I don't often write posts that are exclusively about American politics because quite frankly, it's something I do not know a lot about. But I just can't help but join the discussion about this new, young senator for Illinois that has inspired so many people.
To be perfectly honest, I know very little about his political platform, other than the fact that he has announced that he intends to pull out of Iraq. What I do know is that race and religion, whether he likes it or not, are two major issues during this presidential campaign, because of course, Mr. Obama is black.
I think it's fair to say that Obama has done a pretty good job of handling criticism based on the fact that his former pastor has publicly made anti-American and anti-white comments. Obama has openly condemned such comments and then even left the church.
He has had a little more difficulty with cheap shots from some supporters of his opponents suggesting that he is not in fact a Christian, but a Muslim. First and foremost, it is absolutely shameful that his opponents would think that being a Muslim is a bad thing and that they could ever profit from this. Yes, the American voter has given us reasons to have our doubts in the past, but can't we give them just a little bit of credit?! I'm waiting for these same neanderthals to start suggesting that he is actually the love-child of Osama Ben Laden, because "Obama" rhymes with "Osama". It's ridiculous!
While the Obama camp has officially condemned the recent illustration on the cover of the New Yorker, I have to say that I rather enjoyed it, simply because you would have to be a lunatic to believe that Mr. Obama and his wife are terrorists. I'd say that the illustration did a pretty good job of ridiculing any such notion.
I'm also a little bit bothered by all of the references to his racial identity. For some people he's just "not black enough". If elected, Mr. Obama would be the first ever black president in the history of the United States, but of course, only his father was black, while his mother was white. Come on people! No one has the right to decide whether Barack Obama is white or black except for Barack Obama. I'm rather troubled by the notion that for many people of mixed race/cultures there seems to be an awful lot of pressure to "choose a side". Is it not possible for Mr. Obama (or anyone else for that matter) to be both 100% black AND 100% white if he wants to? It would be great of we could all just simplify and say "hey, that's the way it is in the U.S.", but somehow I doubt it is any different up here.
At any rate, I love watching the man speak and I just can't get over the fact that he seems to have electrified what was once the most powerful nation in the world (some would argue it still is). Our fiends to the south are in dire need of some fresh ideas and a new face in the oval office, and from what I've seen, Barack Obama will bring about the necessary changes. Hey a guy can hope!
Labels: Barak, Obama, Presidency
