Vroeg in de presidentiële campagne werden mijn loyaliteit verdeeld tussen Gouverneur Bill Richardson en Sen. Barack Obama. Obama was de Jonge Turk met de gift van welsprekendheid en het bericht van hoop, en Richardson was de gekruide politicus met de Moeder van allen hervat.

Richardson is supremely gekwalificeerd om voorzitter te zijn, heeft hij een samenvatting die weinigen kunnen aanpassen: Gouverneur van New Mexico, Congreslid, Voorzitter van de Democratische Nationale Overeenkomst van 2004, Voorzitter van de Democratische Vereniging van Gouverneurs in 2005 en 2006, de Secretaresse van Verenigde Staten van Energie en de Ambassadeur van Verenigde Staten aan de Verenigde Naties.

Maar om eerlijk te zijn was het niet de indrukwekkende geloofsbrieven van Richardson die mijn rente vingen - het was het zijn behoren tot een bepaald ras. Jammer genoeg, wanneer vele Amerikanen Latino zien, veronderstellen zij hij een tuinarchitect, een timmerman, een gebiedsarbeider of een afwasmachine is. Richardson is uiterst succesvolle Spaans wie alle stereotypen heeft verbrijzeld. Ik yearned voor Richardson om de volgende president van de Verenigde Staten te zijn wegens wat het voor Iberiërs in het bijzonder en voor rasrelaties in het algemeen zou betekenen.

Deze Latino kroniekschrijver zou verrukt zijn als Richardson de Democratische benoeming had beveiligd. Campagne van Richardson ving nooit brand, had hij de geloofsbrieven, maar hij had niet het charisma. 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

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