That is, I am sure, a surprising headline for many of you considering I wrote it, but don’t hold your breath; I won’t make the case for Obama.
Rather, I believe that him becoming president will have positive side effects , none of them related to the man’s policies, plans, or abilities.
You see, as an American Studies student I am, of course, fully aware of America’s racist past, and of its attempt to break with it, to reshape society into becoming colorblind. The country’s racist past has not only been a burden for blacks, but also for whites. They too are still connected to it, not out of fear that they will become racist once again, and also not because they are still racist, but because quite some of them feel they have to ‘deal’ with the past in one way or another.
Which brings me to the following observation: Americans are still obsessed with race. Not out of racism, but in a ‘groupthink’ kind of way. Quite some people seem to look at people as ‘members of a community.’ That community is, when the person is not white, based on the color of people’s skin.
As such, I believe that electing Obama would bring an end to the ‘we have to make up for our racist past’ kind of reasoning. If Obama wins, it will also be clear that the color of one’s skin does not prevent one from becoming president, and winning elections, meaning that ‘the race card’ and ‘racism’ cannot be used in the future as valid excuses for African American candidates, nor for those who wish to become successful in other professions.
Even if Obama will be a horrible president, this will be over and done with. Americans will have to overcome all those notions, all those feelings of guilt, in order for them to take a more healthy approach to an African American politician next time around.
©2008 PoliGazette . All Rights Reserved.
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