US Elections 2008 - II

[Guest]

I personally liked BO's speech. It was very nuanced and he carried himself amazingly well. He made several important points and I am sure this speech will be quoted for years and years to come whether he becomes the president or not. If you havent heard it then its worth a look at youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU

Anyways, more on the race discussion.. Who is Susan Estrich ?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/...ssion_over.html

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Has the candidate who only months ago was being judged by some as “not black enough” become “too black” even for some longtime Democrats, who worry about a double standard that they ascribe to Obama’s unwillingness to risk offending the black voters who have become his most loyal supporters?

Would they abandon him if he denounced his preacher, I wonder out loud. And if they would, is that because such hate is more widespread than we white Americans would like to believe, because the racial divide really is much bigger, and much angrier, than we would ever admit? And is that, ultimately, an argument against Obama, or for him?

I’ve been accused of being a racist more times during this campaign than in all the rest of my political life, combined. I wrote a book supporting Hillary Clinton for President long before Obama got in the race, and count the Clintons as longtime friends.

I have tried, not always perfectly I am sure, to be fair and respectful towards Barack Obama. I have tried to keep my focus on issues and qualifications. You can say I’m wrong – I’m certainly used to saying that - but racist?

I believe that Barack Obama, in running for President, really is trying to transcend the racial divide. He may or may not succeed.

But what his candidacy, particuarly this week, has revealed, yet again, is just how wide and powerful that divide still is, even if this time it is defined more by the candidate that you support than by the color of your skin.

Is the race discussion over? Clearly not. It has just begun.

The more honest everyone can be, the more we can resist calling each other names instead of engaging each other on the merits, the better it will go.

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