Racial Politics

March 30, 2008

The introduction of an African American into presidential politics has created all manner of problems for Democrats as well as Republicans. Probably more so for the Democrats and particularly Hillary & Bill. Racial politics has uncovered the racial divide, racial prejudices, and racial struggles that America is trying to work through. The Jeremiah Wright controversy awakended the sensitivities and is forcing us to deal with demons that lurk just below the surface in our individual and social psyche.

As I have said for several months now, I believe America faces an opportunity to bridge a divide not really understood by most Americans, even so-called liberals. Obama is mroe than a racial divide, but the implications of a religious one as well. We lose 4,000 service mena nd women to topple a man named Hussein and then we elect a president with that name.

How ironic!

Many Americans applauded the speech that Obama gave regarding his church and previous pastor. Many simply did not understand it. Until you walk in another person’s shoes, you never will. I don’t consider myself a prejudiced person; however, I am sure that’s from the seat in the house that I occupy. I got more feedback (good and bad) on my commentary regarding Otis Moss III’s first speech after taking over from Jeremiah Wright than any I’ve written this year.

Emotions are tender and vulnerable.

Condoleezza Rice is one who would know and she signed in yesterday with some key words. She said yesterday that the United States still has trouble dealing with race because of a national “birth defect” that denied black Americans the opportunities given to whites at the country’s very founding. “Black Americans were a founding population,” she said. “Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together — Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That’s not a very pretty reality of our founding.”

It’s hard whites to get it, but we need to: for lots of reasons.

And maybe a Obama-Richardson ticket is what’s needed to help us along. I also know that it won’t be easy. There will be a time for a woman president, but it’s not this time, nor is it Hillary Clinton who carries way too much baggage to put on the female psyche.

Written by Ernie · Filed Under Daily Commentary

Comments

One Response to “Racial Politics”

Six Degrees Of Separation on April 2nd, 2008 3:21 am

[...] and that’s just one reason I believe Barack Obama is riding the wave he’s on. He brings together the racial divide in his physical body and he brings together the religious divide is his name and [...]

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