Politics Today

I've seen this come up here and elsewhere. In the *very strange* thread about Obama's birthplace (or something like that; I couldn't follow the propaganda, quite frankly), two posters said that they wish Michelle Obama had not referenced race. (I don't mean to point those individuals out but merely point out their posts.)

In a country where race is a huge elephant in the room, I don't understand why we shouldn't talk about it. Of course this election is about race. For the first time in our country's history, a black man is running for president on a major political party ticket.

It doesn't have to be a bad thing or a good thing. But race is a factor in this election. It's not necessarily a factor because of McCain or Palin or Obama or Biden -- but because one of the candidates is black. Likewise, gender is an issue, simply because we have a woman on the Republican ticket. Why avoid the topic? Why suggest that the candidates or their spouses not talk about it?

Laura

I had to post so the sound of crickets wouldn't be deafening to you.

I don't know why we can't talk about it.  I'll just say, I'm a white southerner.  Racism is alive and well and living in America whether anyone wants to admit it or not.  I thought it had gotten much better and we had grown far away from the suspicions, prejudices and hatreds of the past, but this election has shown me that I was wrong - about my part of the world, at least.

Race and gender are or were factors to varying degrees. IMO, there is a lot of latent racism out there - it surfaces here frequently.

There are some who will not vote for Obama because of skin colour; others try to associate him with Islam. I have never seen anything quite as vicious as what has surfaced in this campaign... 2004 was bad in terms of the swiftboaters, but this is exponentially worse.

If and or when Obama wins, that should be the demarcation line for the beginning of the end of racism in this country.

I hope.

<<when Obama wins, that should be the demarcation line for the beginning of the end of racism in this country.

I hope.>>

Amen!