If Barack Obama was Asian I would have supported him for President. If he was a woman homosexual or used a wheelchair he still would have had my vote. Even if he was white I would have voted for him.
The point is that Obama was elected regardless of his minority status because the majority of voting Americans believe him to be the superior candidate. His vision of change for America’s future inspired the electorate. Obama’s purported ability to hold office is what put him there not the color of his skin. Though his ethnicity heightened public awareness of his platform it was not the most significant factor in his election to the office of president. In turn it shouldn’t be the focus of the media or the public.
Obama’s politics and charisma outshine his ethnicity. During campaign season despite the media’s focus on the color of his skin and nontraditional upbringing it was Obama’s platform that convinced me he was the best candidate for presidency. The hope for change he offered – an offer that he is now making good on as President – was irresistible. The fact that he would be the first black president was mere icing on the cake.
That’s not to say that we should ignore the hallmark achievement of Obama’s election. On the contrary the American public should celebrate the progress of race relations recently that has brought a citizen of African descent into the White House. It is something in which we should all take pride including those who supported McCain. Overemphasis of this point however has dangerous consequences.
Focusing on Obama’s identity as a black man instead of his identity as a capable world leader discounts the scope and importance of his plans for the next four years. This new administration promises real change: green power and energy efficiency are becoming a reality; the thousands of jobs lost in the last months of the Bush administration will be replaced with new ones created by the up-and-coming stimulus package; the face of American tax law is undergoing a huge makeover; and universal health coverage is closer than ever. Occupation of Iraq may soon be a thing of the past and more direct American aid involvement in the Sudan may be in our future.
Notions of a changing role for America in the environmental and economic sectors of the world community that could only be “just talk” under the Bush administration are now coming to fruition. Things are going to change and if we are distracted by this novelty of a black president we will miss out on the potentially revolutionary new role of the United States in the world at large.
Furthermore the fact that America has elected a black president with relative peace is an indicator that racism is becoming less of an issue in modern politics. In order to continue to decrease the role of discrimination in the political process a candidate’s race gender and sexual orientation must become as insignificant a factor as possible.
The current state of American politics has the potential to eradicate these factors as considerable issues in the election process. We must focus more on his politics and less on his race if we want to achieve this next step in creating a more equitable America.
America needs President Obama. We need an inspirational figure and we need him for the change he promised and his initiative for progress. His ethnicity may contribute to his ability to supply these things as President but it’s not the whole package. If Obama were any other color creed or gender he still would be the best choice.