Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The Obama Enigma

Courtland Milloy weeps eloquent in today's WaPo:
[N]early 400 years after the first Africans arrived in Jamestown and were put to work as slaves, Obama is being shackled by racial categories.
While I agree with Mr. Milloy that the compulsion to classify politicians (and others) by race is a sign that we have not moved completely away from our sad history, let's not shed tears for Senator Barack Obama. There are several freshman senators in the United States Senate right now. Including Obama, an old WaPo piece profiles the Senate's Class of 2004: Richard Burr (R-N.C.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Mel R. Martinez (R-Fla.), Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), John Thune (R-S.D.), and David Vitter (R-La.). Only one of these men was pushed toward the presidency by acclamation. He's not a seasoned leader, he did not have a deep network of donors, is not known for great legislative accomplishments. He's "articulate, bright, clean, and nice-looking", according to his Senate colleague, Joe Biden. And he has dark skin.

The color line is alive and well in America - Mr. Molloy is right on that - but it can help a black man like Obama just as it hurts many others, black and white. So cry if you want, but not for Barack.

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