A few months ago, I speculated in a post that when it came to voting in the privacy of the polling booths, Americans would be inclined to vote for their own - women for the female candidate, blacks for the Afro-American hopeful, white men for the best Caucasian prospect.
There has been a lot of controversy under the bridge since then - as voters, pundits, and the media alike - tip-toed around the race issue, in particular; usually with disastrous results!
Funny that, a large percentage of the populace became color blind almost overnight - afraid to be labeled racist? You bet!
Or, have Americans suddenly perceived Obama in a different light? Less menacing, not the wild card they expected to encounter on the campaign trail, eh - do 'ya think?
"Saturday Night Live" was recently criticized for hiring a white comedian to impersonate Barack Obama in a hilarious controversial skit which took delicious pokes at both the Senator and Hillary Clinton alike. Some complained quite vigorously that because there was a writers strike on - which stalled production for weeks - that the casting office had ample opportunity to audition for a black fella' to inhabit the politician's skin.
But, wasn't that part of the jab? Weren't the producers subtly suggesting that Obama is an "oriole" - black on the outside, lily white within?
In retrospect, his unique background - his childhood experience, in particular - may have somehow made him more palpable to American voters in the mainstream, I expect.
Curiously, in a recent poll this past week, one in four whites admitted that race was important to their vote, while four out of ten blacks confessed to the same.
A hat off to the honest voter with the gumption to tell it like it is!
Undoubtedly, there are quite a few voters inclined to be influenced by the race card, cowering in the wings, who lack the spine to fess up.
Meanwhile, in the past couple of days, there was a startling new turn of events on the American political scene.
Geraldine Ferraro shattered the "black ceiling" when she boldly asserted that the reason Obama was fairing so well with American voters was BECAUSE he is Black!
What a switcheroo!
For decades, the widely-held general consensus has been that - "black will hold you back" - in respect to politics, gaining entry to the rarefied enclaves of the American social elite, you name it.
In Ferraro's eyes, skin tone is sure to land you at the top of the heap!
Of course, from the sidelines, the critics cried out in angry unison, "Racist".
But when you reflect on the matter, is it?
Whenever we try to fathom the success of an individual, don't we generally take an insightful, probing glance into all the facets of the unfolding scenario that make it so?
Here, the truth is difficult to swallow!
I say, get real America!
Good on Ferraro, for sticking to her - um - guns.
Put that in your pipe, and smoke it!
