Yes.
Why am I addressing this issue? Because I think it needs a reality check. Both sides are putting out a lot of extreme talk that I think is wholly unwarranted.
I said it. Maybe I lost a few readers. Now that I got that out, let me qualify that statement. Is race going to elect Barack Obama? No. Is race going to elect John McCain? No. Are there some people that will vote for Obama because he’s black? Probably. Are there some people that will vote for McCain because he’s white? Probably.
Can race be a factor in people’s decision-making process? Yes. Is it a deciding factor? Usually, not.
I think that anyone who denies that race can play a factor, even as negligible as say 1% of a decision, is incredibly naive in regard to the complexity of the human psyche. Human attraction, emotion, and decision-making processes are incredibly complex. Ask someone studying marketing or jury selection. According to theories of jury selection, racial factors make it more likely for our fellow citizens to give someone a death sentence. This consideration alone makes it seem likely that race can play a factor in electing president.
Let me give you a few examples of how race has entered this election recently.
An Obama supporter in the Chicago Sun-Times uses this racially-charged rhetoric:
The first black president of the United States cannot take office on Jan. 20 bereft of a national black agenda.
Sen. Barack Obama has one priority: to get elected. Period. Black leaders must have a different, urgent priority — to put meat on the bones of a realistic black economic and social compact.
Obama is surging toward the White House because he is one of the New Blacks — a coalition-minded progressive who eschews tradition and piecemeal, narrow agendas. The New Blacks know they need not take their cues from the Jacksons, Sharptons and Smileys. He knows that in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. If black people allow parochial and self-interested operators to nibble away at Obama’s ankles, black America will be the biggest loser.
Try and parse words to make this article have nothing to do with race. Even an Obama campaign staffer couldn’t do it.
Next example, let us take Rush Limbaugh’s words on Powell:
“Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race,” Limbaugh wrote. “OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I’ll let you know what I come up with.
I watched Meet the Press and I posted on his endorsement of Obama. I thought it was eloquent and well put. I think Limbaugh is being absolutely ridiculous and if anything jealous that McCain did not get this. I’m sure Powell considered race. I’m sure it did not make his decision for him. But let’s be honest, Powell thought about it. Like I said, humans are complex and a major U.S. political party putting forward a non-white presidential candidate is a big deal.
Similarly, a more local example, I think my mom would have been excited to vote for a woman, in particular Hillary. I think a lot of women felt the same way. Those feelings are gender being a factor in a political election. It’s not a bad thing to be a consideration, it is just human. That said, there should be more to one’s decision than these limited factors.
Share ThisRelated posts:
spencerb
I agree with everything you wrote here. You nailed it.