Could Obama Have Won If He Were Black . . . I Mean “Really Black”?

The rise of Obama into the White House is an amazing image to behold. A black man is now going to be President. It has an emotional effect on so many people of color, particularly black people.

And yet, it is worth thinking about whether America’s acceptance of blackness is really as complete as the election of Barack Obama suggests.

Part of Obama’s success and rise is rooted in the fact that he is not “really black,” but biracial. By biracial I mean that his parents were not both black.

Throughout the campaign you would often see images of his white mother and white grandparents. There were not really that many photos put forward by the campaign of his African father and relatives. In fairness to Obama, the white side of his family is the one that stayed around to raise him, but my point is still worth considering.

The real question is whether or not a black man or woman could become President without half of their family being white.

I feel that when white people look at biracial people, they say to themselves, well they’re half like me. Another cruder way of seeing it is “I was always potentially a wild night out on the town by my Mom from being born biracial myself.”

I guess my point, and call me pessimistic, is that a black person without white people as a major part of their family background, could not have won the Presidency in 2008.

Hopefully, I’m wrong though.

In any event, we’ve still come a long way with the Obamas.

For me, the most amazing transformational part of the Obamas in the White House, is Michelle Obama, as I’ll discuss in a future post.

My Third Post – Fela 08?

This was my third post on this blog, a little over a year and a half ago.

Amazing to look back:

What would a Black President really mean for the United States of America?

A lot of people are talking about the significance of the possible rise of the first non-white non-male President, let alone the first black male President.

There’s a lot of possible good that could come from it.

But perhaps the most important effect will be the least noticed.

Perhaps, the most fundamental effect that a black President might have, is on the subconscious mental working of the average American, and indeed all public discourse.

The mental steps that a police office on the ground might go through in racially profiling a black people (or at least the openness with which they would do so) will be different when they have in the back of their mind that the nation’s leader… is……black. Indeed, acting as they did, they could have just as easily profiled the President were it not for the secret service.

The steps and analysis that local government, state government, and federal government policy makers go through in considering the impact of their policies on non-white racial groups, is likely to include a longer pause about disparate racial effects their policies might have.

Government agents, or in fact all Americans who violate the civil rights of others, especially regarding non-whites, may have a longer moment of pause in doing so, knowing that, especially when racially motivated, they are committing a harm against society that could just as easily be directed at the nation’s leader and commander in chief.

This type of effect is not even likely to be spoken about or perhaps will not even be conscious, however I think that it will definitely be a factor, and and important change in the way America operates.

Thoughts?

(link)

And Then There Was Barack Obama (& Michelle)

The Obamas Give Me Hope I Might Want To Get Married . . . Someday – Their Relationship Will Also Make Obama A Better President

Via Jack and Jill Politics – “the eyes don’t lie.”:

Not to mention the fact that having a President with a healthy relationship with his family will make for a better presidency:

The Obama Relationship: A Major Benefit Nobody’s Talking About

One of the greatest benefits of an Obama presidency is hidden in plain sight: the relationship between Michelle and Barack. They provide a great role model of a healthy relationship, at a time when such models are sorely needed.

For example…
Imagine having a president who is not distracted from the nation’s business by the stresses of secrets in the presidential marriage. (link)

Imagine having a president who likes his partner and values her as an equal, a president who touches his wife affectionately in public and actually listens to her when she talks!