If Obama simply enters the race, we ALL win!

[RiverStone]

What if Rosa Parks did move to the back of the bus in 1955? But she did not. Her subsequent arrest and trial for not giving up her seat to a white man triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the largest and most successful mass movements against racial segregation in history.

There has been much debate on DU if a black man can win the Presidency in 2008. If not then, could a man (or woman) of color win in ten years, or in fifty years? Was 1955 the right time for Rosa Parks to demonstrate her civil disobedience? History proved that it was.

Obama may not get through the primaries; but the very act of entering the race as an African American transforms our country in a positive way. His participation would enrich the entire process, regardless of who the eventual Democratic Nominee for President is. This post is not to debate the plausibility of a black man winning the White House; rather it is to suggest that maybe we have reached a time where we have moved beyond the question.

Even if he does not win, in simply taking that step, he helps to pave the way for a person of color to win someday. One step, but one step closer to the point where as Martin Luther King said, a man will be judged not by the color of his skin, but the content of his character.

Is that not something we all can support?


I believe Borak Obama is that man.


On Edit: Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Carol Mosely Braun, Shirley Chisholm.... are all African American's who eyed the presidency. I was NOT suggesting that he was the first, rather that anytime a person of color is dissuaded by the nea sayers and runs regardless of being African American, it is healthy for our country! Just as Rosa Parks did not move to the back of the bus, Obama should ignore all these folks (Dems and rethugs) that say a black man can't win.

[kansasblue]

1. I agree.... exciting Democratic candidates can only be good.

[Mass]

2. Not sure what you mean? I certainly hope he will run if he wants to run,

but you seem to imply he is the first African-American to run for the White House. He is certainly not the first one. I may of course be missing something.

[RiverStone]

4. Thanks.

I can see how you read that. Of course, Obama is not the first African American to run for pres; I recall rethug Alan Keyes tried twice I believe?

My point was that as a man of color, the act alone of running raises the entire debate to a healthier level. Thanks again, clarified on edit.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Carol Mosely Braun...

Those names don't ring any bells with you? Seriously, this is not even moderately CLOSE to being unprecedented.

[951-Riverside]

8. ....Alan Keys

:puke:

[RiverStone]

11. Whew.

Never meant to suggest it was (unprecedented). My point, alas lost in translation, was that anytime a person of color enters the Pres race it is good for us all. Even if they are a rethug, I admire people who don't let peoples' assumptions about the race card stop them.

BTW, yea - the names "ring bells". But if I were a young person - I may not recall the history. Better to educate then suggest one is ignorant for not knowing all the facts.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

13. Two of them ran two years ago!

[caledesi]

14. How about Shirley Chissom (sp?). First black woman to run for

president. Hey, I am old.

[beaconess]

17. What would make this unprecedented is that, unlike any of the previous

African-Americans who have run for president, Obama would be in the first tier and actually have a chance to win.

This is not to take away anything from the others - they did an amazing thing and made a significant contribution by helping to move the ball a little further down the field. One of the things I will ALWAYS appreciate about Jesse Jackson is that, by running for President and mounting such an inspirational and strong campaign, he forever removed "Black" from the first paragraph of every story on subsequent Black presidential candidate. Thanks to Rev. Jackson, when Doug Wilder and Carol Moseley Braun and Alan Keyes and Al Sharpton ran for president, they were treated as presidential candidates, not "Black" presidential candidates. Certainly, their race and the racial dynamics of the political structure were relevant, but they weren't the first and only thing mentioned about any of these candidates. I thank Rev. Jackson for that.

And those candidates moved things even farther along and paved the way for a Black man or woman who will be able to run as a viable and ultimately successful presidential campaign. That person may or may not be Obama. If Obama runs but does not win, he, too, will move the ball closer to the goalposts.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

21. I don't disagree with that difference.

But the OP seemed to suggest this was an unprecedented, or even rare occurance, which would be flatly wrong.

[951-Riverside]

3. Obama has a choice to run or not and no one is threatning him with arrest if he does run...

Also the late Shirley Chisholm was the first female black to run for president in 1972.

[loyalsister]

18. Unbought and Unbossed

A true trailblazer! She turned it into a factual possibility when she ran.

[neoblues]

5. I suppose there is a constituency out there...

that would stand against a patently obviously fine leader, just because of the color of his skin; and it's probably larger than I imagine. Nevertheless, in this country in recent years, there has been an aching, unsatisfied desire... a desire for real "leadership".

This desire has been very strong and is growing. A great many people believed, desperately wanted to believe--and convinced themselves that George Shrublet Bush was just such a one; believed that he was the answer. They invested themselves so strongly in their hopes that nothing that the new Catastrophe-in-Chief did could be considered--he had to be given another chance (and another, and another, and another; then another, and another, and... ad-infinitum), but all they really wanted was a True Leader, a man with Vision and Charisma, who could unite everyone (remember "Aw Shucks Ma'am, A'hm uh U-niter, naught a Divyder...").

Well, most everyone now realizes (though some still won't admit) that GW is and has been a miserable failure (Disaster is more accurate). Yet, we all still want a "Leader".

Barack Obama has undeniable Charisma, is a Thoughtful, Well-Reasoned man who also has real Integrity (which is so rare in Washington, it ought to be almost reason enough to elect him as President). What's more is that he is a natural Leader.

If he can be presented to enough people (and the media will be an obstacle), can convince people that "executive experience" isn't a concern (and truly, "experience" is highly overrated and actually not essential), and overcome the unspoken (and spoken) racial bias against a black man becoming President, he very well might be the next President. I think he has a real chance--though a lesser man in his position whouldn't. Just listen to him and look at his history; he'll probably change your mind if you don't think he's capable.

[longship]

6. Unless, and this is my main worry.

The media all jump on the rock star status schtick and Obama, the benefactor of it, allows his campaign to descend into a contest of popularity instead of a contest on ideas and leadership.

Then, we all lose. Not that Obama is any George W. Bush, but it might help to focus the discussion if we all acknowledge that this is precisely what happened during the 2000 campaign. The Republicans were able to make it a close race by playing the popularity, nice guy card again and again and again while portraying Gore as a not too popular guy who had all these personality flaws. Of course, the Republicans will do it again in 2008 if they think it will work. All they need is a complicit Democratic candidate. Either Obama or Clinton could be that candidate.

Certainly, Clinton would be such a target. Obama may fair better than Clinton in this respect since he has no apparent skeletons in his closet, but I really worry about yet another Presidential campaign where the campaigns allow the discussion descend into the pits.

No wonder Al Gore is not inclined to run. I don't blame him.

[stevietheman]

9. Agreed, but mainly because it would arrest Hillary's candidacy.

Obama and Hillary competing for the same fence-rider vote will open up the primaries to better candidates like Gore, Clark, etc.

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

10. i don't think Obama & Rosa Parks are comparable

nothing against Obama but Rosa Parks was a hero..

[beaconess]

16. Yes she was - and her act of heroism provoked the city of Montgomery to do something

no one thought it was ready for.

And at the time she did it, few people - even in the Black community - saw her as a hero. She was seen either as 1) an agitator; 2) a communist sympathizer or pawn; 3) nuts.

It wasn't until many, many years later that Rosa Parks achieved hero status. And, unfortunately, her elevation to a pedestal diminishes her accomplishment since it's so much simpler to assume that heroic acts are easily performed by heroes while forgetting that heroic acts can be performed by ordinary people. Rosa Parks was a hero not because she was a heroic person, but because she was a very ordinary person who did a heroic thing, something we can all do if we make the effort.

If Obama runs and wins - or even does very well - he, too, will eventually be seen as a hero. Not because he performed an act of bravery or great courage, but because he will have helped move the country closer to where it should have been a long time ago.

[athena]

20. Do you even know what Obama has done?

The people he worked with in Chicago see him as a hero, I'm sure. Leaving a well-paying corporate job to organize the poor is pretty heroic in this day and age.

[matcom]

12. I agree but with a slightly more political take

The repukes will be eating their own. Mittens is a FREAK (trust me. lived with him in Utah) and Brownback will eat his LUNCH over his (supposed) pro-choice stance he took here in MA.

That leaves McCain. And we all know how the RW thinks about him.

Soooooo, if the above is true, MORE Repukes will stay home for THAT election than stayed home even a month ago.

Obama in a walk.

:hi:

[beaconess]

15. You are SO right!

If polled at the time, plenty of people would have said in 1955 that Montgomery just wasn't ready to desegregate its public transportation - better wait awhile - after all, don't want to jump the gun!

Thank God Rosa Parks and Dr. King and Dr. Abernathy, etc., didn't decide until White folks were ready to do the right thing but instead MADE it happen!

[Clarkie1]

19. I believe in affirmative action. Clark/Obama 08'!