The Observer, March 28, 2008
Volume XL, Issue 22
Plastic sandboxes protect sensitive physics equipment from Cleveland weather on the roof of A.W. Smith.
In the wake of last week's events, it is only appropriate to comment on the concept of race in American politics. This country prides itself on championing liberty and equality, and scores of citizens will laud the social progress we've made over the last few decades, and yet many Americans continue to balk at the idea of a black president. Last week, American airwaves were full of the callous rhetoric of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Because presidential hopeful Barack Obama is a member of Wright's church, the comments have resulted in an influx of negative press as well as a revisiting of the "race debate."
The question should not be whether Obama is fit for the presidency. The question, rather, should be why the senator affiliates himself with an irrational deviant devoid of any modicum of patriotism. For the latter, the senator does have a lot of explaining to do. But to deem Obama unfit for the presidency or to suggest that he does not love this country is just as irrational as the musings of his pastor.
I would like to borrow a quote from abolitionist Maria Stewart. She once said that "it is not the color of the skin that makes the man or the woman, but the principle formed in the soul." Race is merely a personal and cultural identification, and nothing more. Problems start to develop when this identification becomes a label, which in turn becomes the basis of one's predeterminations.
It is a sad day when politics and campaigning transform into race wars, when civil debate turns into unfounded criticisms of one's character. Unfortunately, Obama has associated himself with a less than respectable individual, but above all, the senator is a decent person and a patriotic American. The color of his skin makes him no less of an American than I am. True, he is navigating uncharted waters, but this election is for president, for the next American to lead this country, not for the next white male to join the illustrious ranks of Club WASP.
We must also give praise where it is due. Recently, Bill Richardson, the only Hispanic governor in the United States, endorsed Obama. This one instance is a testament to how far we've come. Not even 30 years ago, one would be hard-pressed to find such diversity in U.S. politics, and this contention is just strengthened when one realizes that Richardson, in endorsing Obama, snubbed Hillary Clinton, a woman. At one point, he himself was running for the White House. America is making progress, but so much more can be done.
For starters, we can drop the race issue completely. Weeks ago, I wrote about how I wanted to see issue-based campaigns that examine each candidate's platforms straight down to the last meticulous detail. The time for such a campaign is now. Enough people have slung racially charged statements and accusations. Both Obama and Clinton now need to go out and tour the country, ignore any question on race in the campaign, and tout their platforms until one of them is nominated. There are still a few weeks before the Pennsylvania primary, it's too early to camp out in the Keystone State, and both candidates raised indescribable amounts of money in February and March. It's time to start spending some of it in order to bring the Democratic race back on track and back to the issues.
This election is sure to be one of the most important in the last few decades. The next president will lead the country as it continues to fall trillions of dollars into debt. He or she will strive to end a war in Iraq, fight a war on terrorism, remedy a slumping economy, end a still-lingering Israeli-Palestinian conflict, curtail skyrocketing oil prices, and advance the production of alternative fuels. The future successes of this country hang in the balance of these issues, and yet many Democrats are still hung up over whom to vote for: the black man with the anti-American pastor, or the white woman with the big-mouthed, ex-president husband.
I hope to someday see the day when politics is colorblind, when people of all races can run campaigns free from the labels that bind America to its racist roots. I think this country is ready for a black president, but I'm not entirely convinced that the American people are ready to elect one. All personal ideology aside, I truly hope that I am wrong.
Josh Goldberg is a third-year political science major.
