Senator Barack Obama's crushing defeat of Senator Hillary Clinton looms large on the political landscape this Sunday morning. What does his victory say about America? Why didn't Senator Clinton display the proper political etiquette and congratulate Senator Obama on his clear and decisive victory in South Carolina? Why is John Edwards continuing his campaign? Lots of questions have arisen from the dusty fallout of the Democratic primary in South Carolina. Is the electorate ready to give former President Bill Clinton a pass and overlook his nuanced attempts to box Senator Obama into a corner and label him as the black presidential candidate?
One would hope that we as Americans would have travelled further down the path established by Dr. Martin Luther King and the civil rights movement. I understood his message of hope to represent an American aspiration to achieve racial blindness. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party's primary season has devolved into a subliminal fight over racial identity. Yes, black South Carolinians' came out in droves to support Barack Obama. So what! While I may object to many of his political viewpoints, Senator Obama has never portrayed himself as the black candidate. His seventeen minute speech thanking South Carolina's voters was inclusive, not racially exclusive. President Clinton's comparison of Jesse Jackson's South Carolina primary victory all those years ago with Obama's current victory is out of line. Senator Obama, much like most of us, is of mixed ancestry. His mother was white. Is this important? Not one whit! His strength is that he sees himself as an American and I seriously believe that the Clinton campaign should be called to answer for their subliminal use of racial quotes. How dare any campaign or political party use race in the 21st century. The Clinton campaign is making a serious effort to woo Latino voters by playing on the social tensions between blacks and Latinos. Latino voters need to ask themselves this question: Are your best interests truly being taken into consideration by any candidate's campaign if they are willing to subversively utilize race as a means of delineating themselves from their competition?
I believe that it is socially reprehensible for any campaign to play the race card. The people of this great nation are the vital force which cause it to move forward in a positive manner. As a people, we should not allow any candidate to be marginalized in any manner simply because of the color of his or her skin. As an independent, I want the Democrats to explain to me just how they can present themselves as an all inclusive political party and yet tolerate the use of race as a divisive tool during the primaries?
Senator Obama, whether you agree with his views or not, represents all that we as Americans should hope for. His rise to the Senate proves to the world that in America all things are possible. Has our country yet acquired racial harmony? Obviously not. Our strength as a nation lies with the active pursuit of perfection, fully knowing that while we may never achieve it, we are obligated as a people to never give up the chase.
I cannot wait for Super Tuesday. The ensuing days between now and then shall be very interesting. John Edwards needs to do the sensible thing and remove himself from the primaries. He came in a distant third in his home state. His campaign is now nothing more than a distraction from the real battle between Senators' Clinton and Obama. Who knows how it will all shake out but for political junkies like myself, it makes for great entertainment. All I ask is that we move beyond race and deal solely with policy distinctions between candidates.
De Oppresso Liber
No comments:
Post a Comment