So Why Wouldn't You Vote For This Guy Exactly?

My boy probably committed political suicide yesterday. But that's okay. Like Atticus said in To Kill A Mockingbird, "...Well, this may be the shadow of a beginning."

Because we cheer on Kevin Garnett, sing the praises of Denzel in Training Day, and laugh at Dave Chapelle, we think that issues of race are over. Here in Massachusetts, we fought through busing in Boston and we elected a black Governor in a landslide victory. Personally, many of us have dated people of a different race, extinguished the n word from our vocabulary, and made Pokey Reese a cult hero. But for anyone to believe that race in this country is still not the A, Number One issue, you are fooling yourselves. We've now been at war with a country for five years; gas prices are our of control and we still buy SUVs; our raises get smaller as the cost of living skyrockets; and health insurance companies continue to abuse us. And we don't care. No one raises a stink and there are no protests. When people suggest alternatives to oil, they are laughed at for being hippies. And when somone questions the war in Iraq they are "not supporting the troops." But there is one issue where people still have strong opinions. And it is also the very same area that absolutely no one wants to discuss.

Almost every time I am in a social setting, the issue of race comes up. Whether it is in regards to immigration and those filthy Mexicans stealing our jobs or Barack Hussein Obama being a Muslim, the issue of race arises frequently. And every time it does, it gets awfully feisty.

In the past six months, I have been sent the Barack is a Muslim Terrorist email three times. I also had multiple friends send me an article in which Chuck Klosterman touched on the strange cheer that Brian Scalabrine gets when he checks in for the Celtics (before you lose your mind on this, please, please, please watch a game and note what happens. My friend Matt who originally sent it finally noticed it and he was stunned at the odd cheer.). I have had a fairly over-the-top yet extremely rationale counter argument for each of them (and if you haven't seen the Barack email, here's the counter argument: It is an outright lie so frightening that if someone believes it, they should probably be hanged) and each of my counter arguments is responded to with an email or comment that can be summarized as, "whatever."

Well, yesterday, Barack did something that I have been trying to do for years: He discussed the elephant in the room. The elephant being race of course.

For some weird reason, talking about race in this country is like talking about cannabilism or incest. For years, I have tried to have conversations with people about race. They often turn ugly and that has been mostly the fault of me and the bulging vein in my forehead. But as much of the blame as I take, I refuse to take it all because many people in this country refuse to grant my racism is still alive statements any credence. And that sucks.

I am by no means saying that I know a single soul who thinks we should ressurect lynching. I disagree with Reverend Wright's statements that this is the US of KKK A. And not a single one of my friends would ever treat a black person they meet with any contempt. If I were to bring a black woman to a friends wedding tomorrow, all of my pals would treat her just as fairly as they would treat any other woman. They would likely have questions regarding her sanity for dating me, but black, white, or Martian, she'd still get those questions.

That said, I just wish that people would grant my arguments some amount of respect. Racism does not look like it did seventy years ago. Black men are not tied behind trucks and dragged around parking lots filled with broken glass (although that has happened in my lifetime). There are not seperate drinking fountains and bathroom for black people and white people. And we no longer have segregation in our schools. Overt racism is dead, largely.

But that is not the racism I am talking about today. The racism I am talking about is the inherent racism that exists everywhere. The one that no one admits exists. The one no one wants to talk about. Much like the way I wore my hat freshman year at college, we want the past to be expunged. We want our terrible history of racism and hatred to be a thing of the past and so we fail to even discuss that there is even the tiniest possibility that racism may still exist.

In the quiet of our homes (or in the independence of the voting booth), I often wonder what people really think of Barack Obama. It is easy to cite his lack of experience (but doesn't this apply to McCain? And what really is experience in politics? Is there anything that can prepare a person for the decision to invade a country? Does allocating funds to the schools of a state prepare a person to balance a multi-trillion dollar budget? Is a VP experienced because he's toured the country schilling for a president and cutting ribbons at bake offs?) as a weakness. Also too, his lack of platform is often listed as a weakness. But go back and evaluate every single presidential candidates platform and I guarantee they didn't do as they promised (No new taxes? Universal health care? SDI?).

But in my mind, Barack's strengths far outweigh his weaknesses. In a country where the divide between the haves and have nots keeps increasing, why wouldn't you- unless you are in the top 10%- vote for Barack? Why would you want another old, white guy in office? How can you not respect Barack's intelligence, passion, and ability to unite? He is not a used car salesman. He is not a flip flopper (Kerry was quite possibly the worst presidential candidate ever put forth by the Dems) or an elitist. He does not use the same two phrases (evildoers, smoke'em out) over and over. He is smarter than you, but never condescends you. He has no intern named Lewinsky and no ties to Haliburton. His last name is not Clinton or Bush. He is not a member of the NRA. He is not a bleeding heart pacifist. He is not Michael Moore. He is not Rush Limbaugh. He is not a Massachusetts liberal. He is not a born again Evangelical.

In short, he is one of the most likeable, most viable, most SIMILAR TO US presidential candidates we have ever seen. If you step away from party lines and truly evaluate him, he is one of the most amazing presidential candidates we have ever seen. He is so likeable that it is almost sickening. Except there is one major difference.

He is black.

And yesterday, he finally adressed the fact that he- the dark skinned guy with a funny name- is in fact, a black man.

Since the story of Reverend Wright broke, Barack has lost between five and ten points in his approval rating. This is amazing. It is amazing because Barack is NOT THE PERSON that made these statements. It is a gentleman that he is loosely tied to. It is not his Chief of Staff, his wife, or his father who made these comments. It is the pastor of his church (and yes, a contributor and supporter). But the Pastor of my church (or at least the one I was confirmed at) says the gay community is evil and he shows anti abortion films with buckets full of fetuses. Does he stand for me? And even if Reverend Wright is a close friend of Barack, is their relationship any worse than the never-discussed-but-utterly-dispicable relationship The Bush family has with the Saudi Royal family? If you say it is, then you're too lazy to do any research, because the Saudi Royal Family is the vilest of the vile.

The fact that Barack has lost "respect" or "approval" because of his ties to this man is preposterous. Barack has expressed nothing but love for this country. He is thoughtful enough to not be a rah rah flag waving, sheep who won't follow the masses. But his patriotism and love for all things America cannot be questioned. Just because you wear a pin and have a Support The Troops bumper sticker on your car does not make patriotism exclusive to you. Our forefathers, the ones who fought for political and religious freedoms, are forever patriots. Barack does the same thing. He fights for the rights of ALL Americans, not just the ones who wear camouflage uniforms.

Further, Barack has supported bills and laws aimed at stopping, hunting down, and prosecuting terrorists. He has patiently answered questions about his background. He has refused to get into negative campaigning. As I said, he fights for all Americans. He is also human like us. He's smoked some pot (as much as you Mike?) and done a few lines. He was a massive chain smoker who managed to quit. He's moved around a bunch, his parents are divorced and he's not from royalty.

He's the American Dream.

Over the years, I've gotten in so many arguments about the "cycle of poverty" and how it is difficult for minorities to break out of negative family situations. My friends have fired back with the "pulling up their bootstraps" argument (which by the way, Bill Cosby and Jason Whitlock- two black men- wholeheartedly agree with). Barack Obama has done that. And then some.

I'm not calling anyone who doesn't vote for Barack Obama a racist. I voted for Kerry because of the ABB startegy. Many (the one of you) of my readers who are registered members of the GOP will vote for McCain (and he's not a bad guy) even if he were running against Mother Theresa.

But I would prefer if you didn't tell me you weren't voting for Obama because he doesn't wear a flag pin or because you one time saw a picture of him NOT holding his hand over his heart. I would prefer if you didn't say you were not voting for Obama because he is a terrorist plant for Al Qaeda.

You're not voting for him because he's not like the people you know. He looks different than you, his name is not like the ones of your friends, and he attends a church that they don't have in Eastern Massachusetts. He will not suddenly become "the angry black man" which so many white people seem to fear. He will not appoint a cabinet full of Wu-Tang Clan members and he will not from a terrorist organization out of the White House. Deep down, you all know that. But because of the inherent racism in all of us (me too by the way), we fear that if we put this black man in office, we will suddenly have a case of "reverse racism" on our hands. We won't.

It's clear who I stand behind politically. Many of you also assume that I am the same, angry Michael Moore loving liberal that I was in my mid to late twenties. Nothing could be more untrue. I've had a lot happen in my life that has mellowed me out and watching a president who is a member of a party other than mine for eight years, I have learned much. Dubya is not responsible for our recession, nor is he responsible for the housing crisis. He did make the horrible decision of listening to his advisors on the War in Iraq, but even that was more the fault of others than he. He was hilarious when the Sox went to the White House and he has to feel horribly every time another American dies in Iraq or Afghanistan.

But it's time to try something else. And if we could just all break away from our preconceived thoughts and inherent feelings, then we would see that there has been and likely will be no candidate quite like Barack Hussein Obama. Because even though he sure doesn't look like us, he is pretty much us. Only the best parts. And yesterdays speech proved just that.