Αρχικά στην προεδρική εκστρατεία οι πίστεις μου διαιρέθηκαν μεταξύ του κυβερνήτη Bill Richardson και Sen. Barack Obama. Το Obama ήταν ο νέος Τούρκος με το δώρο της ευγλωττίας και το μήνυμα της ελπίδας, και Richardson ήταν ο καρυκευμένος πολιτικός με τη μητέρα όλοι επαναλαμβάνει.

Το Richardson είναι ανώτατα κατάλληλο για να είναι Πρόεδρος, έχει μια περίληψη που λίγοι μπορούν να ταιριάξουν με: Κυβερνήτης του New Mexico, μέλος του Κογκρέσσου, πρόεδρος της δημοκρατικής εθνικής Συνθήκης του 2004, πρόεδρος δημοκρατική ένωση κυβερνητών το 2005 και το 2006, του Ηνωμένου γραμματέα της ενέργειας και Ηνωμένος πρεσβευτής στα Ηνωμένα Έθνη.

Αλλά για να είναι τίμιο δεν ήταν εντυπωσιακά πιστοποιητικά Richardson που συνέλαβαν το ενδιαφέρον μου - ήταν το έθνος του. Δυστυχώς, όταν βλέπουνε πολλοί Αμερικανοί έναν λατίνο, φαντάζονται ότι είναι landscaper, ξυλουργός, εργαζόμενος τομέων ή ένα πλυντήριο πιάτων. Το Richardson είναι εξαιρετικά επιτυχές ένα ισπανικό ποιος έχει καταστρέψει όλα τα στερεότυπα. Για Richardson για να είμαι ο επόμενος Πρόεδρος των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών λόγω αυτό που σημαίνω για τους Ισπανούς in particular και για τις φυλετικές σχέσεις γενικά.

Αυτός ο λατίνος αρθρογράφος θα είχε ευχαριστηθεί εάν Richardson είχε εξασφαλίσει το δημοκρατικό διορισμό. Η εκστρατεία του Richardson δεν επίασε ποτέ την πυρκαγιά, είχε τα πιστοποιητικά, αλλά δεν είχε το χάρισμα. Americans want a president they can imagine themselves having a beer with. The Average Joe doesn’t care if his accountant is a socially awkward nerd, as long as he is a whiz at solving financial problems. But we want a president who is eloquent, charismatic and likeable.

Richardson didn’t even make an impression in the Hispanic community, probably because of his Anglo surname. I had a hard time convincing some of my friends and family members that Richardson is a Latino. Oh well, I hope Obama considers Richardson as a running mate.

In the Virginia primary I voted for Sen. Barack Obama; and I am doing everything I can to advance his candidacy. One day when I’m in a rest home, I want to be able to tell youngsters who come and visit me that in my own little way, I helped elect the first African American president.

I can understand why Obama has captured the imagination of the American people, — the senator from Illinois represents change and hope. Obama is one of those rare politicians who transcends party affiliations and even race.

But I can especially understand why African Americans are solidly behind Obama. Jim Crow laws, that prohibited blacks from using “whites only” restrooms and other public accommodations were still in place as late as 1965. For an African American who as a youngster was forced to drink from a “colored” drinking fountain, a black president represents a quantum leap forward.

If most blacks had the attitude “I’m for Obama because he’s black, regardless of his stand on the issues”, who are we to say that’s not right? “I’m for Obama because he’s black”, might not be the politically correct posture, but when you have suffered discrimination sometimes you think with your gut.

But it’s important to note that at the start of this long and bitter presidential campaign, Hillary and Obama were splitting the black vote. It wasn’t until Hillary staring losing some contests, that she got desperate and played the race card. Bill Clinton’s infamous race-baiting comments after the South Carolina primary caused, blacks to desert Hillary in droves, and Obama now garners about 90% of the black vote.

It would be a tragedy if the Jeremiah Wright controversy derails Obama’s presidential aspirations. The Whitey-hating Wright is the antithesis of everything that Obama holds dear: Inclusiveness and racial harmony. I hope blue-collar whites will forgive Obama for his mistake in not repudiating Wright months ago, and vote for Obama, the one candidate who can unite Americans of all races.

I still expect Obama to win the Democratic nomination and the general election. When Obama is inaugurated as the next president of the United States, it will be a momentous occasion and a time of rejoicing for African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, Whites and Americans of all other enthnicities.

A controversial examination of how our political system, despite “get out the vote” rhetoric, works to suppress the vote—especially the votes of African Americans.

“Karl Rove began to impress upon leading Republicans…that…one way to address the party’s electoral problem…was to suppress black and Hispanic turnout—a task that would become far easier if the airwaves were buzzing with news of voter-fraud indictments.”—Harold Meyerson, The Washington Post

Popularity: 29% [?]