I wonder what Lee Jasper, Ken Livingstone's big-mouthed race equality adviser, really makes of the idea of Barack Obama being president of the United States. Really makes of it, deep down inside. I wonder, too, what the Muslim Council of Britain feels about the prospect. Or anyone else who owes their position on the public stage to vociferous campaigning against racism.
I am sure that all of them would tell you that they would welcome such an outcome. America with its first black president! How wonderful! I am equally sure that the truth is rather different.
To help you understand why, I am going to try and answer what appears to be a very different question. What is Bill Clinton up to?
Over the past fortnight the former President has been stumping hard for his wife. Not much of a surprise that, since the man once memorably described to me as “the white trash JFK” is never happier than when chatting up the staff in Dunkin' Donuts, sampling the product while on a flying campaign visit. But his strategy has been a little more surprising. Having built his career on his sensitive understanding of African-American sensibilities, he now seems prepared to throw away his hard-won reputation.
He has been heavily, and reasonably, criticised for “racialising” the presidential fight. In particular, his comparison between the victories of Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama in South Carolina has drawn fire. So why has he done this? Why has Mr Clinton risked so much of the political capital he has built up? Precisely because his reputation for understanding racial politics is well merited. His incredible political intuition (coupled with an unattractive ruthlessness) helps him to see that to bring down Mr Obama it is necessary to undermine Mr Obama's way of projecting his blackness.
Shelby Steele, one of America's leading chroniclers of racial politics, has recently published an invaluable study of Mr Obama. Its title tells you a great deal about its thrust - A Bound Man: Why we are excited about Obama and why he can't win.
Steele argues that there are two political strategies adopted by his fellow African-Americans - bargaining and challenging. He starts bluntly with the assertion that blacks “possess a largesse of moral authority that whites can simply never have. And this amounts to a currency of power.” African-Americans, Steele posits, have the ability to bestow upon whites something they crave and cannot bestow upon themselves - racial innocence.
Bargainers make this deal: “I will not use America's horrible history of white racism against you, if you will promise not to use my race against me.” Bargainers grant whites their innocence up front as a gesture of trust. And in return? Eternal gratitude.
Steele believes bargaining is a spectacularly successful strategy. Everyone wins. It works to combat racism because it grants whites “a good reputation to protect... The beauty of bargaining is that it turns the black desire to live without racism into a white self-interest.” And bargainers themselves are able to achieve iconic status: Sidney Poitier, Oprah Winfrey, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, bargainers all. And Barack Obama too, of course. He is a classic bargainer.
Each of these figures had another choice - being a challenger. As Steele puts it: “Challengers put all whites in the position of having to chase after their racial innocence. The challenger's code: whites are incorrigibly racist until they do something to prove otherwise.” And challenging can be incredibly successful too. It's just that not everyone wins. Only the challengers do, and in certain very limited ways.
Challengers - figures such as Jesse Jackson and the firebrand Al Sharpton - build their power and their careers by setting themselves up as arbiters. When the radio talk show host Don Imus used racial insults on air, it was from Al Sharpton he sought absolution. He instinctively realised that there was no point seeking it from Colin Powell. That is why Al Sharpton possesses power.
Yet while figures like Jesse Jackson do well for themselves, they will never be icons to those outside their community. They will be feared more than they are respected.
All this Bill Clinton perceives with the same clarity as Steele. All this and one thing more. Mr Obama (like Steele) is not the son of two black parents. His mother was white. And in A Bound Man it is suggested that this is a source of tension. He has to some extent chosen his black identity and wants to hold on to it. Yet at the same time he wants to move beyond the predominant political strategy of the black community - to move beyond challenging. Being a bargainer is a brave and difficult road for a man with Mr Obama's background.
So what Mr Clinton is attempting to do is exploit Mr Obama's difficulty. His comparison of Mr Obama with Jesse Jackson was a deliberate attempt to rob Hillary's foe of his iconic status. He wants Mr Obama to be seen as just another challenger.
Which brings me back to Lee Jasper and the Muslim Council of Britain - challengers, both. Mr Jasper's call, for example, for reparations for slavery was the classic challenger's play. And his reward for ceaseless anti-racist campaigning of this type has been a role as Ken Livingstone's race arbiter and the ability to guide public money towards his favoured groups.
Mr Jasper is in a fight to the death with Trevor Phillips, the head of the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights because Mr Phillips, with his talk of integration, is a bargainer. Mr Jasper sees that if Mr Phillips succeeds, his own power is diminished. Similarly, the MCB owes much of its power to our willingness to allow it to be the unchallenged spokesman for Muslims, to be the judges of what should be considered Islamophobia.
If we want a British Obama then such a willingness has to end. If we want bargainers, then we mustn't reward challengers.
I wonder if Lee Jasper and the others see that this lesson is obvious. For if they do, the last thing they would want is for Barack the bargainer to be crowned with victory.
daniel.finkelstein@thetimes.co.uk
Let's take this a step further. If anything Obama's full name is more of an asset than liability.
A Muslim woman who walks in front of her man is never taken seriously or respected. This is the case worldwide even in the U. S. It's more of a masculine/feminine protective thing than it is sexist anymore in America. Look at the lack of progress Madeline Albright, and Condoleezza Rice have made in the Mid-East over the past two decades. The horrific assassination of Benazir Bhutto confirms what some think of dominant women. This is not the time in our history to elect a female of any color or another White male.
Obama is the substantive person and face needed to lead America at this difficult time and turning point in our history. This will send a signal and set an example for the world to see that we have transcended race. Hillary and only White women have sat where no woman of color has ever been allowed to sit. It is 2008 and most White Americans, the young in particular, are now transcending race in spite of one too many older Whites still refusing to turn the page.
Barack H. Obama is the structural change needed for any hope of an authentic peace with substance and purpose. We will have a president who already has a track record of having good judgement and bridging gaps between people who rarely if ever communicate. The movement for CHANGE amongst the masses worldwide is real. If you have any sense of reason, you have to see the overall problems that have been caused by electing 43 White men to the presidency. Absolute power definitely corrupts. Let's CHANGE!
OBAMA '08!
http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/49697
Sasha , Montgomerey County, USA / PA
I only hope that America doesn't buy the idea of Obama being the next president. It's evident that this guy is dangerous and racist. Some people seem to like "the cult of the personality" of Obama. This guy has a secret agenda...wake up now that it's not too late yet. He is a change factor, but what kind of changes he is trying to implement? Also Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Bin Laden have said so. They have also promised to change the society and History is there for who wants to learn from it.
I am German and I know what I mean. Germany knows what these racist sermons and speeches are all about. Unfortunately, we knew the hard way.
Americans, don't be candid! Learn from History!
P.S.: I was shock when I read the 12 precepts of the Obama's Church. They are amazingly similar to the ones that Hitler created for the "Aryan race". I just replaced the word "black" with "Aryan" so you can have a better idea of what I mean:
1. Commitment to God
2. Commitment to the Black ("Aryan") Community
3. Commitment to the Black ("Aryan") Family
4. Dedication to the Pursuit of Education
5. Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence
6. Adherence to the Black ("Aryan") Work Ethic
7. Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect
8. Disavowal of the Pursuit of "Middleclassness"
9. Pledge to make the fruits of all developing and acquired skills available to the Black ("Aryan") Community
10. Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black ("Aryan") Institutions
11. Pledge allegiance to all Black leadership who espouse and embrace the Black ("Aryan") Value System
12. Personal commitment to embracement of the Black ("Aryan") Value System.
Tami, New Jersey, USA
There is an interesting excerpt in the Independent today from Obama’s `The Audacity of Hope’ where he very eloquently expresses the influence of his maternal family roots and the subtlety of his perspective. As a candidate for high office and representative of an historically oppressed race he may be a bargainer, but at the most personal level he is as much white as black.
Catie, London, UK
I find reading these comments so very interesting. I particularly enjoy the commentary about how racist the US is and whether its ready or not for a Black President. As an American living in the UK I always find myself amused by how much Brits like to discuss Americas' racism. Of course, when I look at your Parliament and House of Lords I'm stunned by the range of ethnicities. Aren't 2 of the leaders of parties public school white males? What a shame Tony left so early -- they could have started a club.
Glass houses comes to mind.
Titania, Enfield, UK
You guys don't get it. For example, read in the 1/30 NYTimes NY Report section how the blacks of Harlem feel about Bill Clinton as well as his remarks about Osama. As one man noted, as far as they are concerned Bill Clinton was the first black American president. When it''s mattered, throughout their entire careers, whatever else you may have against the Clintons, when it came to furthering and defending black civil rights Bill and Hillary were both walking the walk. As another denizen of Harlem put it, rather cheekily, as far as they are concerned Barack Obama is a middle class white guy who hasn't really done anything.
Well-informed left-wing American columnist Paul Krugman, who consistently is for the good of the working and lower classes of Americans and indeed supported both Kucinich and Edwards, has come out more than once denouncing Barack Obama, whom he regards as a closet Republican with a ridiculously ineffective plan for health insurance for all Americans..
Jean Sherrell, Sebastopol, CaLIFORNIA
This article is pure nonsense; I do not seek to bargain and there isn't a challenge to which I have to rise. I am Caucasian and guilt free on the issue of race and seek nothing in the way of racial innocence or forgiveness because of my skin color. I am however becoming more than a little angry over the inability of certain minority sections of society to take responsibility for their own consistent failures.
Susan T. , Dayton, OH. USA,
black or white, male or female are bygone issues for has beens - the next dividing line will be, and should be, religion - ie. is he/she religious or not? give me non-religious any day of the year, 100 times over ......... please
rich, London, UK
How depressingly predictable - the way Diane Abbot damns a man (Shelby Steele) by his support for a war that brought a a shot at democracy to millions. Something she would doubtless have denied them. It is this sort of talk that defines the chasm between the black, educated middle class in this country and that in America which has yielded Obama as a real hope. Her style is very much a challenger vs bargainner example, and look where it has got her. But then, in rejecting her own party's state education system, and her own socialist principals, by sending her son to private school, was Diane Abbott challenging or bargaining with herself?
jonathan anthony, london,
Fact being, The Billderberg group, along with the CFR and Trilateral group have picked Hillary Clinton to be the next US President and Obama to be the Vice President!
So in essence, who the voters support doesn't really matter. They would prefere her to win without having to rig the vote but they get so paranoid in our days they rig it regardless, just to be on the safe side. So it's eaither though media manipulation or vote manupulation.
Check out Hillarys funding to see what corperate groups are supporting Hillary for an idea on what people are backing her for.
So you all better belive it, there's gonna be the first ever Woman president and a black Vice President.
There isn't going to be one change at all, it's just another side of the same coin. They have there agenda's set for them, they just carry it out.
Andy, England,
Barack Obama is a naive, arrogant, whiner and if somehow is elected the U.S. will have at least another four years of incompetent "leadership" - this has to end...........
Ellen Lawson, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
@ Mark in Berkhampstead.
When people in Africa or India murder each other because of tribal differences, it is not racism.
It is inter communal violence.
Also when people are cynical about Diane Abbot, they should be aware how innocent she is, she would not play the race card , or build a career based on black issues for her or her childs' advancement, she probably wouldn't even notice that someone might be jewish, let alone refer to it to make a point..
We can rely on her to give us good advice on understanding politics in America and correct errors in newspapers.
Frank H, London.,
Forgive me for being perhaps a little naive, but is presidential race meant to be about choosing the candidate that is best suited to the job of representing the most powerful country in the world?!
The fact that Obama is black should be completely irrelevant, as should the fact that Hilary is a woman!!! If people are voting for either of them because of the skin colour or sex then the next president of the United States will be as big a farce as the current one!
C Savvas, London, UK
".. "hope" has been used by politician after politician for decades if not centuries.Nothing new there. Yet, because Obama says it somehow it must be true.
The man has so far said nothing, but warm and cosy words. No detailed progamme or plans about what he is porposing to change. All we have got from Obama has been hot air.. "
Rick you have a point but as a typical man-in-the-street ignorant I don't know what clinton stands for either. I just know she seems to go about not saying it in a way that you wouldn't put up with in a friend.
I am not stupid enough to forget "Things can only can better" in our country. But added together Obama currently appears the best proposition to an interested outsider. Admittedly his skin-colour is another political bonus and why not? Is anyone pretending skin-colour is not a handicap sometimes?
mount, dorset, gb
very interesting and nasty by turns. i must be an obamaniac but i see here another strong reason to hope the US reject the clintons.
mount, dorset, gb
Mr. Finkelstein shows exquisite sensitivity and very admirable awareness of the USA's political scene.
However, with regard to the following sentence concerning Bill Clinton:
"Having built his career on his sensitive understanding of African-American sensibilities, he now seems prepared to throw away his hard-won reputation."
Many people here in the USA believe that Bill Clinton decisively accomplished that a very long time ago!
Garth Strong, San Diego, USA
Race is a massive issue in the US. More so than in any other country outside of Southern Africa probably. And inevitably the issue of race has it's place in this election. Perhaps if Obama is elected the US could move on and next time close their eyes and vote on the issue rather than the person.
Gareth, Melbourne, Australia
Hey Finkelstein, Barack's mama was as white as yours. I'm left-handed but does Barack or Clinton have thick ankles? What about who can best lead the !/3 of a billion people of the most influential nation on the planet? At the end of the day there's only one race the human one (pass it on).
Bronte S., Cranbrook , Canada
Imount from dorset wirtes: "...IN response to Bob Evans I think the reason that many people are enthralled with Obama is not "a Puritan-like guilt over the race issue" - definitely not in the UK, because we shipped all our Puritans out your way thank God. I think people are enthralled by a politician who tells people that politics is not about the meta-analysis of personality issues, fear and cynicism described above, it can be about simple hope. And he's 'black'. Do you get it?
mount, dorset, gb....."
And this is a line about "hope" has been used by politician after politician for decades if not centuries.Nothing new there. Yet, because Obama says it somehow it must be true.
The man has so far said nothing, but warm and cosy words. No detailed progamme or plans about what he is porposing to change. All we have got from Obama has been hot air. Do you get it?
Rick, London,
I really hope that the American voting public think not about whether a Candidate is Black/ Mixed Race/White etc. They must realise that the person finally elected will become the most important person in the world.
God help us all if this choice is based on colour of skin/ slagging off each other in the primaries/ the amount of billions thrown on advertising and other ridiculous reasons to vote or not vote for a certain candidate.
I think Obama is quite cute and his team are really smart. But experience of anything, let alone running the world's biggest economy and knowledge of very important foreign policy - I know nothing of it - does he?
Clinton is experienced in all of the above. More than likely because of her husband's time as President. However, neither she nor her husband are liked or trusted at home/abroad. Does that mean foreign policy is ruined should she win as foreign leaders don't trust her?
I am lucky - I do not have a vote YOU DO Use it wisely PLEASE
LT, Warminster, UK
It intrigues me that week in week out we here about racisim in the US and the UK - who said what and whether this or that remark is or could be 'racist'. We sit gazing into our navel wondering who will or wil not be offended by the blue fluff.
In Kenya people are being murdered because of their ethnic background - savagely beaten to death and their bodies left to rot in the street. Isn't this racism? And why does the centre left remain so silent in the face of such a violation?
We will spend days and weeks agonising over whether the dog in the Dambusters film can be referred to by name (it was 'nigger') but we stand mute while Black Africans hack each other to death with machetes because of their racial identities.
Mark, Berkhamsted,
IN response to Bob Evans I think the reason that many people are enthralled with Obama is not "a Puritan-like guilt over the race issue" - definitely not in the UK, because we shipped all our Puritans out your way thank God. I think people are enthralled by a politician who tells people that politics is not about the meta-analysis of personality issues, fear and cynicism described above, it can be about simple hope. And he's 'black'. Do you get it?
mount, dorset, gb
To 'jem',
I quote:
"the problem is that people think it would be a sign that racism has been overcome if there is a black president. really, it would be a sign that racism has been overcome if nobody cared what colour the president was. without racism, the concept of a black president would be meaningless."
I applaud you. I really do. Thank you!
Charlie, England,
Socialists are always for the 'people'. They are for every ' disadvantaged ' person in the World, as long as they do NOT get too close to power. In the US 70% of the population is in some way, shape or form a ' minority'. As this makes WASP's a minority, I also am a minority. Play this game in your Country.
Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA Tx
Are you personaly saying not to reward challengers?
I want to understand your view point
I say bargain first, challenge second,
African Americans will have to have CHALLENGERS for years to come, especially if Obama is elected.
The day we wil not have to have African American CHALLENGERS any longer will be the day that a child born in this country who is 1/2 African American and 1/2 white isnt considered solely African American.
Leonel Garza , Austin, Texas
Diane Abbott MP, London,
In as much as I do not completely yield to Obamania, I agree with Mr. Finkelstein's article on the understanding that what he is criticising is race mongering. Black people cannot continue to moan about racism even today when overt racism has virtually been eradicated. I believe we must now look far beyond racism for the reasons for our failures because other groups like the Jews and Asians have moved far beyond expectations despite racism. I am very weary of the fact that there is no successful society of Black people anywhere on this planet and the much more shameful fact that the most racist white country would treat Black criminals better than the best Black country would treat its professors. Hon. Abbott, I am talking from my experiences of life in the largest Black country, Nigeria and many other west African countries.
We need to begin to look talk to ourselves about ways out of our situations. Enlightened Black people must stop race mongering!
John Iteshi, London, UK
Clearly and intelligent article, far more reasonable than most of the overzealous, "count me in the queue of the anti-racists rooting for Obama" write ups we have regularly seen from British journalists.
I like your view, but the main point about Obama is that he is more of a product of self-righteous white media than a self groomed hero he is being marketed as.
I should, like majority of Black people all over the world, be excited about the prospect of having a Black president of the USA, but as a thinker, I am worried that it appears to be just about making history!
Though, Obama appears to be a genuine Black man, my worry is that even if he succeeds, he might not have the vision to help change the situation of the Black race. What should worry every enlightened Black person including Obama is that there is no successful society of people like us anywhere on this planet and the pathetic fact that there is none underway. Perhaps it would be useful to have Obama up there urging Black people to stop moaning about racism and get down to work, but we would probably benefit better by building from the ground.
John Iteshi, London, UK
to suggest that there are only two political strategies - bargaining or challenging - is wrong and unhelpful. it suggests that all black politicians define themselves by their blackness. why should a black politician bargain with or challenge whites? perhaps he could just present policies that appeal to a broad electorate?
worth a thought, surely?
the problem is that people think it would be a sign that racism has been overcome if there is a black president. really, it would be a sign that racism has been overcome if nobody cared what colour the president was. without racism, the concept of a black president would be meaningless.
obama's mother is white. do you think she cares what colour he is? he's her little boy. if he could see himself as a politician and we could see him the same way, then we would all have achieved something.
then, of course, we'd notice that he has no policies and no experience. :0)
jem, london, uk
White people do not need to play this game. All they have to do is realise that they personally had absolutely nothing to do with slavery and to ignore any attempt by 'challengers' to make a big deal out of it. History is history.
Just refusing to feel even reflected guilt for something you had nothing to do with sounds like a sensible approach to me.
Ben, Swindon,
The Democratic ticket is the best illustration of the conundrum that you could dream up: The Jewish mum buys her boy two ties for Christmas. Christmas morning the son appears wearing one of the ties. She looks at him in that way. "So what was wrong with the other tie?" This is Obama and Clinton. In essence there is no 'it's your turn', or ' I feel sorry for...' as an exciuse to vote someone into power. What the voter wants is a degree of certainty. Obama has not struck me, neither has the Mr and Mrs Clintons', they have internalised the candidature like Neil Kinnock did, and lost. There is no urgency to vote in a black candidate, racism, even when it is positive is divisive. It will not be long before the candidacy of a Spanish speaking runner will take over the polarised black versus white platforms in the States; the blacks will become a third place minority and be even harder to elect. On the basis of the Democratic campaigning, there is little policy - a Republican win is probable.
Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England
How kind you are to yourself ; The European immigrants are
setlers in USA -may be all around the world, while the Brown-
skin -American or Britsh, we are -or must be immigrants,why ?
I am praying day and night to God give you some humain feelin
you know, i always thought our lord Jesus Christ was man of
all colours, if you have a faith in our God-or-any God? I wonder
why our journalist cruel.
How many years ago european arrived in to American-
subcontinent, the natives became forigners, and European-
become natives(is Brijlani native or McCaine,but not Obama)?
I will go on praying to God-may you change to homain writing,
God Bless us all:Cllr Ken Tiwari(Oxford UK)
Cllr Ken Tiwari (Independent), Oxford, United Kingdom
I hope the choice for Democratic candidate for President doesn't come down to a contest between Obama's use of white guilt and Hillary Clinton's use of male guilt. If either wins the White House, will we have to refrain from any legitimate criticism of their Presidency for fear of being accused of racism or sexism? It's enough to make you want to vote for a white male who will have no excuses when he screws up!
Eleanor, New York, USA
To my mind the reason anyone outside the states should support Obama is that he hopefully will not be so inward looking as Bush - while it is obviously the job of the president to protect his country Bush seemed to forget the the states are part of a larger world - thanks to his background this should be harder for Obama to forget.
Having said that Americans are rarely so obliging as to do what anyone else wants so I don't hold out much hope for an Obama presidency
Claire, Bristol,
Most interesting piece. I would add that Al Sharpton has power of the most limited potency, and indeed the Obama candidacy may have, if nothing else, forever expurgated the black pretender-candidate genre exmplified by Sharpton and Jackson. The Sharptons have been made to obsolesce, and that is for the good.
Abbott Katz, London, UK
Hillary is still Bill Clinton's wife. It's a package deal and that's her biggest problem.
Obama looks like the future, everyone else looks like the past. The guy is young, smart, thoughtful, doesn't appear to be "owned" by any one contingent and seems wa-a-a-ay more honest than anyone else out there in either party, even though there's not a ghost of a chance a Republican can win this time.
You'd have to be a pretty hardcore bigot to vote against this guy because of his skin tone after the millenium opening 8-year show by The Decider and the Council of Doom.
George Ziemann, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
"[Clinton] is never happier than when chatting up the staff in Dunkin' Donuts, sampling the product while on a flying campaign visit."
Shouldn't that have read "[Clinton] is never happier than when sampling the staff while on a flying visit"?
Mike Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU
Great article! Good insight. I enjoyed it!
Thank you.
To: Mike O'Brien ---What an insult to say that it is more of a blessing to be "less black". AGH!! It is funny how simple it is for people to expose their true racist heart. Should I say more. Please don't make me. It could get ugly.
Michelle, Chicago, USA/IL
"Great read cheers, and reinforces my belief that the US is just not ready for a Black president. "
I've never understood this. What is America not ready for?? What are you scared of? You voted in George Bush and look where that's got you! I try not to read to much in the media and have not been to America, so am I to take it from this that Americans need a bit more time to get used to the idea??? Would there ever be a good time for you?
Lee, St Albans, England
Shelby Steele is not " one of America's leading chroniclers of racial politics". He is a right wing black man who voted for George W Bush in 1980 & 1984, supported the war in Iraq and makes a living peddling the kind of inanities about black people that white people like to hear. And his thesis about black politicians being "bargainers" or "challengers" is bogus. Black people have to learn to switch between bargaining and challenging, not just in politics, but in our work and personal lives. Quite when you deploy which tactic is a matter of judgement. But claiming that Oprah Winfrey etc are succesful because they are "bargainers" is nonsense. They are succesful because they are quite brilliant at what they do. As for Danny Finkelstein's notion that society should reject people who are prepared to challenge racism, I would remind him that if people had not been prepared to be "challengers " both in regard to racism and anti-semitism neither he nor I would be doing what we do today.
Diane Abbott MP, London,
1)"white trash JFK" Soooo you're saying a common man who propels himself from commoner life to become the leader of the last "Superpower" via Intelligence alone is white trash because...well, he was a commoner? JFK had as many consorts as Clinton has had; so he's better because he comes from wealth? I'd say Clinton is the prince...because he did it all on his own.
2)I have one question: WHAT do Jesse Jackson and Obama have in common enough to win South Carolina? I certainly don't remember Jesse having alot of hype as Obama does. Hm, I wonder what they have in common...
3)When Obama's campaign "leaked" an internal memo outlining 4 "racially sensitive" comments attributed to the Clintons (MLK and LBJ?!?? How is that racially sensitive other than it was made by a white person?!) Obama says he "regrets allowing his campaign to float the race issues.
THAT is the worst dividing action any leader could ever hope to make; all in the name of POLITICAL ADVANTAGE.
OBAMA did that.
Josh, Chicago, IL
What absolute rubbish - if race plays a substantial role in the US presidential race, it is as likely that a considerable proportion of the white population will feel a moral obligation to not obstruct the road to the White House for the first African American with a real chance of winning an election - a vote for Obama is, when politics are removed, a vote that says "look! I'm not racist". And the novelty factor should also not be overlooked.
While Clinton obviously also benefits from a certain novelty factor, lets be frank, the United States' civil rights history has left a larger proportion of the populace with a 'guilty conscience' than have the lower profile campaigns for sexual equality - rightly or wrongly.
Moreover, the US is seemingly more prepared for the idea of a black President. Look to the media - popular TV shows (e.g. 24) and movies (e.g. Deep Impact) regularly portray black Presidents. Commander in Chief is the only show I can think of with a female President.
Tim, Reading, Berkshire
Most of us Britons will not have an alien as PM.....ever
F Kimbal Johnson, Louth,Lincs, uk
Who cares what colour his skin is? What sort of man is he? What does he stand for? These are the important issues not how much melatonin evolution has blessed him with.
Mike O'Brien, Castlebar, Ireland
"Why would Lee Jasper or the MCB have any strong views about Obama? Neither of them are going to vote in the Presidential elections."
bilal, is it perhaps because they have a surfeit of opinions on subjects which are really no concern of theirs, particularly when it comes to pandering to prejudice?
jem, london, uk
The fact that we have seen too consecutive black secretaries of state, shows that the challengers' theories are rubbish (hence their hatred for Condi). They must be near panic at Obama's rise.
The fact that majority of black democrats are voting for Obama also shows that the black voter on the street is not as close to the race baiting challengers. This must also be causing them nightmares.
Serf, Istanbul,
Great read cheers, and reinforces my belief that the US is just not ready for a Black president. Even with Obamas big win yesterday it does not alter my perception in the least. Beside which many world leaders know and respect Hillary and are looking forward to working with her. It's all written in the stars anyway, so that it!
D Case, Newquay,
Everyone keeps going on about him being black, but isn't he really white. As his mother is white and she brought him up.
Kris, London,
Why would Lee Jasper or the MCB have any strong views about Obama? Neither of them are going to vote in the Presidential elections.
Does Daniel have any strong views about Jewish politicians?
Bilal Patel, London, UK,
Why in the world would any sensible, rational-thinking person vote for a candidate who has offered up not a single policy or proposal should he be elected? Why has Mr. Obama attracted such wide-spread support and enthralled so many in America and Britain.
Mr. Finkelstein is close to it: it is his race. Millions in America will vote for him, and many in Britain see him as the "Great Black Hope".
Both nations, it would seemed are obsessed with a Puritan-like guilt over the race issue, and will vote for him in an attempt to exorcise that foolish guilt.
Foolish? Yes, very foolish. No one alive today is in any way responsible for the "peculiar institution" of slavery. And yet white people, such as his mother, willingly submit to accusations of "white guilt hurled by the powerful black lobby show in the story.
As long as blacks and white wish to perpetuate this myth of white racism (and there is just as much black), then there shall be no peace.
Bob Evans, Anaheim, California
You left out that other bargainer - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mary, San Francisco, USA
The bargainers are more highly evolved than challengers. Obama, Winfrey et al are the right type to bring the most good to all of our needs, wants and desires. While not a supporter ; what fun and interest for the world if by some chance of history Obama would win. How refreshing and fancinating.
gp martin, pinellas park, florida USA