Why does everyone say that race should not be an issue? I think that it is whether we like it or not. I know that Hillary being unattractive shouldn't affect my opinion of her, but it does. So then why would something so much more polarizing not affect my opinion of a candidate? I think it does and I think it should.
Certainly a candidate's qualifications are the foundation of who you are going to vote for. Both Hillary and Obama are equally qualified if you appreciate their liberal philosophies. Since they will both do the same thing in office, what do they have to have to offer beyond their record (very similar) and their stance on issues (very similar as well)? They offer the first black president and the first female president.
To better understand how I have formed my opinion, you need to know two things. The first is a study that a teacher presented back when I was in college all those years ago. No old lady jokes here - Adam! Hehehe. ;-) The study showed that before George W. Bush ran for president people with Texas accents were regarded as less intelligent. Once he became president, that same group was considered more intelligent. The second thing that formed my opinion is that my father was raised by a bigot who hated anyone who was not white, Christian, and of course hetero. He was literally taught that black men would hurt him if given the opportunity. For years my father was uncomfortable around black people and men in particular until a black man moved into our church congregation. He was a good man and my father was able to overcome his unfounded fears that had been so deeply ingrained into him. They became good friends and my father loves him dearly.
So, with those two things in mind, I feel that having a black president would improve the status of black people in society. I think that when a person becomes our president, we start to feel a familiarity with them. We watch them lead and we become involved in their daily decisions. We grow to respect them even if we don't agree with them. We feel like they are one of us even if they are not on our same side. I believe that this familiarity and respect would ultimately result in a higher opinion of black people in general. Just like my father grew to love his friend once he was able to connect with him as a person and not an idea or how people respected Texas accents more once Bush was president.
To sum it up: Race IS a valid issue!
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1 comment:
Wonderfully expressed Dani-I quite agree that race perceptions would change should Obama be elected. It would also make quite a difference for the world view of America I think. It will be interesting to see if it happens.
I actually find Hillary to be an attractive professional looking woman. I can't believe that people are constantly bad-talking her looks. I also find her quite personable. I am not looking for a mother to be the next President-Hillary is the perfect degree of aloof if you ask me.
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