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1. 3 chenier says:
   November 1st, 2008 at 5:26 pm

   Of course, you would have to provide evidence that they were only voting for him because he was black…

2. 2 George Chatraw says:
   November 1st, 2008 at 5:17 pm

   Very well said. I am still confused though, by the fact that a white person voting for a white person is called racist but when 90 percent of black people vote for a black man only because he is black, they are not considered racists.
   George from Georgia

3. 1 wade mathias says:
   October 19th, 2008 at 3:10 am

   Whether Barack Obama wins or loses this election there will be white racism reflected in the vote. Whether Barack Obama wins or loses this election there will be black racism reflected in the vote. If he loses in a close vote it will be easy to attribute it to the white racists who voted against him because he is black. If he wins in a close vote you could likewise attribute it to black racists who would vote for any black person and no white person. Or you could attribute it to white people like me who simply think it would be good for the country to elect a black person.

   I think John McWhorter was simply trying to point out two things in this article. First of all, there is plenty enough reason for people to rationally vote for somebody other than Obama in this election. (There are more than two candidates in the race by the way) Many Americans including myself strongly oppose his politically liberal ideology. (Personally, I oppose the statist ideology that has been put forward by the conservatives for the last eight years even more) Furthermore, Barack has shown himself to be just another politician albeit one with a great command of the English language. He shifts his position, dodges questions, and panders to fools with the best of them.

   Secondly, I think John McWhorter was pointing out that whereas white racism could cost Barack the election, there is a very good argument that something of a reverse white racism got him the nomination against the powerful political machine of Hillary Clinton and Company in the first place. Personally, I don’t think any white man with no more experience than Barack could have ever wrestled the nomination away from Hillary. And it is a virtual certainty that none with baggage the likes of being a member of Jeremiah Wright’s church for 20 years could have. Does it not say something about how far we have come since “I Have A Dream” that of the three leading Democratic candidates, all of whom share the same fundamental political philosophy, the white man finished a distant third to the black man and the white woman?

   Actually McWhorter was trying to make an even more important point. The fact that we have come a long way doesn’t mean that the residual racism is OK; however, we have come far enough that white racism alone is not enough to keep black people from succeeding in this country. I dare say that in today’s climate black people are held back more by their own feelings of inferiority than they are by racist white people’s assessment of black inferiority.

   As far as Barack Obama is concerned, I wonder whatever happened to the Barack who delivered The Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. If he ever decides who he really is I hope he will chose that one. I liked him, and I think THAT Barack Obama would have won this election in a landslide.

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