Are Americans too racist to vote for Obama?

The Americans will never elect a black President.

You hear this stated quite confidently and quite often. But how true is it? The Washington Post has a new poll out suggesting that 3 in 10 Americans admit to race bias, though it isn't too clear from the article what this really means.

Michael Barone, the ace US pundit, is unpersuaded.

He proposes a thought experiment. How many people would have been unwilling to vote for Colin Powell in 1995 and are now unwilling to vote for Obama? This is the maximum proportion of the population unwilling to elect a black President full stop.

Barone argues that this proportion is less than 10 per cent. He suggests, say, 6 per cent although this is rather plucking numbers out of the air.

He then suggests that there are other reasons for being unwilling to vote for either - for instance wanting Bill Clinton and John McCain purely as checks on Congress. When you subtract people with these other reasons for the total:

That leaves a vanishingly small percentage of voters unwilling to vote for a black under any circumstances: 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, maybe 4 percent, tops.

Now these figures are hardly science, but I think that Michael makes a good point. He also, unfortunately misses a good point, too.

There may be people who would vote for a black Republican or a white Democrat but would not vote for a black Democrat. Racism may not mean they could not vote at all for an African American, but it might mean they pigeonhole African American candidates, fearing them as too left wing.

This wouldn't have been a problem for Powell, but it is for Obama.

Comments

[JOHN CHUCKMAN, TORONTO]

I guess we'll know after the vote is counted.

[shirley]

the man is very dishonest,he lies daily on stumping,he will put our
country in disaster state,finacially
and security .He is clueless on
grounds of commander in charge..He
is arrogant as michelle is.I have been a democrat all my life..this
year will vote republican.
Anyone that takes VP slop will have their political future RUINED ,also

[Miranda Anique]

Racism has absolutely nothing to do with it. He is a 46 years old with absolutely no accomplishments on his resume to qualify him for this job!!! He talks of Hope and Change! Hope for what and Change to what -- Socialism, Communism -- NO THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jean]

At least he wouldn't be another G.W. Bush and not furthering the same policies that have ruined our country...Plus he would lend some more credibility to our country, that we are not ignorant or racist.

[Dave B]

Why didn't anyone call black Americans racists when 90+% of black Americans who voted in the Democratic primary voted for Mr Obama over Mrs Clinton?

[Another Angela]

Please don't listen to the trolls and spammers. Obama is a man of great integrity and he will win despite the lies and smears being spread by republicans and racists. Want real answers to the smears-go here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x6410712
The truth doesn't lie.

[Samuel OJOK]

In achieving the milestone that he has so far,the majority of votes that put him where he is now were from white voters.Now whats to stop that happenning again in November?

[RD]

Daniel, you're a very bad boy!

Perhaps this time Americans will vote for the best person, not based on the color of his skin, but on what he brings to the party.

[Paul Banbury]

There is no answer to this question to be found in the voting booth, certainly not even before votes are cast. It is clear that a large portion of Obama supporters are already using this as a way to coerce votes and explain non-votes. In fact, he may not be the choice of enough Americans to get elected. Their individual reasons are not discernible to the media now or in November. It is an interesting question. Nothing more.

It is just as valid to suggest we are age prejudiced if McCain is not elected, though less sensational.

Please, spend the time examining the records of candidates and analyzing potential impacts of their election rather than continuing the titillating racial speculation. It seems that would be a less racist, if less exciting.

Another Angela, do you have an idea of your own on the question, or just another Obama plug? Every "fact" on that site has an opposing "fact" elsewhere. Let's look at what Obama has done as measure of who he is. Very simply, he has run for office all his life.

[Paul Banbury]

Oh, small point to Another Angela and the Democrat Undergound, the "fact" on the referenced link claiming that wages are higher under Democrats- this is because of inflation. From 1965 through 1980 the rate of inflation was high, and leading to economic ruin. The culmination was the Carter years, and business loans of 19%, stifling growth.

[Rob]

If Obama is let down by the white wroking class vote, it will only compensate for the vote he will recieve from blacks, for the pure reason that he is of negroid descent.

Many people appear to be forgetting that he regularly polls 80-90% of the African American vote.

Personally, I see voting on basis of race as being no more stupid than voting on the basis of 'I like his policies better than the other guy's'. If it comes down to actual track record and competency I think McCain will win because Obama has practically no record to speak of and Americans are too conservative to elect the guy with less experience who would be more of a risk.

[Stan]

To the comments by Shirley:
Can he do any worse than continuing Bush's legacy?
BTW, please learn to spell and write proper sentences before posting.

[m wilson]

I hope for Americas sake they don't.

[Dennis H. Owen]

Hello,
It is okey to have a black as president, it is okey to have a woman as a president, eg. Colin Powell, I am opposed to someone, the ONLY Senator who approves of partial birth abortion, even NARAL doesn't approve of this, this sin is destroying our once great nation, thankyou, Dennis H. Owen

[Pam C]

Obama has very little political experience compared to McCain. Yet, McCain is known as the "left-most republican". Either way Democrats win! However, I think Americans want someone who has been around the block a few times. Americans aren't racist~they're just not stupid!

[Harry V. Toll]

It is a popular myth in the world that racism is wide-spread in the US. True long ago but no longer. Amerericans are ready for a black, or woman, or any clearly qualified individual, to become president. It is lack of qualification that will defeat Mr. Obama if he loses.

[Adam - USA]

The fact that everyone keeps mentioning race/color just further proves that no one is willing to accept the change that Obama stands for. It's a whole lot easier to finger point and speculate based on "old school" philosophies and beliefs than it is to say, "Hey, this might just be what the stupid Americans need in order to find a higher level of unity and productivity". Why should anyone accept that a black man could be the next president of the U.S.? Because that in itself IS A CHANGE! The Berlin Wall had to come down for change. The Soviet Republic had to break apart for change. No one is perfect but, the facts are: Obama is black, or at least in part. Obama is THE Democratic presidential nominee. Obama opposes the policies that have put the U.S. in it's current state. And, Obama promotes change.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"
-Albert Einstein (loosely quoted)
-Benjamin Franklin
-Even the freakin U.S. Congress
-Anybody else who is able to recognize when change is needed.

[Calmike]

Wrong question!

Are the Obamas too racist for Americans to vote for them?

[Danielle Graham]

Colin Powell? Black? Is that the best example you could come up with? Come on. Let's be honest here, Americans have no problem voting for black people, or even having 1 or 2 as "close friends" as long as they shut the hell up about that annoying thing that "doesn't exist anymore" called racism. And suggesting that "reverse" racism is to blame for 90% of the black vote going to Obama is just plain asinine.

9/11 took the lives of 3000 people on one day, and look at the impact that has had and will continue to have on the landscape of American culture and history. Slavery took the lives of 10-12 million people (and more) over a 400 year period. Do you mean to tell me that the ideas that caused and perpetuated such things are not still in the backs of our minds (and political systems) a mere handful of generations later? C'mon, really???

Ask yourself why Americans don't know who Cynthia McKinney is...the other black person running for president of the United States and then we can continue this conversation.

[Dave Farmer]

It is often wondered quite what Mrs.Obama ment when she said she was proud of being American for the first time, well may I suggest 200 years after the abolishion of slavery and 40 years on from Martin Luther King's address, she may well have been justified as a moderate white bloke it did not seem rocket science to me.Whilst unsure that the reference to the Kennedy's is so complimentry, I would venture to suggest that if Hillary Clinton was made Mr. Obama's deputy they would make a formidable force and give the US more international credability then they have enjoyed since the infusion of paranoia from 9/11

[Ian]

Well, 13% of Americans are black, of which at least 90% will always vote for a black candidate, so racism doesn't work only way.

[JOHN CHUCKMAN, TORONTO]

Shirley, would you kindly identify the asylum from which you write?

It must be a very amusing place.

[Jonathan]

Is Obama black? I can't seem to see past his socialism. The very few policies he's articulated have all been tried and failed before, and what few principals he has seem to be negotiable as part of his team's scandal control efforts. And he's accomplished even less than Kerry, though to be fair he's had fewer years during which to accomplish that nothing.

The electorate once thought that Carter was a good idea, and we survived that debacle. We'll almost certainly survive Obama, too.

[Daphne Kenward]

I thought America economy is already ruined, I can't see what OBAMA would do to make it any worse.

And as for security, 9/11 happened on G W DUNCE watch. I don't know what Shirley is talking about, its going to get worse no matter who is incharge. This is a Global downturn. Black or Brown or White will make no difference.

WE are also looking at a possible new war, which will cripple the worlds economy for many years to come.

[Jay]

I think that America will not vote for Obama, to many it would be like voting for KwameTure (Stokely Carmichael. Sadly, at heart I think America is still a nation of people who hold racist negative views on African-Americans and others who are not WASP!

[William F. Naegele]

I suspect the U.S. will have a black president -- hopefully not a Marxist-Leninist that Obama is -- before Britain has a Black prime minister...

[mesquito]

I was considering voting for him until I learned of his long membership in a hate church and his close, familial association with it's racicst, demagogic preacher. A little ironic, no? I guess I'm the racist.

[david anderson]

as an outsider viz. from the planet of europe, the few words i am about to offer will probably be treated with total disdain and probably ignorance.
anyway whether or not we live in grand old usa or ballygobackwards the same underlying principles apply. representitives to controlling bodies are usually only in a secure position for a very limited number of years. the pivotal thrust of each and all is to maximise a return on their investment and draw as many deep and dicrete (or otherwise) draughts from the trough as they can before the next faceoff.good old bill clinton was the first to really introduce as a science the exquisite genius of telling the people what they want to hear on a day to day basis, irrespective of the restraints of a restrictive manifesto.so at the end of the day it does not matter who wins in november the coins in your pocket will definately diminish and the only difference between the black and white candidite is really which one is going to put my son or daughter at risk.salute the flag by all means but remove the sentimentality and so called national identity from the equation and look to the old fashioned ideal of protecting that which is yours

[Patty Hubbard]

I hate election years. Each candiate states "I will do ___" when in fact as president all they can do is ask congress to pass something or veto bills. Now as to the race issue. There is no need to divide by race - experience and understanding are the more important qualities we should be looking for. Which one has more experience in congress? Which one really knows what war is and how war affects people and through that experience is a person entitled to stand as Commander in Chief of our countries military? Which one has more experience with foreign affairs? Which one has so much more life experience to deal with problems without being reactionary?
Mr. Obama? I think NOT!

Which one has proposed and passed a senate bill that requires the American president to be subservent to the UN's policies?
Mr. McCain? I think NOT!!!!

[SAM NY]

All Democrats suck, black and white. Racism is not an issue in this campaign. Socialism and character are.

[RebelPOW]

Americans have not elected a Northern liberal in 48 years.

Barack Obama will go down in flames in November, not because he's black, but rather that he's far too liberal for most Americans.

Keep in mind that Obama is the product of one of the most corrupt political organizations in American, the Chicago Democratic party.

Racism is a problem only in Michele's mind.

[Thomas Paine]

Look... the "greatest empire in the world" lost to an army of farmers. That was 1776. Get over it. Call us when you elect a non-white PM.

[Jenny]

I'd really appreciate seeing an article asking if the British press and it's elites so racist they are constantly needing to paint Obama as being unelectbable, and using as a blind, a claim of American racism.

Obama has won, because he attracted large number of white voters. The first state he won, could honestly be considered the whitest state in the US.

I truly wish these racist Brit journalists would seek help for themselves, and get over their bigotries.

[Rinson Drei]

As a conservative, I've been waiting on tenterhooks all primary long to find out if I'll be slandered as a racist or a sexist come November. I hope for a change, but it looks like we're in for the same old straw men.

[Stan]

I am really offended by the continued implication in the media that to vote against Obama means you're racist.

I'll not vote for the most unqualified presidential candidate we've seen in decades, simple as that.

[JL Ronish]

What a setup. If the black guy does not win it must be racism. Couldn't be that he is inexperienced, was an unknown a year ago, hangs out with people of questionable character, changes positions daily, has socialist ideas (the ones he is willing to reveal)...no no it's racism.

[Concerned Citizen]

no the question is, "are Americans too stupid or guilt ridden to vote for McCain?"

[Jim Talbot]

Less too racist to vote for Obama .... more, hopefully, too wise to vote for Obama !!

[Bob Evans]

Perhaps we should ask ourselves, are the British too racist to elect a Pakistani? An Indian? A black? Are the French too racist to elect an Algerian? Is South Africa too racist to elect a Caucasian? Those in each nation should look in the mirror before hurling the stone of racism.

[HAHAHA!]

RIGHT. Like Colin Powell could have ever won the Republican primary. First, since only the hardcore Republicans actually vote in primaries (turnout is around 20 percent on average), you have the most radical Republicans picking the candidate: and those radicals are the most racist. Moreover, Powell believes in a woman's right to choose, so that discounts him there, too. A black man who's for abortion. In the Republican handbook that's equal to being the anti-Christ, which is what they're accusing Obama of being today.

What I have been amazed by is watching many of my British friends seemingly anguish over the possibility (and absolute probability) that Obama will be president. I think it scares them because it sets a precedent that one day brown people might win positions of power in Britain, too. O, THE HORROR!!!

The white British gene pool is full of neds, anyway.

[John H. Costello]

I am white. I will not vote for Barak Obama, any more than I would vote for Jimmy Carter, or Bernadine Dohrn, William Ayers, Merrill ("Skeletor") McPeak, etc. To get the Dem. nomination Obama sold himself as the second coming of Carter, promising everyone on the left anything they wanted. Now he is 'triangulating' back to the middle. Why should anyone believe anything he says? I don't like McCain very much -- his views on 'global warming' and his responsibility for the McCain-Feingold incumbent protection act leave me cold, but I can at least respect him. And the argument that I would prove myself not to be a 'racist' is something that I don't even care about.

[Nikkofly]

Are Americans too racist to vote for Obama?

Hardly.

HE is too racist to be voted for (see Jeremiah Wright). Obama is a liberal extremist. He has no experience. No credentials. His wife hates America, despite what she says now that her husband is the democratic nominee. Obama hates America. Terrorists are praying that he will become president because he believes in coddling terrorists.

John McCain isn't much better. I have never seen two such lousy choices for president. They're both power hungry eogmaniacs who haven't a clue what is best for this country.

Bottom line -- neither is willing to make unpopular decisions. They consider it more important to be liked than to be correct. Being president isn't a popularity contest. At least it shouldn't be.

Obama has a chance to become president, despite being the least qualified in history, because he's black, is running against a lousy opponent, has the gift of gab, and is "cute". Lousy credentials for being the most powerful person on the planet.

[haralambos]

isn't it racists to vote for a candinate because he is black?

[haralambos]

Miranda - by voting in BO some of the world will think that the US is not as stupid or as racist - but unfortunately most of us outside the US will see it for what it is - desperation. Let's face it -would a snake oil salesman like BO have had a chance if not for Bush? Isn't BO then Bush's legacy? The world needs a strong America and letting an entertainer slip into the presidency is not the answer. If you're gonna do that you might as well vote in Robin Williams - he's got more experience playing the president. And he did it with consumate charm.

[Arthur]

How about, maybe people just dont want to vote for him, simply because they *dont like him.* Shocking, I know, but not everything comes down to racism.

[haralambos]

Don't you think Bush has done enopugh damage without "choosing" the next president?

[Mike]

No, Americans are not too racist to vote a man or woman of colour as president. They have already voted one as one of two candidates for the post.

Europeans however undoubtably are too racist to perform a similar feat.

As usual, rather than look at their own hideous vainglorious reflection, racist Europeans, shorn of their old colonies, can now be racist only about the USA as this is the last "acceptable to educated and refined company" form of their bigoted pleasure.

"Some people say they detect a certain swagger in my walk. In Texas we call it walking"

[haralambos]

I have the impression that B.O. is clueless - can anybody confirm or refute that notion?

[Michael]

You simply can't compare Powell with Obama. The former's achievements are truly impressive - an extremely talented and able man. What can we say of the latter - oh there is his 'soaring rhetoric' I guess but that won't count for much when he is in the Oval office. I would vote for Powell were he Republican, Democrat or Welsh Nationalist - I wouldn't vote for Obama in any circumstance.

[Mike]

Race has been so central a feature of Obama's candidacy from the outset that whatever happens in november will immediately be interpreted in racial terms, an interpretations that will most likely stick. The fact though is that there's only one issue which determines the results of a general election both in the U.K and America, THE ECONOMY!! Which is why race became such an issue in the democratic primaries, because it was well know then as now that the democratic nomination this year is a guaranteed ticket to the whitehouse.
Many Americans however will be voting Obama because of his race, there's a widespread perception, propounded by the Times' own political editor Matthew Paris, that a black president is the answer to America's current problems. So does this "positive racism" balance out the negative racism, electorally and otherwise?

[AdrianH]

If not electing Obama is racist then his politics must be brilliant, his policies perfect and his past unimpeachable like Nixon and and Clinton

I would not vote for Gordon Mugbrowne if he did a one candidate election like Mugabe. I am English - does that make me racist?
If I were American I would have voted for Powell but not for Obama. Have I suddenly become racist?

Simple question. In a democracy, if the majority of people are racist should a representative government not also be racist? If a government is not representative how can it be democratic? - for an answer to part two, contact G Brown 10 Downing St

[haralambos]

Could it be that all your racists are not KKK members - could it be that some people are not so PC brain-washed as to be blind to the racial profile and dare think that black people do not have a great track record in the leadership field and ask themselves has BO done enough to dispel those fears?? Isn't there too much at stake here to use the presidency try to correct historical guilt? Doesn't this sound more like Rome in decline than Athens in ascendency?

[Cali Kev]

Don't mess w/Texas. You've a right to that swagger. Happy 4th buddy!!!

[Ali Khan]

It's rich hearing Europeans calling Americans racist. What are the odds of an ethnic Turk becoming German Chancellor, or an ethnic Algerian becoming French President, or and ethnic Pakistani moving into Downing Street? Speaking as Muslim who has lived in London, New York and Paris I can tell you that Americans are far less racist than Europeans.

[JOHN WALLS]

AMERICANS WILL NEVER ELECT A SOCIALIST. THAT'S WHAT OBAMA IS, WHO HAPPENS TO BE BLACK. A WHITE SOCIALIST COULD NOT BE ELECTED. ALL HIS PIVOTING ON PREVIOUS POSITIONS WILL BE HIS UNDOING, WHICH IS HAPPENING NOW. AMERICANS KNOW WHO HE IS.

[bob holmes]

A classic Morton's Fork: If I don't vote for Obama ergo I am a racist.If i do vote Obama knowing him to be useless I am still racist

[Jay]

Mesquito hits the nail on the head. I don't care about his colour. I do care about his very poor choice of 'friends'. He will be a disaster for the world due to inexperience, ignorance, lack of sincerity and considerable murkiness about his true background.

[Nisha C]

A Texan can walk into the White House on rigged votes and autistic ideations, but a Black guy can't even ring the door bell without being penalised for not being the perfect candidate. And this is not Racism? Please!

[Julia Iskandar]

It seems to me that "Americans" (sorry for the generalisation, I wish it wasn't necessary) - have been trained like Pawlow's dogs to lump liberalism, socialism and communism together into one undifferentiated diffuse threat - I challenge everyone on this thread to give a rational and differentiated definition of even one of these political ideologies -and now, nightmare, the bloke has inherited a Muslim name from one of his grandfathers AND is half-black... He ticks lots of the prejudice-and-ignorance boxes. I admire his guts in standing for president. Now all he has to do to tick EVERY prejudice box is to convert to Judaism...
In the Sixties, the late Loretta Scott King trained me, along with a great many other people, in sustained, public, nonviolent resistance when your own government does wrong. I learned a lot from that. Many other people, black, brown and white, did too. I want rationality and nonviolence to win -sometimes they actually do.

[Steve]

Paul Banbury wrote: "I think McCain will win because Obama has practically no record to speak of and Americans are too conservative to elect the guy with less experience who would be more of a risk."

Isn't that exactly what Americans did when they voted for Bush over Gore? Okay, so Gore may have actually won the most votes, but history suggests there are more than enough Americans willing to vote for the man with less experience and credentials. Just as long as he has a cheeky, dry wit and some kind of military affiliations...

[JoAnne]

I would like someone to explain why a white person who doesn't support Obama is racist but a black person who supports him because he is black is not racist? I am a white person who lives in the deep south of the United States and I have several black friends who are staunch supporters of Obama yet very few of them know his policies. I was horrified to hear the racist teachings of the pastor that Obama admires so much and I asked my friends if this kind of preaching happens in the churches they attend and a few of them said it occasionally did. There is no place in this country for racism by anyone, black or white.

[Greg]

Hey Nisha
Communism: A man has two cows. The state makes him milk them for free. Then they take the milk and sell it back to him at 10x its worth.
Socialism: a man has two cows. The state tells the man how much milk he can take from the cows, pours half down the drain, then tells him who he can sell it to, and what the price should be.
Liberalism: A man has two cows.The state takes his cows away, puts him on trial for owning them in the first place, sends the cows to a dairy co-op, and charges taxpayers for the milk, which they donate to illegal aliens.
Americanism: A man has two cows. He sells one, buys a bull, and becomes a Rancher....

[haralambos]

If B.O. makes it they will say it was race that got him in - if B.O. does not win they will say that race kept him out. But B.O. must know he would never have got a kick at the goals if he were not black. A case of live by the race card, die by the race card. (mixed metaphors unintended)

[Paul]

Daniel Finkelstein has it backwards. Yes, there is still a small percentage of the American electorate that will not vote for an African-American candidate, period. These people, however, would have been very unlikely to support a Democrat, black or white. Thus, this would have been a problem (sadly) for Colin Powell, but will not change the dynamics of the election for Barack Obama.

[JOE]

Obama is the closest thing to a Manchurian Candidate we could have in an American election.

His ideas (if you can even call them that) have no grounding in reality, he hasn't accomplished anything noteworthy in his career and his arrogant refusal to talk about his past is quite frankly disturbing.

If he gets elected, it will be Jimmy Carter's 2nd Term. I predict disaster if he takes office.

[Esther]

In Europe Marxist is an adherent to the theories and ideologies of Karl Marx. In America it appears to be anyone who favours even moderate social progress, some free health care, not giving fundamentalist Christian nutjobs total domination of all policy making, would like to see modest gun contro. Or is it just anyone non-white who doesn't play the expected Uncle Tom role?

[Reggie]

You have to remember that two years ago, Barry O. was taking calls for potholes in his district of Chicago. Without ANY history of military service, how can you expect a rookie like this to keep the United States safe from terrorism?

Obama claims to rise above the global melee, that he'll go and "talk" to third-world rogue leaders rather than engage in war. One only has to watch the movie "Black Hawk Down" to see what a naive position this is to take. Too many people are drinking Obama's Kool-Aid without ever trying to understand what his "change" will be and how it will effect our security and pocketbooks. This man is textbook example of a tax-and-spend liberal Democrat. The illusion of another Camelot with Barry and Michelle at the helm is one of the most laughable fantasies ever. I knew John F. Kennedy and this man is not, nor will ever be as fine a leader as Kennedy. The fact that he's using Caroline as a figurehead to "lead" his VP selection team only shows how shameless this man really is.

Yes, unfortunately, some Americans are racist, but first and foremost, we want a leader who understands the military complex and will use it to keep our country safe and secure. This is why John McCain gets my nod of approval. He's certainly not the Republican candidate of choice for me, but he's getting my vote rather than Barack Obama who, quite frankly, makes Hillary Clinton look like a flaming conservative.

[Esther]

Haralambos

Don't you have any buddies you can express your "views" to instead of clogging up message boards?

[Marc]

Shirley

You are, presumably, a moderately intelligent woman. Therefore, you know that, if you vote Republican, it is because you wish the Republicans to win and you wish the legacy of George Bush to continue. Even Hilary Clinton does not want that, as she has said, on more than one occasion. Most of the world realises that George Bush has caused America to be disrespected abroad, devalued the dollar and is, directly, responsible for the Iraq problems. You have made it abundantly clear that this is something that you support.

Therefore, do not say that you are/were a Democrat. You are a Republican and your opinion of Obama is worthless.

[Shirley ( a completely different one!)]

To our conservative American friends posting on this message board; there are some other publication in Britain that you might enjoy. One of them is at www.thesun.co.uk and the other is www.dailymail.co.uk. Go have a look - "Times" readers may find you amusing but the folks over on those sites are YOUR kind of folks!

[Blair]

Regardless of all this fluff, Barack Obama will be the next president to sit in the Oval office. Obama inspires and give American's hope! That's more than Bush has done in the past four years.

VOTE OBAMA 2008!

[azula0077]

OBY! :)

[Faisal]

If the next president (whoever he is) inroduces legislation along the lines " The Protection Against Idiots and Ignoramuses and Lunatics In Charge of a Computer Act" ............well, some of you here are going to have to find a new hobby.

[Nita]

I don't care what color Obama is, I won't vote for him because he is a Democrat and there is not one Democrat in office I would vote for right now if hell froze over.

Also, America has already proved that it is not racist - just check out how far Obama has come already. If he loses it will be for the same reason any other politician loses - because not enough people agree with his policies. Simple?

Also, keep in mind the most popular people in the US right now - Oprah, Will Smith, etc., and probably Obama.

What about Bill Cosby? He was and is a great example to all of us and we still love him.

[Dan]

Race is a net plus for Obama.

It helps him with the African-American vote, and also with many white voters.

Any Democratic nominee will get most of the African-American support, but black turnout will be much higher than usual, and Obama's fraction will be significantly greater than usual. Look for turnout to be 50% higher than normal in African-Americans as a group, and look for Obama to get 96% of this vote.

Second, most white people would like very much to vote for an African-American candidate. There is a strong desire to "move beyond" the racial problems of the past, and many people seem to think that voting for Obama will do this. It would be hard to overestimate the power of the desire for racial absolution in Obama's appeal.

There remain some people for whom racial hatred would preclude voting for Obama, but that group is quite small, and far outweighed by those who prefer Obama because he is African-American.

With regard to John Chuckman's comment, "We'll know after the vote is counted", the question on the ballot is not, "will you accept an African-American man as President". If it were, I think 97% of the electorate would answer, "yes".

The elections will turn on the usual questions, and to the extent that race enters into it, it will help, not hurt Obama.

[George]

I knew Kennedy and Abe Lincoln. Obama is neither one. Only McCain will equal the greatest president of the 21st Century, GWB, and save America from destruction from the Communists, Chinese, New Worlders, tree-huggers, eco- and other terroists!!!!

[Martha]

Tsk. I am a white American (Southern, even), voting for Obama because experience has only gotten our nation further into debt, war, and international contempt. I think it's quite a stretch to label Obama a Socialist or Communist, and many of you are stretching those terms. I'm just glad there's someone worth going to the polls for this time. No amount of experience can undo the damage caused by our current leadership, so let's give some new vision a chance.

[Pat]

In my experience Black Americans aren't any less racist than whites, and blacks make up about 13% of the US population. It might be that Obama will benefit from a racist preference of his co-ethnics.

[Michael (New York)]

Perhaps before asking such a question, you should reflect as to whether a person with Obama's background could be in the same position in Europe. I think not. You Europeans should look closely at yourselves....

[Esther]

Hey Reggie
Forget that limp-wristd big girl's blouse McCain. Let's start a campaign to have a real man in the White House - Chuck Norris for Pres!!! C'mon let hear ye!!!
http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

[Jeff]

The article was ridiculous. The fact that he won the democratic primary and took down the most powerful political family in the US should show that America is not too racist to elect a black president. I think the Europeans should be asking themselves that question. How many black presidents/prime mininsters has France had? The UK?

To think that a black man named Barack Hussein Obama is the democratic nominee says all there is to say about this country, it couldn’t happen anywhere else in the world.

And by the way, if Americans were so racists, Oprah wouldn’t be the most popular talk show host on TV, Michael Jordan wouldn’t be the most popular athlete to ever live, and Will Smith wouldn’t be worth $100 million because no one would go to his movies… enough said!

[therockofags]

If this article had any underlying logic or literary value, it might be interesting to read. Responding to the article is much more useful. Not voting for Oprhama, if one is Caucasian, is only as 'racist' as not voting for McCain if one is Black. I wouldn't vote for Oprahma if he were purple with green polka dots. It is my measured opinion that he has a hidden agenda. Why do the liberals love to pull the race card each and every day of the week? Seems they are 'raceophobic' and beating a dead horse. Charging racism is sensational only to those that would also put Mike Tyson in the White House.

[Zumndad]

I am an American and a registered Republican. Does that mean that I will 'automatically' vote for McCain or 'automatically' not vote for Obama? No.

I am an educated adult, capable of rational thought and prone to using the 'compare and contrast' method in order to find a logical answer to a question or problem.

Does anyone remember logic? It seems kind of scarce these days. I know logic is not popular as it is sometimes yields answers that people don't want to hear.

Logic has no regard for race, gender, physical appearance or the ability to write a good speech. It concerns itself with details, facts, cause and effect and other tangible items to derive answers.

Has Bush left us with more than a share of issues to deal with? Sure. However, most of the past US Presidents have done so to one extent or another. The one commonality between all of them is that they were ALL left to clean up after the last tenant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue moved out. This year is no different.

However, you should consider how you solve issues of similar magnitude. Let's take a serious health issue for an example. In this case, let's use cancer.

What do you do when you find out you have cancer? You get multiple opinions from as many credible individuals you can on how to treat it. Next, you weigh those opinions based upon multiple factors.

One of those factors has to be, without a doubt, experience. Is that the only factor you consider? No. You COULD go with the young doctor - right out of med school who is most likely versed in all the latest trends and procedures. You COULD go with the older, more experienced doctor - sometimes so caught up in the daily routine that he is not completely up-to-date on the latest and greatest.

One of the other factors is somewhat of an intangible, trust.

Who do you end up going with? The person you feel you can trust. The person who answers all your questions without fluff or waver. The person who can inspire enough confidence in order for you to trust them with your life.

It’s tough to choose a great treatment path when your field of choices contains only two options. Hopefully you’re not faced with a lesser of two evils decision. Unfortunately, that is exactly what we in the USA are indeed faced with.

I can HOPE that the economy will get better. I can HOPE that we can improve our relations with foreign nations. I can HOPE that we will address ecologic concerns so that there is still an inhabitable planet when my daughter has children. I can HOPE all I want. It doesn’t make any difference. Hope, in and among itself, is a hollow thing. As it is a feeling requiring faith, it is immensely powerful at the same time. However, when it’s all said and done. Hope, by itself, is never enough.

Don’t be lulled, either, by the CHANGE cry. Change, when improperly managed, can be a violent, destructive beast with a voracious appetite. Ever hear the saying ‘people hate change’? It’s a common saying because of how true it is.

In my opinion, when the chips are down and you are faced with the same hard decision, you will always go with the guy with the most experience. You will know that they have their staff ready to give options and opinions on the newest procedures and treatments. However, when it all comes down to it, it’s the fellow in the big chair taking the risk and making the big decisions. They have experience to rely upon to temper and guide their decisions.

In my humble opinion, Mr. Obama is too new with too little experience to get the job done. He wavers too much when asked the tough questions. He has not earned nor inspires my confidence based upon his demonstrated lack of ability to make sound choices. On those items where he has made a decision (based upon his voting record), we differ too much. Not my kind of doctor.

Have you ever imagined what kind of confidence that he would be able to carry with him if he were to interact with Ahmadinejad, Kim Il-Sung or the United Nations? The man has no credibility because of his lack of experience.

McCain is no walk in the park either. He has his own set of foibles. However, he does have a ton of experience and has been around those with big decision making skills for a lot longer than Obama has. Further, we NEED some checks and balances to even out the congressional landscape.

I would love a 3rd option, just for the sake of having another choice. I hate ultimatums. But this is what we have; an ultimatum. Are you going to choose hope or experience?

I’m going with experience.

[André]

There you go again, BBC. It seems that if we don't vote for Obama then we are racists in your eyes. I am a black American who will probably cast my vote for John McCain, a war hero with a considerable and admirable Senate record.

Senator Obama has been in the Senate for less than one term and has proven himself to be the most liberal senator (by some counts), in the entire institution. Liberalism failed badly in the 1970s and would probably do so again now.

In addition, Senator Obama has already changed positions on issues before he has even become the official Democratic nominee. So much for a "change" in politics!

Tell me, why should we vote for Senator Obama? Are we just to support him to "prove" that we are not racists? (Hard when it's black on black!)

If Colin Powell was a candidate, I would probably have voted for him hands down. Just like John McCain, General Powell has a long and admirable record in both the military and public service - something a voter can trust.

During the second 1984 election debate, President Ronald Reagan (then age 73), was asked if his age would preclude him from a second term? Reagan's answer was right on the button when he said:

"I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I will not exploit, for political purposes, my opponent's youth and inexperience."

In this election, Barack Obama is a replay of Walter Mondale (the 1984 candidate), with John McCain as an unelected Reagan-like figure. Reagan was the right choice in 1984 as John McCain is in 2008. Let's leave the colour and race issue off the table for this election.

[Richard]

Are some commentators too racist to look beyond skin tone or ethnicity? Neither Obama nor McCain is an ideal candidate. Colin Powell, who would have been, had too much integrity to get involved in the mud-slinging and lying that passes for presidential politics in the U.S. There are plenty of reasons not to vote for either candidate without invoking race.

[harryk]

Well,with GM adding $1500 per unit to insure its workers in the US,a small dose of socialism might just keep the company in business here.

[Reggie]

Haralambos - Glad to see another example of a liberal afraid to hear the truth. Like all Democrats, you think you can drown out dissent. Maybe YOU need some friends to express your lack of views to...Happy 4th of July!

[Jenny J]

It's interesting that YOU along with Obama's Surrogates, Rev Wright, Al Sharpton, et al are the only ones bringing up race in this election.

To answer your rather insulting question, the answer is a resounding NO! We will not vote for Obama because of his race. We will not vote for Obama because he's incompetant and a liar.

See? The real answer is much simpler than you have tried to make it and has nothing to do with race at all.

[Dan]

Thanks for painting us into a corner. If the nation chooses consistancy over waffling or experience over naivete or co-operation over divisiveness, then, that can only mean the US is 'racist' and can't vote for a black politician. Sorry, it might mean something else.

There are in fact some who could never vote for a black man. But, there's two things about that group. First is that it's size is UNKNOWN. Some who feel that way would NEVER admit it, perhaps not even to themselves, but certainly not in an exit poll. You'll never know how many people voted for THAT reason, simply because they will not or cannot tell you. The second thing about this group is that I believe it gets smaller every year. The non-hostile, not-really hateful, but "just can't do it" group is, to my thinking, an older generation who's too used to seeing white guys in leadership roles. Every year, there's fewer in that camp; every year, there's more registered voters who grew up a bit more color-blind. Not to say racism isn't still being passed on, but I think it's getting rarer, as a "family trait."

But, please remember, we're still within a living generation of race riots in our cities. More improvements have been made in the last 40 years than in the 400 before it. No mean feat.

[Reggie]

Whites see members of the inner-city black community commit crimes. Suddenly, ignorant white people try to lump all blacks together as violent, irresponsible and lazy drug addicts, gang members, or prostitutes.

People see George Bush make some poor decisions during his terms in office. Suddenly, all Democrats try to classify all Republicans as inept as George Bush.

Now who's prejudicial?

[Fernandez]

Danielle Graham --

"Ask yourself why Americans don't know who Cynthia McKinney is...the other black person running for president of the United States and then we can continue this conversation."

That would be the crazy black congresswoman, formerly of Georgia, who assaulted a Capital Hill policemen who asked her for identification when she tried to bypass the metal detector without a Congressional badge. In 2006, she lost her Democratic primary challenge when other black Georgians would no longer vote for her. (She was supported by the Black Panthers, though, who frequently accused anyone who criticized her of being 'Jews'.)

She's running for President from California now, isn't she? Cynthia McKinney's problem is that too many Americans DO know who she is.

Good luck.

[Uncle Ralph]

"Americans will never elect a black president." That's daft.

"Britons will never elect a Roman Catholic monarch." THAT you can take to the bank.

Now ruminate: Barrack Obama is no more "black" then Winston Churchill was "English", both having "white" American mums.

A glorious Fourth of July to you! Don't waste time on the Washington Post. Read the Declaration again and again. Sooner or later it's bound to dawn on you why we are what we are, and Old Europe is not.

[MCD]

Hey Esther

Is over 100 BILLION dollars YEARLY spent by the US government on health care for the uninsured enough "some" for you?

Are Sanctuary Cities, which officially protect illegal immigrants and ensure they receive free health care, education, all social services, jobs, etc., enough Liberal "moderate social progress" for you?

And regarding your inane comment "not giving fundamentalist Christian nutjobs total domination of all policy making"; enlighten yourself on the Constitution, US Congress and Foreign Policy 101 dearie before making an ass of yourself.

[liamjq]

There is a moment in the movie "the hurricane when denzel washington is in a car with another black guy that is stopped by the police..."there`s been a crime committed in the area and we`re looking for two negroes" says the officer..."what, any two?" replies denzel!!
The real racism is the kneejerk voting for a thoroughly unsuitable candidate solely on the grounds of his skin colour

[Daphne Kenward]

Britain would never have a Black PM. England is a very conservative country infact it has never entered the mind of BRITISH people that it may even be possible, regardless of what people write in and say. What is happening in America it would take another 100 years before it could even be conceived in the UK.

[Londonese]

I came here to the LT website to read news and comments from ppl in the UK but it looks like most of the comments here are from ppl in the US. Good grief. I know I'm just as guilty but isn't this just like us to take over other web sites, countries etc.

Most of the racists (Think: jesse helms) are going to vote republican. The others are just really old people from another time and they probably will just sit this one out.

All the nationwide polls still show Obama with a lead over John McBush.

[tony freeman]

Although born in the UK, I am now and American citizen and without a shadow of doubt, a very high percentage of Americans are racist and wont vote for Obama because of his colour. For this reason, I believe a high number of Democrats either wont vote, or will vote for McCain. I hope I am wrong.

[Conchúr]

Blair

You can't live on hope.

[zoo2]

How many black Prime Ministers has there been in the UK?

Mind your own country.

[haralambos]

Unfortunately for all of us, both Mc Cain and B.O. are politicians when what we desperately need is a leader.

[haralambos]

Chris Rock said it best - "Bush has made it impossible for a white guy to get into the Whitehgouse."

[haralambos]

If you want change and a killer reality show put Hilary C. and Michele O. in the Whitehouse. oh yeah

[haralambos]

Mike - Europeans have not voted for blacks because blacks in Europe did not arrive by slave boat - guilt and tokenism have so far not influenced their potitical decisions

[Brown Line]

Barack Obama is the first affirmative action candidate for president. The simple, plain fact is that white man with a resume as thin as his would have been laughed out of the race. He does have a great smile, and a smooth line of bull, but his greatest asset is his color, which causes people to judge him by standards that are considerably lower than those they would use for a person of any other racial background. He is the beneficiary of what Dubya, in one of his rare moments of lucidity, called "the soft bigotry of low expectations".

[David Arneson]

I'll vote for the Republican just as long as he or she is pro-military, pro-free market, pro-Israel, and anti-abortion.
I'm not particularly interested in the race of the candidate, you put John Kerry up against Colin Powell and I'll vote for Powell,
put Al Sharpton up against Dan Quayle and I'll vote for Quayle.
The fact that blacks in America are overwhelmingly Democrat certainly makes it less likely that I'll ever vote for one, but if the Republican's are smart they'll nominate a smart conservative black to the ticket at the earliest opportunity.

[Dr Andris Lielmanis]

The USA is aching to elect its first 'post racial' President, someone to push racial prejudices and biases regarding melanocytic activity into the dust bin of history.

Obama was presented as such and will be elected, no matter how inexperienced, no matter how poor his judgement...however if he is revealed to be suffering from these prejudices and biases himself, then the electorate will reject him and await the next post racial Messiah.

[W.SENNIT FORD]

Of course America is too racist to vote for Obama.The hate mail I have been getting daily from everywhere is predicatably arriving and those who participate in promulgating its continuance till election, will have accomplished more with nothing than the millions spent in the Democratic primaries. What is more, it is contagious and reaching your shores.

[Jake]

To the comments by Shirley: you were never a Democrat. You are a transparent GOP shill. Stop wasting your time and ours with your purile anti-Obama propaganda.

[ghostof'lectricity]

Too racist to vote for him. Don't know; only time will tell. I certainly hope not. Even with some of his moves away from principled positions on gun control, withdrawal of forces from Iraq, and the death penalty, Obama is still the best hope for getting the US back on track at home and to restore our standing in the world.

[Nick O.]

As a young white American, i can tell you that a good majority of other young white Americans actually seem to wish they were black. Not saying that in itself isn't racist in its own way, but it sure as hell doesn't hurt Obama.

[Roy]

I'm tempted to vote for Obama simply because he is black, regardless of his policy positions. Then I wouldn't have to listen to, or read this crap for the rest of my life.

[Tom]

The answer to this is many are. Also there's a hypocritical attitude about race in America.

Ask the hardcore racists this question, and you get the expected answer. Ask others about it, and immediately you fall into a strange conversation.

Will you vote for Obama?
No. But I'm not a racist.

(I never said you were, did I? So why this knee jerk reaction?).

Ok. So why won't you vote for him?
He's not qualified.

(He graduated from NYU and the Harvard Law Review. He had 700 job offers when he graduated. He's worked as a community organizer, in the Illinois State Senate. And now he's in the U.S. Senate. And you're telling me with a straight face that he's "not qualified"?).

And it continues. The truth is that they won't vote for him because he's black. And because there's never been a real debate about race in America, this hypocracy keeps on going.

McCain and the neocons can say any racist thing they want about Obama. Because that's "American politics." Which means that if Obama lashes out even once against this, he's seen as "uppity". And McCain wins. It doesn't matter that McCain supports torture. It doesn't matter that he wants Iraq to continue as an American colony for the oil. As long as this doesn't directly affect a lot of people, they don't care.

Torture people? Fine. Occupy Iraq for the oil so those damn Chinese don't get it instead? Nothing wrong with that.

The majority of Americans just don't care. Because if they did, they would have put a stop to this rubbish a long time ago.

[Tim]

Is it just me or is it a little audacious for Brits and Europeans to have a discussion on racism in America? The real story here is that a black man would have no chance of being nominated for head of state or prime minister in any European country. One need only look at the draconian and often rascist immigration policies that permeate the European Union. America is what Europe will never be.

[Christine]

A person who wouldn't vote for a black candidate is a person who was going to vote Republican anyway, so the question is irrelevant.

[Tim]

This guy is not black! He has one black parent and one white parent. Therefore, he is of mixed race!

But this is beside the point. Even the fact that people talk about his colour demonstrates to me how many simple people there are in the world who make decision based on irrelevance like this rather than the substance of what he says and does.

[Carol Franklin-Chang]

America is not too racist to elect a black president. Let us all just pray we're too smart to elect Obama.

[Carol Franklin-Chang]

Oh yes, I would have broken down doors to vote for Colin Powell, who is more than worthy and qualified to be a US President.

[bruce]

The issue should be the principles, or lack of them in Obama's case, not the party or race of the candidate. With 90% of blacks voting for him, what does that say about what they are basing their votes on? Thank God for the 10% who can't be swayed by the color of one's skin. I, also, am half-white, but would never vote for someone, like Obama, who is against the sanctity of life and believes it is fine to kill unborn children out of convenience. The other issues are very important, too, but the issue of life or death, more than any other, reveals the lack of morals of this candidate who is against the rights of those who are alive but not yet born.

[webmaster]

You can vote for their favorite candidate and monitor the election news on the site http://www.voteobamaormccain.com/

[Chet]

We're not too Racist -- We're just not STUPID enough....
He'll raise taxes...
He'll create NEW programs you pay 4
He'll do NOTHING about $ 4 gasoline
CHANGE ?? Change TO WHAT ??
ASK specific questions of those you know who support Obama....
FOLLOW UP to their EMPTY rambling about how he'll "change" things...
THEY GOT NO IDEA....
THEY JUST LOVE HIM..
Kind of like how the German populace LOVED HITLER in his rise.
Am I comparing him to Hitler ??
Hell no....
I am comparing his RISE under the self-imposed BLINDNESS of his supporters as occurred with Hitler.
If you can't grasp that comparison, then pick up your skateboard, adjust your IPOD & get out of here.
You're smitten with his charisma...
And when you crawl out of it, you will be ASHAMED to admit it...

[Stephen Ray Hale]

I would love to have the black AND Catholic Alan Keyes for my president, and I am an Irish/Cherokee American and Baptist. He loves our country, Obama does not, and I would not vote for him. Is this racist?

[FER]

African Americans usually vote for the Democrat Party by an overwhelming percentage so it is not surprising that they follow this pattern with Mr. Obama. He is a Democrat. This normal voting pattern can not, therefore, be used as an indication of their racial bias which would give white voters an excuse to vote for only a white candidate.

[Andrew]

Obama will win because McCain is one of the worst candidates in American history. He had a decent following in 2000 when he ultimately lost to Bush in the primaries, but he's viewed in the U.S. as old, cranky and unlikeable. He doesn't have the ability to naturally smile, so he makes these awkward smiles two seconds too late.

Remember, in America, the better looking candidates always almost wins. It propelled Kennedy to a narrow victory against Nixon. They're going to debate, and you're going to see a really old man, versus a vibrant candidate of hope. Obama will win, black skin and all.

[Terry]

Whatever happens, the reality is that a far higher percentage of whites will vote for a black president than vice versa. There is definite racism and predudice in this contest, white is the new black.

[Billy Barnett]

Too racist to vote for Obama and too ageist to vote for McCain. If they're lucky no-one will win and they'll all get along just fine without a presidend.

[pana]

So many are wasting their time expressing their views on race,color and etc. To you pls begin to think big, narrow minded people. The world is not only America.
It is great to see many, many white Americans are supporting Obama. Unfortunately a SMALL minority are lost in this big wide world of Obama suppoters.

What can you say...Obama is the BEST for America and the world.

[vwcat]

There are hard core racists in america but, Obama won the whitest states in the country by a healthy margin. Most under 55 do not feel race is a factor and see the man not the skin. A brilliant and accomplished man who brings the promise of a great president.
His crowds are filled with diversity. The gop will try to evoke race and make it scary but, most people see the gop tricks for what they are.

[Ziggidy]

Obama has "followers", not supporters!

Check this out, go to http://www.ziggidy.com and do a simple search - "Obama" and see what comes up. We need to educate ourselves before we vote for rhetoric.

[vwcat]

John Walls wrote:
AMERICANS WILL NEVER ELECT A SOCIALIST. THAT'S WHAT OBAMA IS, WHO HAPPENS TO BE BLACK. A WHITE SOCIALIST COULD NOT BE ELECTED.

So typical of the rightwing these days and why they are losing.
They still use outdated terms and thinking of the 1960s.
They still think it's the 1960s and don't realize that America is in 2008. We have moved on from the old 1960s culture war that conservatives want to keep fighting for the past 40 years.
Let it go. You guys sound so old, tired and out of touch aping the old Nixonian lines and thinking it's cool.
People are sick of hearing about the 60s and from the old boomers who cannot seem to move past it.
That is why Obama is going to win. He is of the 80s, has new ideas and sees the old culture wars as ancient history and that is where it belongs.

[bruce]

The issue should be the principles, or lack of them in Obama's case, not the party or race of the candidate. With 90% of blacks voting for him, what does that say about what they are basing their votes on? Thank God for the 10% who can't be swayed by the color of one's skin. I, also, am half-white, but would never vote for someone, like Obama, who is against the sanctity of life and believes it is fine to kill unborn children out of convenience. The other issues are very important, too, but the issue of life or death, more than any other, reveals the lack of morals of this candidate who is against the rights of those who are alive but not yet born.

[Ricardo Benitez]

The act of not voting for Barack Obama baised on his Race is the epitone of "Racisim".But not so in doing the reverse as African American's did in not voting for Senator Hilliary Clinton and Voting for Barack insted,Uneducated Whites and Blacks have misunderstood the act of Racisim,Black's in America dont control the Goverment (Supreme Court,House, Senate)to send polocies that determine Law's and regulations to manipulate and control.Racisim is the act of dening a group Education,Housing,Fair Treatment under the Law and any Monitary Polocy (Loans,Business ect)Black's Can't be Racist we Control nothing not our own communties,we are unpoportionaly incarcerated,20% educated and blind due to DR. Kings "equality" movement.Worry not White America any advancement of individuals that are Black means the upheaval of Poor white trash not advance for blacks plus Blacks could never put another Black in the White House jail the 13 admendment has insured that. Dr. King = White Women acceptence and advancment Barack Obama= ??? Think People Think......

[Buford Twain]

There are many Americans who are too racist to vote for a black candidate. Don't forget that lynching used to be a common practice which continued into the 1950's and to some degree the 1960's. The civil rights movement was very active throughout the 1960's. It is the younger generation that we must look to for change in this area. If Mr. Obama does not get elected this time it is at least a very good sign that he made it this far and I hope only a matter of time before it does happen.

[Vince Iuliano]

You mean that thinking Americans, unhappy with Obama's choice of antisemitic and unrepentant terrorist friends, and his extreme inexperience, can be considered racist if they choose not to vote for him? Really?
Isn't your question racist in itself?

[Dave C]

I'm anti-Obama because I'm anti-Socialist, pro-Capitalist, pro-American. McCain isn't much better, but I trust him with National Security. Obama is a radical, America-hating left-winger, and that's independent of his skin pigmentation.

[LWagner]

The fact that Obama is partly black has nothing to do with the policies that he chooses to put forth, and has nothing to do with whether most non-blacks will or will not vote for him. I will never vote for him because he is a Marxist!

[Freedom Now]

Judging by the results of the primaries the question should be are blacks too prejudiced to vote for a white man when he runs against a black man.

[LWagner]

BLACKS CAN'T BE RACIST? What an outrageously uninformed statement. By what stretch of the imagination can anyone make such a claim? When a group of black men attack and murder a white man because he is in their "hood", there is no component of racism? We are all human beings; products of our environment. If a young white boy grows up with a racist white father or is part of a group of racist friends, the chances are that the young boy will be racist. A similar result would hold for a young black boy. Think people think ...

[Bernard Keane]

Obama started his campaign with lies. Yes, he was raised by his grandmother, but not in poverty. She was a SENIOR vice president at our bank in Honolulu.
He lived in a high rise in a very nice neighborhood.

[mike uk]

I think white Americans may fear racism from a black president in power
other than any other reason you put forward.

[MCD]

Christine and other like-minded people like her, i.e., ignorant.

Which Party is the Party of Jim Crow Laws, THAT DECIMATED Blacks and whose effects are STILL being felt today? Democrat Party.

Which Party had LESS supporters and MORE opponents to the Civil Rights Act? Democrat Party.

13% of Blacks are smart enough to vote Republican.

[MCD]

The pickings are ripe here for inane comments.

Londonese says, "... but isn't it just like us [Americans] to take over other web sites ... "

Yikes, there's a true Socialist for you. I'm sure Brits are free to post here and if they don't, we Americans should censor ourselves 'so everything is equal'. BTW, it's an article about AMERICANS.

"Europeans have not voted for Blacks because Blacks in Europe did not arrive in slave boats ... " You mean they were only DOMINANT purveyors of the slave trade? No Black slaves in Europe?

[D. Marshall]

Keep dreaming, this is a pathetic article. Racism has nothing to do with his electability. He will not be elected because we do not elect socialist in this country.

[Faqi]

Yes, Racism runs in the veins of uneducated, working class white Americans. If Obama loses it would be because of his race. Its called the "Bradley Effect" so termed after the very popular Black Mayor of Los Angles & the Governor's race in California.

[Proud White American]

Yes, I am an American and I will not vote for Obama based on his race. Ask the South African whites how they like living under black rule. Ask the white Zimbabwe farmers how they like living under white rule.

Stop the holier than though anti-white bias.

[sid]

yes. Americans are to racist. whether they be white, black,hispanic, asian,. etc. civil rights in this country has barely been around for 50 years. there is still a large number or people who lived thru the civil rights era. you can pass all the laws u wants to give people equal rights but you can't change the way people think or who they hate.alot of the people who lived during that era have passed their views and beliefs onto their kids and they think the same way, it's going to take several genrations to considerably change the racist view of this country. this country is still young on a worldwide basis so it will take generations for us to become an actual "civilized" society. if people didn't think americans were racist before, well this election will sure expose the real racist nature of all americans.

[Tibor]

CAN OBAMA LEGALLY BE PRESIDENT?
This is more important than any question of race.
It seems that Barack Hussein Obama is not qualified to be president after all for the following reason:
Barack Hussein Obama is not legally a U.S. natural-born citizen according to the law on the books at the time of his birth, which falls between "December 24, 1952 to November 13, 1986.

Presidential office requires a natural-born citizen if the child was not born to two U.S. citizen parents, which of course is what exempts John McCain though he was born in the Panama Canal. US Law very clearly stipulates: "If only one parent was a U.S. citizen at the time of your birth, that parent must have resided in the United States for at least ten years, at least five of which had to be after the age of 16."

Barack Hussein Obama's father was not a U.S. citizen and Obama's mother was only 18 when Obama was born, which means though she had been a U.S. citizen for 10 years, (or citizen perhaps because of Hawaii being a territory) the mother fails the test for being so for at least 5 years **prior to** Barack Hussein Obama's birth, but *after* age 16. It doesn't matter *after* . In essence, she was not old enough to qualify her son for automatic U.S. citizenship. At most, there were only 2 years elapsed since his mother turned 16 at the time of Barack Hussein Obama's birth when she was 18 in Hawaii. His mother would have needed to have been 16+5= 21 years old, at the time of Barack Hussein Obama's birth for him to have been a natural-born citizen. As beforementioned, she was a young college student at the time and was not. Barack Hussein Obama was already 3 years old at that time his mother would have needed to have waited to have him as the only U.S. Citizen parent. Obama instead should have been naturalized, but even then, that would still disqualify him from holding the office.

*** Naturalized citizens are ineligible to hold the office of President.

*** Though Barack Hussein Obama was sent back to Hawaii at age 10, all the other info does not matter because his mother is the one who needed to have been a U.S. citizen for 10 years prior to his birth on August 4, 1961, with 5 of those years being after age 16.

Further, Obama may have had to have remained in the country for some time to protect any citizenship he would have had, rather than living in Indonesia. Now you can see why Obama's aides stopped his speech about how we technically have more than 50 states, because it would have led to this discovery. This is very clear cut and a blaring violation of U.S. election law.

I think the Governor of California would be very interested in knowing this if Obama were elected President without being a natural-born U.S. citizen, and it would set precedence.

[Cynthia]

Vote for Obama? No way - I looked at his voting record. 40% of the time he is listed as not voting. That doesn't give me any confidence in him.

[Bruce]

Reading some of the posts on here, I think it's a bit funny how unjustifiably afraid some Americans are of becoming a socialist nation (or any other variant). It seems the fear of becoming a socialist regime if certain policies or laws were enacted has been thrown around the country as propaganda for quite some time. If someone like Obama was elected, it's not like America would turn into a socialist regime overnight- nor even over the span of a 4 term. No matter who is president, America will never become socialist. I believe it is ridiculous to decide not to vote for someone based on a fear that will not manifest itself.

Even if a policy was suggested that could be attributed to being socialist-related, and it could help improve the well being of people in the country, why be afraid of it in the first place? I'm all about judging a candidate based on their policies, but judgment shouldn't be based on what political concept these ideas sound like. It should be based on how exactly the policies would affect the people.

[Willam Keller]

We will rise to the event. Barak Obama will be elected. Race is a red herring and only effective among those who would pickle and eat it.

Besides we know he has enough Celtic in him to handle the challenges before him.

[Graham Lester]

I've lived in the US for 25 years and I am absolutely confident that Barack Obama can get elected president. I also think that a black person with the same sort of eloquence and charm as Obama could get elected PM in the UK.

[Melanie Lanier]

This is a great time in our history---whether your Black , White, Asian, Latino/Hispanic or Any of these mixed together-----we have moved forward towards something positive in this country and I'm so proud about it. I am a born again believer of Jesus Christ and I have made my choice for Obama because I am an informed voter---and informed American. Obama is going to be a great president and regardless of all of the nay-sayers, he is the better candidate for the job. If people would stop being bitter about all of the nonsense they have heard or seen in the media that isn't true----they would see who Obama is, and that is, Change we can count on; YES WE CAN!!! Barack Obama 2008!!!

[INDEPENDENT]

NO ONE SEEMS TO CARE THAT HE'S HALF WHITE TOO, SO WHY SHOULD WE CARE HE'S HALF BLACK. WE SHOULD CARE MORE THAT HE ONLY HAS HALF IDEAS. NO TRACK RECORD, JUST IDEAS.

THE THING I'VE LEARNED THIS YEAR IS TO REGISTER AS AN INDEPENDENT, LEAVE YOUR OPTIONS OPEN AND MAKE THEM BOTH WORK FOR YOUR VOTE RIGHT UP TO THE END.

AT THIS TIME I'M LEANING TOWARDS MCCAIN...WHY? HE'S A LIBERAL REPUBLICAN, HE'S THE CLOSEST THING TO AN INDEPENDENT THAT WE'LL EVER GET.

[Andy]

I think Obama will change the US election in one fundamental way. It will be the highest voter turnout in a long long time. Voters of all kinds will be motivated to have their say for a change. And that is good for democracy.

[Faisal]

MCD
But why ARE you Americans posting on here?

Daniel, You know just as well as i know THE ANSWER OF TO YOUR ARTICLE. The majority of the American public are not racist, Racism belongs belongs to a distant past. B.Obama at the present moment happens to be the most popular man within the United states. For the fact that Obama is well on his way to become the next President of the USA, i SERIOUSLY consider this fact as a strong