Dave Winer asks, “Is Obama Black?”
I ask, “Who cares?”
After all, is Tiger Woods black? His ancestry is as multiracial as Obama’s and equally irrelevant. Last I checked, a golf ball doesn’t care about the the golfer’s ancestry or skin color. And the only sort of golf club that cares is a racist institution. What’s important is Tiger’s skill, his ability to get the ball in the hole with the minimum number of strokes.
Voters should “be the ball” and ignore Obama’s skin color. Ask instead what are his positions on the issues, his plans for the future, his experience, his character, or even his attitude.
Or be dumb as a club and focus on his color.
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Note: Although this post could be interpreted as attacking Dave Winer by either calling him a racist or “dumb as a stick,” please don’t interpret it that way. Although I disagree with Winer’s politics, I admire his fearlessness in writing honestly about race issues. His willingness to continue the discussion, at the risk of being called a racist by those who disagree with him, is an example I wish more would follow. I’m arguing a different point than Dave. Rather than arguing that Obama is black and Obama’s candidacy shows a turning point for African Americans, I look forward to a time when Americans are “afflicted” with colorblindness.
Or maybe back to an earlier time in Obama’s candidacy when his color didn’t seem to matter.
Brent, I look forward to that time of “colorblindness” too… but as someone who has been watching this campaign, and this election, very closely — race matters.
I realize that you are rhetorically asking “who cares?” but there’s an answer to that question, and it’s not simple. I’m planning to post on this sometime soon, and share my experience talking to voters in NC, but the truth is that in this election, race is a deciding factor. Sad, but true.
Kristin, thanks for the comment. Yeah, I agree, race is a factor in this election. I’d like to think that it’s not as big a factor as some people think, though. Some people think that talking about Reverend Wright’s statements or the Trinity Lutheran’s black value system as racist. Some even want to label criticizing Obama as racist. But it’s not necessarily so. We have to be able to talk about a candidate’s associations, past, and political views without it being viewed as racist.
I guess the statement you made that bothers me the most is you say “race is the deciding factor.” [Emphasis added] I just can’t believe that. Clinton voters are not voting for Hillary or against Obama because he’s black. McCain voters are not going to be voting against Obama because he’s black. Superdelegates wouldn’t choose Clinton (wouldn’t that be a mess!) because Obama is black. No matter what people say, there are substantial differences between these candidates other than their sex or race and I believe these are the differences that are the deciding factors.
Call me an optimist.