Mr. Presidential’s Race
Posted By: JaMarcus Dontrell Jones | May 28, 2010 | No comments
We all knew it would happen. When? Nobody knew for sure. However, everybody knew that one day, the United States of America would have its first black President.
It doesn’t matter whether you are a Liberal or a Conservative, you have to admit; during the Presidential race, Obama was generally held at a higher regard because he is Black (or should I say that the media was just excited and gave him free publicity.) Anyway you look at it, many would conclude that his campaign ran a much better race then the Palin/McCain ticket.
However, I’m not here to talk about the race. I’m here to talk about Obama himself, as our leader and 44th President of the United States. For many, a lingering question remains: Does the fact that our president is black overshadow important issues? My answer: Sort of. But just hear me out…
I didn’t originally plan to equivocate, but after polling the opinions of many people (both Black and White), I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no “yes or no” answer, and here’s why: No matter if you are Liberal, Republican or Democrat, one must admit that there was most certainly going to be a “honeymoon phase,” during which we as a country would be able to see more clearly the effects this issue would have, if any at all.
The results were fairly obvious: Though the racial aspect no longer seemed of importance, instead of talking about deficits, out of control spending, high interest rates, gay marriage, states rights and other major issues, the media became overly fixated on the Obama girls’ schooling, their dog, what they eat, when Oprah will visit, etc. They spoke very little of what needed to be done in America. Barack Obama showed up and said the words, “Hope and Change,” and people ran with it. Well, within a year, I think it’s safe to say that America has definitely ”changed”. Some believe it to be for the worse, and some Americans believe it to be for the better.
One silent, but shocking thing that is currently sweeping through politics, however, is the rise of Black politicians not liking Obama’s “Hope and Change” (or as some may call it, “Ropes and Chains.”) In fact, there are 32 Black Republicans running this year for Congressional seats . So, if Obamas “blackness” did overshadow during the election, it seems clear that now, its beginning to dissipate because people are starting to realize that there are much more important issues at hand. The unfortunate thing, however is that he will probably still go down in history as a “great president” mostly because he was the first African American in the White House . He’ll probably be put right next to another silent, but forceful, socialist named Franklin D. Roosevelt (Can you tell I’m not a big fan of either?)
The bottom line is, for a moment, I feel his “Blackness” did overshadow his policies; even though that may be a non-issue at this stage in the game. However, I also feel that by the time 2012 rolls around, President Obama’s skin color won’t matter in Washington… because he wont have a job.
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