Don't underestimate race and trust in choosing a president
By John David Powell (10/21/08)
When historians look back on the 2008 U.S. presidential election, they may determine race and trust were the silent and deciding factors in the surprise election of John McCain. Those same historians may also conclude Barack Obama played a significant role in his own defeat by making race an issue and by eroding the trust of voters by refusing to place his faith in them.
Let’s begin the race issue with a disclaimer. I looked hard at the Obama candidacy early on, because I didn’t find much in common politically with the choices at the time. Except for Obama. We’re both from Illinois. We’re both racially mixed. Neither of us conducted our youthful days in conventional ways, at least not conventional to people of earlier generations.
But, before I went Full Barry, I wanted to hear him repudiate those who could not resist the easy temptation to call him the black candidate. I waited for him to say his father was a black man from Kenya and his mother was a white woman from Kansas, which made him the new, blended face of our nation. I wanted to hear him say he was not a hyphenated American, because that simple mark dividing races and nationalities also divides our people as a nation.
Instead, he encouraged his followers and confederates to carry his African-American status like a battle flag to rally the troops.
I considered myself an equal mix of Anglo and Chinese until my wife pointed out this week, “Obama’s more of a white man than you are.” After blinking my eyes a few times, I asked what she meant.
“Think about it. Your father was part Native American. Duh.”
I thought about it, and she was right. My mother is full-blooded Chinese, my father was around a quarter Native American, so that makes me about 25 percent Anglo, or white. And (if you’ll pardon my grammar) that makes the black candidate for president more of a white man than me.
Obama’s choice to play the race card may not be lost on a sizeable portion of the non-black electorate. Some folks already mention the Bradley Effect, which says a decisive number of people just can’t bring themselves to vote for a black candidate, regardless of what they say or do leading up to Election Day. The name comes from former Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley, a black candidate who lost his 1982 California gubernatorial bid even though he led in pre-election polls.
And today, less than two weeks from Election Day, it’s easy to understand why some non-black voters don’t want others to know they do not support Obama. Who can blame them when any criticism or questioning of the candidate of change results in immediate old-school accusations of racism?
And that brings us to the second factor, the issue of trust. Obama never really condemns the past and current political views of fellow Chicagoan Bill Ayers, pointing out, instead, that Ayers’ terrorist activities occurred when Obama was 8 years old, and, therefore, have no connection to Obama today. If that’s true, then Obama’s position negates the argument of some black people who push for reparations because their ancestors were slaves. That’s because slavery occurred before those living today were born, and, therefore, has no connection to anyone today. Unless, of course, we have people who believe in slavery, in segregation, and in the superiority of one race over another. If so, then we can make an argument that those who pal around socially, politically, or professionally with such individuals must share some level of affinity.
But Citizen Obama does not fully trust the American people to know his full and true relationship with Ayers, because he does not trust the American people to look at his life and accept him as our president.
The American people knew George W. Bush grew up around such neo-con luminaries as Don Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney, but we elected him twice to the presidency.
The American people knew Bush was an average college student, and at one time was what some would call a drunkard who even lost his driver’s license for drunk driving, but we elected him twice to the presidency.
The American people knew Bush was an unsuccessful businessman and person not glib or quick on his feet, but we elected him twice to the presidency.
The American people only know about Obama what Obama wants us to know. And mistrust in the judgment of the American people may tip enough votes to McCain, a candidate the American people know well.
John David Powell
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