Thursday, January 10, 2008
Obama in '08?
John McWhorter, a NY Sun columnist, writes today about what he calls Obamamania (try writing or saying that quickly). I think the country really has changed in some good ways, on both sides of the so-called racial divide.
There is no doubt that if a black man is nominated as one of the major party's candidates for president, it would be important and exciting for all of us - blacks and whites - and for our image of ourselves to ourselves and to the world at large. Giving up old bad images would be good for all of us in so many ways. Even if Obama himself isn't particularly wonderful, the simple fact of nominating him would be a great big giant positive step. Besides, it would eliminate a possible 32-year juggernaut chain of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton (24 was more than enough).
And what with Nevada's unions and Kerry's endorsement - no matter what one thinks of Kerry or unions - the horse race is well underway. If for no other reason than that it makes for an interesting race (and I didn't mean that as a pun but it's rather nice, actually), I'm rooting for him to win the democratic nomination.
As recently as a month ago, "Obamamania" was being eulogized, with Mr. Obama dismissed as a mere symbolic step towards a successful black candidacy in some distant era. . . . However, [now] I welcome the prospect, and have indicated such in many columns and venues over the past year. . . .
One of many pluses about Barack Obama: An America where those insisting we remain a few steps past Jim Crow will have to grapple with the simple fact of a black man riding in Air Force One and making State of the Union addresses.
Under a President Obama, far too many black people would still be poor and need our help to change that. Yet there would be less room for the recreational angst behind claims that racism is what America is all about. Iowa and New Hampshire have already made an opening argument against such views.
As of this week, there is an air of "Dewey Defeats Truman" about the bedrock assumption that money and connections will inevitably make Hillary Clinton the Democratic nominee, or that Mr. Obama, condemned by his black skin, would be hopelessly outmatched by any of the distinctly unexciting Republican candidates on deck today.
It's high time that we let go of studious defeatism and open up to the fact that change does happen and that it may be happening right now.
There is no doubt that if a black man is nominated as one of the major party's candidates for president, it would be important and exciting for all of us - blacks and whites - and for our image of ourselves to ourselves and to the world at large. Giving up old bad images would be good for all of us in so many ways. Even if Obama himself isn't particularly wonderful, the simple fact of nominating him would be a great big giant positive step. Besides, it would eliminate a possible 32-year juggernaut chain of Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton (24 was more than enough).
And what with Nevada's unions and Kerry's endorsement - no matter what one thinks of Kerry or unions - the horse race is well underway. If for no other reason than that it makes for an interesting race (and I didn't mean that as a pun but it's rather nice, actually), I'm rooting for him to win the democratic nomination.
Labels: 2008 election, headlines, reflections
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