When I felt something akin to pride in figures like Thomas and Powell it was because I was still a kid who believed in the better nature of people who would be leaders. I assumed stupidly at the time that two Black men who benefited from the sacrifices of the Civil Rights Movement would reach back to help not just the people bound to them by race but all disenfranchised people in this country and this world. Fool of me and to use a political axiom it was a youthful indiscretion. The less said about Rice the better but I try not to be as critical of her because people have told me I get misogynistic whenever she’s the subject.

Heading into my 40′s, I’m completely cynical when it comes to American presidential politics because of the things I’ve read and seen since my college years. I’m willing to give Obama a longer leash than McCain or Clinton because they come across as more of the same old same old. Obama does too at times but sometimes a little fire comes out during his less guarded moments.

This discussion will be moot after the first Thursday in November though because I’ll bet anyone on this board one crisp dollar bill that the unrepentant racists team with the well-meaning white people to back their boy McCain and the Republicans won’t even need Diebold to steal this one.

I mostly agree with what Harvey said. I’m co-signing that the jury is still out on candidate BHO – even though he’s vastly superior to the competition. I agree that “race” has been an issue for quite some time in this campaign. I also believe that Hillary is doing a wonderful job of sucking all the air out of the room which precludes any conversation about the economy or the extension of US forces into Iran. She’s already down with the obliteration program based on the falsehood that Iran’s president has called for the elimination of Israel. I also agree with HD that BHO is going too soft on issues where he has latitude to push harder.

HD:

As a follow up to the last – I suppose I’d feel of sense of something. I don’t know that I’d call it pride – but it would be significant. His election would send a message that still needs to be heard around the planet. During the early 1900′s, “whites” spent an inordinate amount of time writing our ancestors out of history. Had they not done so, BHO’s candidacy would have a different meaning. His narrative (the personal stuff) is compelling because it creates “access” to people who might be considered “biological outsiders.” That’s very important.

We are better than that. Our short time on the plantation is over. It’s time for us to remember who we’ve been and must be — and get over these games that individuals play to feed our bruised egos. Holla back.

I’m not as enamored of Sen. Obama as you are, even though I think the world of his wife, for the simple fact that race has been a factor in this campaign since Iowa. The race issue though is Obama trying to distance himself from the more quote unquote controversial issues of being nonwhite in America. He’s the best major candidate left standing in this race and while I do understand the mechanics of running a political campaign (one of my degrees is in poli sci) I’ve been disappointed that when the subject of America’s continuing racial disparity comes up that he seems to pooh pooh it as the legacy of less enlightened times. When Black Americans make up the majority of this nation’s prison population while being at the most 15% of this nation’s population, it is disingenious for a leader of color to say this nation is 90% of the way towards racial equality. I’ve been burned by black faces in high places like Dr. Rice, Gen. Powell, and Justice Thomas but I’ll still feel a sense of pride as a Black man if the senator from Illinois is elected but I just hope he’s not another pol who takes US for granted.

But I would rather not see him elected than to be put in office and taken away from us – that would be the ultimate slap in the face.

In my heart of hearts, I don’t think he will be elected. This country still isn’t ready and to be honest, nonwhites in this country are still irrrelevant. PERIOD! If he is elected the secret service better stop up their game and protect him. He’s already getting threats, that’s probably why he didn’t waste time campaigning in WV. God bless him and his family,