in the General Election.
Aside from people’s willingness to believe anything just b/c someone told them its true, I think part of the reason why these false accusations are doing so well boils down to two things: one, undercover bigots who don’t need an excuse, other he’s black, to not vote for an African American president; two, these rumors play on people’s biggest fear: terrorists. If it hadn’t been for all the scandals and the downturn in the economy, Guiliani would’ve ridden the fear monger train all the way to the White House. With the swift boating starting earlier, I can only image that if Barrack does indeed win the nomination, things will only get uglier.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:36 am
I think we’re ready. One thing I’m happy to see is that his race just doesn’t come up as much as I thought it would.
Generally speaking, I never thought I would see the day where an African American Candidate and a Female Candidate would glaringly beat a White Male Candidate.
For the first time in a long time, I really have hope for race relations in America.