Posted on 06/19/2008 8:27:54 AM PDT by Uncle Ralph
A conservative change?
A recent Associated Press story cites several prominent black conservatives as being "conflicted" about voting for Barack Obama for president. While each of the conservatives acknowledges ideological differences with Obama, the prospect of a black president makes it, in the words of radio-talk-show host Armstrong Williams, "hard to vote against [Obama] in November." The article quotes only one person, however, who will actually support Obama -- the self-described moderate John McWhorter. The rest of the interviewees (with the exception of Michael Steele, who says he'll do everything in his power to defeat Obama) are undecided, expressing sentiments similar to Williams: "I can honestly say that I have no idea who I am going to pull that lever for in November. And to me, that's incredible."
Incredible indeed. For even if one acknowledges that in this historic election it's perfectly understandable that racial pride may have a profound influence, the fact that any conservative, regardless of ancestry, would vote for Obama demonstrates an impressive tolerance for risk.
The question for many conflicted black conservatives is whether the benefits of having a black president outweigh the risks of having a liberal one.
For black conservatives, the potential benefits of having a black president are perhaps best summarized by McWhorter, who has written extensively and eloquently on issues pertaining to race in America: "I want him to get in because, in a way, it will put me out of a job." Actor Joseph C. Phillips adds, "I am wondering if this is the time when we get over the hump, where an Obama victory will finally, at long last, move us beyond some of the old conversations about race."
This hope is shared by many whites as well, liberal and conservative (let's face it -- the cohort of black conservatives thinking about voting for Obama isn't likely to tip the election). The premise underlying it is that a black president may be more effective in using the bully pulpit to address certain issues. Just as a Democrat Clinton could sign welfare-reform legislation, and foreign-policy hawk Nixon could go to China, a black president may be able to touch what are third rails for a white president. A glimpse of that possibility was on display on Father's Day, when Obama addressed (albeit rather tepidly) the issue of absent black fathers.
The problem is that despite the importance of the bully pulpit, there's little in Obama's record beyond hopeful rhetoric to indicate that his presidency would change the racial conversation appreciably, let alone move the country past race. On the contrary, nearly everything in his record demonstrates that Obama is a doctrinaire racial bean counter who's spent more than two decades marinating in Jeremiah Wright's black-liberation theology. He's a staunch supporter of racial preferences in employment, contracting, and school admissions. He worked to defeat the anti-affirmative action Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. Obama even maintains that last summer's Supreme Court decisions outlawing racial discrimination in public-school assignments are wrong.
Even if the simple fact of having a black president has some marginal salutary effect on the nation's racial dynamics, the question for ambivalent black conservatives remains whether the benefits associated with this black presidential candidate outweigh the manifold risks of his policies.
As president, backed by strong Democratic majorities in Congress, Obama, the most liberal member of the Senate, would appoint as many as four Supreme Court justices in the mold of Stephen Breyer; withdraw from Iraq on the precipice of victory; talk without precondition to leaders of state sponsors of terror; return to a pre-9/11, law-enforcement model of fighting terrorism; expand payroll taxes; increase capital gains taxes; increase estate taxes and permit the Bush tax cuts to expire; allow illegal immigrants to participate in the Social Security system; maintain current bans on oil- and natural gas-drilling; fund abortions with taxpayer dollars; eliminate funding for missile defense; place restrictions on gun ownership; erect impediments to the monitoring of terrorist communications; enact big-government health care; maintain the governmental educational monopoly; slow the development of future weapons systems; and smother private enterprise with a blizzard of regulations. He might also nag us about what to eat and drive and ask the U.N. to check our thermostat settings.
That guy -- the one who combines the domestic-policy modesty of Lyndon Johnson with the foreign-policy wizardry of Jimmy Carter -- is the one ambivalent black conservatives would be voting for in the off chance we'd start talking differently about race.
That's a lot to risk -- all for racial intangibles not much greater than those evinced by the very fact of Obama's nomination.
-- Peter Kirsanow is a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. These comments do not necessarily reflect the position of the Commission.
40 years passed by and unfortunately only one - Michael Steele - passes integrity test...
Obama is not black. He is HALF BLACK. Half Marxist. Half socialist. Half anti-American. Half anti-military. Half anti-defense. Half racist. Half anti-Constitution. Half power mad. Half tax crazy.
Our enemies delight at the idea of him in the White House. God help us.
“This hope is shared by many whites as well, liberal and conservative (let’s face it — the cohort of black conservatives thinking about voting for Obama isn’t likely to tip the election). The premise underlying it is that a black president may be more effective in using the bully pulpit to address certain issues. Just as a Democrat Clinton could sign welfare-reform legislation, and foreign-policy hawk Nixon could go to China, a black president may be able to touch what are third rails for a white president. A glimpse of that possibility was on display on Father’s Day, when Obama addressed (albeit rather tepidly) the issue of absent black fathers.”
This hope is BEYOND phony and false.
Obama’s in with the race hustlers. He will set BACK race relations due to his relationship with extremists like Wright and others.
This is more Obamedia PIFFLE.
I should amend my comment to say that the columnist makes similar points. This “Obama will heal our racial divisions” is not what the columnists are saying but what Obama campaign and media are peddling. Its Koolaid drinking nonsense.
They are fools.
"The premise underlying it is that a black president may be more effective in using the bully pulpit to address certain issues."
Kinda like Obama's "...eloquent speech on race relations" in which he told America...It's a black thing! Whites can't understand! Deal with it!
, “I am wondering if this is the time when we get over the hump, where an Obama victory will finally, at long last, move us beyond some of the old conversations about race.”
OH hells no!
As long as liberals are around, they will exploit race!
In fact, I expect it would just be the beginning of an all new race based form of government.
There are still black conservatives that see Obama for what he is. Of course, the MSM will ignore them utterly.
Dang. I used to admire him so much. He was on my dissertation committee and I thought he was wonderful. He'd argue against that commie Haitian nut DeGraf on the creole-list, he'd read Ayn Rand, he stood up against all sorts of hate when he wrote "Losing The Race."
To have him sink back and be seduced by an inexperienced but charismatic Marxist whose closest friends are race-baiters and bomb-throwers is really depressing.
To think that in the end, color trumps all...
If I had to pick between a black conservative and a white liberal, I'd pick the conservative every single time. Ten out of ten. I just don't get it.
As a Conservative black woman, I too feel this conflict. I am excited at the prospect of Obama getting this far and that our country has progressed enough for him to be a serious contender. On the other hand, I disagree with just about all of his political platform. So as a black conservative, that puts me in a quandary when I would like to support him but cannot if I really stick to my beliefs. God BLess America!
Indeed... and if used as a major factor in voting... it questions the character/intellect of the voter.
Racism is for democrats.
And here I thought it was because Barack Obama grew up with an absent ARAB father. Who knew this issue meant something to him because of skin color and not because he came from a broken home?
If you disagree with “...with just about all of his political platform” how can you feel conflicted?
I wouldn’t vote for my own father or mother if they ran on a ticket I disagreed with.
Irish Republicans voted for Jack kennedy in droves...
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
While it would be “landmark” to elect a black man as president, would it help or hurt the cause of black politicians to be associated with a man that many see as Jimmy Carter II? Would the failings of his administration be used to paint all black politicians?
How is Barack Obama on discussions of race? He's pulling scabs off of old wounds and using some dangerous rhetoric. Doesn't sound like he will bring any kind of unity (national, not ethnic) on this issue.
His own books contain passages of his own racism. He slurred a black friend of his who entered a relationship with a white woman (just like his own parents did).
It seems to me that he has a lot of psychological issues about his own family. He needs counseling, not the presidency.
So does his white mama not count?
Oh yeah, he said she didn’t. Even though his white grandparents practically raised him, he has CHOSEN to identify with his black absent father. WTH?
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