In recent weeks, whenever the conversation has turned to the presidential race I have expressed my doubts about the willingness of whites to vote for a black man to be the President of the United States. I can only attribute this opinion to a combination of not wanting to get my hopes up too high, and the realization that the actual number of people who won't support him because of his race is somewhere north of the
6% who will admit it when asked.
However, I'm not one of those people who believes an Obama loss could only be blamed on racism. There are some reasonable people who have made an informed decision not to vote for him purely for policy reasons. But some of the statements I've heard: "he's a Muslim," "his pastor damned the United States (sometimes used in quick succession by the same speaker)," "he's an elitist," "he's arrogant," "he's condescending," and so on; all sound like excuses to me. After all, we're not electing the president of our high school student council.
Lately I've started to let myself believe it might actually happen. McCain's behavior during the week of the initial vote on the bailout/rescue plan -- including his "suspension" of the campaign -- did not serve him well. From
his role in the negotiations that led to the bill's defeat in the first vote, to his demeanor during the first presidential debate, I believe the country saw someone whose time has come and gone.
Still, one of the keys to an Obama victory will be his ability to earn the votes of a significant number of white voters. After seeing this speech by AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, I'm optimistic about his chances.
Labels: politics, race
