Of Course Race Played a Role In the Presidential Election--In Obama's Favor!
In Sunday's Los Angeles Times Op-Ed Section, John Judis, following the lead of other pundits, considers whether race played a factor in the 2008 Presidential election. As has been the case of every article of the genre that I have seen, Judis is primarily concerned with whether racial animus cost President-Elect Barack Obama white votes. He concludes that it did, but not enough to cost Obama the election.
Yet, to his credit, although only in passing, Judis notes that race actually may have worked in favor of Barack Obama in the Presidential election. He writes:
The polls asked whether race was "the single most important factor," "one of several important factors" or "a minor factor" in the voter's choice. Those who said it was the most important or one of several important factors -- 9% of overall voters -- backed Obama by 53% to 46%. That suggests Obama's race was a net plus for him. It brought blacks to the polls, and some whites as well who liked the idea of having an African American president of the United States.
Well, duhhh! Judis acknowledges what must be obvious to any objective observer who does not write about politics for a living. One need simply ask the following question: Does any one believe--all other factors being equal, including his intelligence, his good looks, his Harvard legal eduction, his editorship of the Harvard law review, his oratorical skills, his manifest talent at managing a political campaign and his service as Chicago community organizer, member of the Illinois State Assembly, and U.S. Senator--does any one believe that if Barack Obama's father had been a white Kenyan, that Obama would be President-Elect today?
Isn't it obvious that were it not for the color of his skin Barack Obama would not even have won the Democratic Party presidential nomination, and that the President-Elect would be Senator Hillary Clinton? (Sorry, Senator McCain, but I think she would have won handily.)
Barack Obama is our first affirmative-action President. Hundreds of thousands of persons, perhaps even millions, of every race, voted for him in the primaries and the general election because he is black. That is not a criticism of President-Elect Obama--it is simply a fact. It does not diminish his considerable gifts. He has the ability to be a great President, and I hope he becomes one. (My differences with him solely concern his liberal policies, not his abiity.) Just don't tell me that race was not a decisive factor in his election victory.
posted by The Kosher Hedgehog at 5:11 PM
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3 Comments:
all other factors being equal, including his intelligence, his good looks, his Harvard legal eduction, his editorship of the Harvard law review, his oratorical skills, his manifest talent at managing a political campaign and his service as Chicago community organizer, member of the Illinois State Assembly, and U.S. Senator--does any one believe that if Barack Obama's father had been a white Kenyan, that Obama would be President-Elect today?
I fail to see how that list would make him anything other than qualified to win an election. His skin color didn't win the election. If it was that easy, we would have had President Jesse Jackson or President Alan Keyes a long time ago.
J.D.: Gosh, I wish people would read my posts more carefully. I never suggested that Barack Obama was "anything other than qualified to win an election." First of all, the only qualifications for winning a Presidential election are (1) that one meet the Constitutional qualifications for the office of President, i.e., be a native-born American citizen of at least 35 years of age; and (2) that one win a majority of the votes of the electoral college. President Obama meets those criteria. As for his qualifications to competently serve as POSTUS, I stated, "It does not diminish his considerable gifts. He has the ability to be a great President, and I hope he becomes one." What more do I have to say?
The point of my column is that he would not have won the election if he were white. If you honestly believe otherwise, well you are entitled to your opinion, and I have a bridge in Brooklyn that you might be interested in buying. I iterate that if Barack Abama had two white parents, Hillary Clinton would be President-elect.
The point of my column is that he would not have won the election if he were white.
As I said, his skin color didn't win the election. If it was that easy, we would have had President Jesse Jackson or President Alan Keyes a long time ago. It was a time and place thing. Had JFK run for President four years earlier he would have lost. 1960 was the right time for him. Had Obama run four years ago, he would have lost. In this election, people liked his message more than McCain's. His skin color didn't sweep him into office.
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