Primaries Finally Over, Beware McCain We Are Ready!

Is being black an advantage? I’m not so sure that it won’t be a major issue in the voters minds not always for Obama’s favor. I do agree with Mano Singham that it can make Obama’s life even more difficult but that he can use it to bring a real feeling of change.

The prejudices against black people run deep and Obama’s candidacy will generate considerable unease. Many people will not vote for him purely because of his skin color, making laughable the suggestion that he is benefiting from being black. But that negative may be at least partially compensated by others who, while voting for him because of the hope he has inspired in them, will also take pride and pleasure in making a symbolic gesture towards creating a post-racial America. This makes John McCain’s tactic of claiming to be the more experienced candidate somewhat dicey, since it also makes it easy to paint him as representing the past and the status quo, a perception that kept dogging Clinton as well.

After all the discussion during the primaries on the relative hardships of running as a women I think we overlooked the relative hardship of running as an African American.

People are much more suspicious of giving the presidency to a candidate from a minority group then they are of giving it to a woman. Personally I feel Clinton played the woman card unfairly as Obama has to overcome a much bigger obstacle to win the trust of the American people.

I really think it is time really work on trust and take this opportunity not just to show that Obama would be as good a president as McCain but that he would be better because of his unique life experience. I do hope that Obama’s consultant won’t try to ignore the race issue but rather use it to show people the possibility of a better America one that needs less to label people but allows for more open communication.