Whites' Great Hope? (Barack Obama and the Dream of a Color-Blind America)

Wall Street Journal ^ | 10 November 2007 | JONATHAN KAUFMAN

[shrinkermd]

Race remains a wild card in American politics. Candidates such as Mr. Ford, who narrowly lost the Senate race in Tennessee last year, have often come close to election only to find race flaring at the last minute to blunt their momentum.

"Obama knows that just because people are saying one thing doesn't mean they will vote that way...

Sen. Obama's popularity among whites also stirs uneasiness among many blacks. In the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll1, Sen. Obama trails Sen. Clinton among black voters 46% to 37%.

"Obama doesn't really push people to consider what diversity really is," says Alfred DeFreece, a black teacher at Eastern Michigan University, who says many of his white students favor Obama. "He is close enough to what is a tolerated white norm, very much what is palatable and acceptable and good." Mr. DeFreece says he wonders whether Sen. Obama would be able to aggressively push social programs that help blacks in poverty and end discrimination.

...About 75% of whites and 55% of blacks describe black-white relations as "somewhat good or very good," according to a recent Gallup poll. About 75% of whites and 85% of blacks say they support interracial marriage. In the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 63% of registered voters said they believe voters are prepared to elect a qualified African-American as president, a dramatic increase from 1986 when just 29% said they thought America was ready to elect a black president. In the current poll, just 46% of voters say voters today are ready to elect a qualified Hispanic as president and 38% a qualified Mormon.

Sen. Obama runs stronger among younger voters who are at the forefront of many of these changing attitudes...

[Old Sarge]

63% of registered voters said they believe voters are prepared to elect a qualified African-American as president

We've already done that!

[the invisib1e hand]

some things aren't black and white.

Obama is one of them.

[freekitty]

ROTFLOL

[trumandogz]

About 75% of whites and 85% of blacks say they support interracial marriage.

What a shame that so many people are opposed to interracial marriage.

[SCHROLL]

there’s a big difference between electing some one qualified who happens to be black than there is electing some one unqualified (Obama) simply because he’s black.

[stylin19a]

Is DeFreece basically saying Obama isn’t black enough ?
(No response needed ...it’s a rhetorical question)

[socialismisinsidious]

"He is close enough to what is a tolerated white norm, very much what is palatable and acceptable and good."

What kind of back handed loaded pile of crap is that? Hey Prof. you are a twit no matter what your skin color is! The real racism: his white students who support Obama are probably doing so only because Obama is black and they want to show how open minded and inclusive they are.

There is one reason I'm NOT supporting Obama: He is a Socialist!

[taillightchaser]

I don’t care if he’s black, white, purple or pink-—he is an idiot and not presidental material!!

[socialismisinsidious]

I don’t get that either. I pray my children bring home good men and women who love them and treat them with respect and kindness..who the heck cares what color they are! (Of course, I do want them to bring home a Conservative ; )

[Gay State Conservative]

How many white RATS would vote for Dr Rice?

[Sherman Logan]

It’s just about as idiotic to support interracial marriage as to oppose it. This is the most personal decision people can make and its nobody else’s business one way or the other.

I’m not sure whether this position means I am “supporting interracial marriage” or not. :)

[Mojohemi]

I don’t know about you but, I am long since fed up with the mulitculture/diversity Nazi’s in the USA.

[skeeter]

What a shame that so many people are opposed to interracial marriage.

I'm not surprised. My daughter's friends' parents, for example, are rabid about their daughter marrying only a nice Iranian boy.They would freak out if she brought home anyone else.Right here in 'tolerant' California.

[trumandogz]

It’s just about as idiotic to support interracial marriage as to oppose it.

That is my point. I am agnostic on the issue as I have no opinion of who someone can and cannot marry

In other words, it is none of my business who my neighbor marries and everyone including the state should not condemn someone's choice of a spouse.

[Hot Tabasco]

29% said they thought America was ready to elect a black president

I've said time and time again, there will never, ever be a black president elected from the Democratic party, the party of true racists.......

[AmericanExceptionalist]

"Obama doesn't really push people to consider what diversity really is," says Alfred DeFreece, a black teacher at Eastern Michigan University, who says many of his white students favor Obama. "He is close enough to what is a tolerated white norm, very much what is palatable and acceptable and good."

This is the core of multiculturalist doctrine. The American mainstream (incorrectly identified as "what is a tolerated white norm") is seen as oppressive. Only those who pursue an agenda of victimology, and wish to divide America into numerous subgroups, are sufficiently "authentic."

[pacpam]

I don’t care what the race and or gender is, if I don’t like their politics, they don’t get my vote.

[Thebaddog]

Forget about Obama’s complexion. Look at his votes and he’s a socialist. Why vote for that?

[Verginius Rufus]

I think Harold Ford, Jr., came closer to winning than he deserved to because of his race, not that he lost because of his race. He was an unpleasant young twit with no particular qualifications, far to the left of most of the people of his state, who got as far as he did (election to the House of Representatives) because of his family name.