The Reverse Bradley Effect

Joe

Your argument shows your bias, and your poor grasp on the rudiments of the English language suggests that you should likely be studying instead of bashing the next president--how can you be sure that what you have read about him is true if you have inadequate reading and writing abilities? I would also like someone to give me a "brake," because mine are getting pretty worn down and I don't have the money to buy a new set. Take care anyhow, keep it civil or keep the hate to yourself.

Obama benefits from race

I am the ‘proof-in-the-pudding.’ I am white (albeit Jewish), raised by liberal, Depression-era, Roosevelt Democrats. When my middle brother went away to USC on a football scholarship (no, really), one of his black teammates came to live with us for a year; a pretty unique experience in 1960’s Orange County. I, on the other hand, am also a registered Republican and an unrepentant ‘neo-con’ supporter of the war on terror. But I voted for Obama not just because of my family history, but because, as Thomas Friedman put it, his candidacy represented the end of the Civil War, finally. So while my vote was, at least in part, racial, I do not believe that it was ‘racist’ or even ‘reverse-racist.’ My vote was practical: we need to continue not only the healing process which is our shared, historical legacy, but we need to continue to perfect the ideals of the great American experiment started by the founding fathers. The fact that, at least since Reagan, all reasonable and fair-minded Americans can agree on an inclusive interpretation of these ideals --- that we are ALL created equal and should have an equal opportunity to achieve based on a meritocracy in the social/economic realm and a representative democracy in the political realm --- is what has so enthralled the rest of the world. We have proved again that America is a land of opportunity, that our rough-and-tumble society of rugged individualists is open enough to embrace the immediacy of the moment and once more remake itself in the image of an ever more perfect union. So my vote was for the candidate that I felt was best qualified to write the next chapter of the American narrative, not who was best qualified to protect our interests abroad. It was a leap of faith, certainly, to give this young, charismatic but clearly less experienced black man a chance to take the reigns of executive power. But seeing the images of jubilation and, truly, relief, from his supporters, at finally having reached this juncture in our history, reassured me that my choice was the best one for all of us, as Americans. That was my choice this time, but, as always, only time will tell if it was the best one.

The effects of this election

Let's see... Obama has a 900 dollar spending proposal, an arguably unconstitutional health care agenda, very little political experience, no military experience, broke a campaign promise, defended some very un ethical people's reputation and one of the most anti american agenda's I've ever seen in a presidential candidate, he was running up against a war hero with 26 years of experience as a senator. Let's face facts... If Obama was a white guy named Matt Jones he would've never made it. What does this say to the average young white person?... It doesn't matter what you accomplish in life... If you're up against a black man, you'll lose....I'm not racist, I started this election actually rooting for Obama but after reading his plans, and learning about his life.. I was amazed he even made it to the primary's.. after talking to alot of Obama supporters I can tell you from personal experience it race was the most important factor 70% of them. Even the white people who wanted to prove that america was not racist... Which doesn't make sense to me, If We elected a man solely on the color of his skin in order to prove to the world we are not racist.. Doesn't that show we are just as (if not more) racist as ever?

Cuts both ways

Gee matt. You sound like the racist idiot here. Get a dictionary. Look racism up. Think.

voting for obama

For one last time. If anyone cannot see the why a black person voting for a black president because of race, in addition to the fact that Democrats always get 90% of the black vote, then they are truly ignorant of American history. If you are writing that YOU are the racist.

Obama's future

As more then one International leader has stated, the rest of the world will be looking for changes in American foreign policy away from the Bush legacy of invasion and confrontation.

Here in New Zealand, we are heartily sick and tired of the so-called anti-terrorism legislation forced upon us by bullying US authorities represented by Bush.

We will wait and see if Obama changes the image of the US before we judge him.

Obama is not an African American; he is an African from Africa who was raised by his upper middle class white grand parents livening in suburbs, going to privet schools. Give me a brake, Obama is not the decedent of slaves rising to the top. He is a two faced lire who climbed to the top with the mantra of something for nothing also using hate mongers to make a name for himself so he could win the Illinois state senate.

race issue

so blacks voting for a black president purely based on race is not racist, but whites get labeled even if they weren't motivated by race. and this is not because the candidate was obama. i doubt many of these african americans would have voted if he was white with the same policy agendas. in the past a large number of them simply didn't register or vote. give me one example where there was an even divide (or even close to it) of black vote against a black candidate in favor of a white candidate based on qualifications. i believe obama is uniquely qualified but the vote bank politics of black and hispanic communities is going to be deterimental to the future of this nation. btw i am south asian.

Some things never change

But some do. What doesn't change is whining, like yours, that pops up every single time someone Black disproves the theory that Blacks don't have what it takes to compete in the White world. They do. Given equal opportunity to do so. Even without Affirmative Action, which is not how Obama got where he is. He got here by doing it better than the competition.

From Harvard, to the Senate, to the Presidency, he has done it right, and done it first class. He has done it without the benefit of family privilege, or the Good Ole Boys hookup. But some Whites will pop that race card up like a Jack-in-the-Box every time. Never changes.

What does change, is that idiots with such ideals and opinions are no longer in a position to put this country's executive direction in danger through application of that ignorance. And also, those who don't share this ignorance will for at least the next four years, be able to treat such mindsets as what they really are: a bassackwards gnat-like "skin irritation" with no place in the future.