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Post by Chips on Jun 6, 2008 9:26:28 GMT 9.5
Racial undertones ignore the credentials of Obama
I object to the headline "Hail the great black hope … all he needs now is white votes" (June 5). Not only because this statement does not make sense (the primaries have shown Barack Obama has no trouble attracting white votes), but it demeans Obama and brands the presidential contest with racist undertones.
The fact that he has become the first black nominee for a major party for president is certainly a historic achievement, but a campaign tainted with the media's obsession for a battle between black and white eliminates the significance of this achievement, and further emphasises the deep racial divide in American politics.
Daniel Kildea Bellevue Hill
If Barack Obama was nominated for president of Kenya, would he be deemed the "first white man" running for that office?
Michael Rogers Wagga Wagga
I hope that one day I will see a black Australian lead this country.
Kevin Williams Merewether Heights
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Post by nancy1340 on Jun 6, 2008 10:07:51 GMT 9.5
I heard that Hiltlery was running for pres and I said "Oh God, no, please don't let this happen".
I heard a that, what I thought then was a very good, smart, savvy black, PERSON was running and my first thought was "Wow, this is great. A good PERSON was running for pres that just happens to be back".
While I am very glad that HC didn't get the backing to be pres I am now very scared about BO getting or that the only other real possible candidate JM is the the other person that may have a chance. I will vote for Ron Paul even if it means cuttin' my nose off to spite my face. (Old southern sayin')
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Post by Chips on Jun 6, 2008 11:28:20 GMT 9.5
From my trips around the boards it seems that most of the planet is rooting for Obama... everyone that is except for the Yanks.
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Post by Chips on Jun 7, 2008 17:25:44 GMT 9.5
Obama may not be the only one to scupper all-white ticket June 7, 2008
Daniel Kildea's objection (Letters, June 6) to references to Barack Obama's appeal to white voters is misplaced. The websites of CNN and The New York Times analyse voting patterns in the primaries under headings of race, gender, income, education and even church attendance. It is not correct that Obama has "no trouble attracting white votes".
As a commentator in The New Yorker has suggested, a 46-year-old black man in an expensive suit with a Harvard law degree and a strange name may have trouble appealing to working-class whites. Hillary Clinton's strong wins in states such as Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky were based on her winning up to 80 per cent of their votes.
But does it matter? Since 1932 the Democrats have won 10 presidential elections. In only two, the landslide victories of 1936 and 1964, did their candidate receive a majority of white votes. John Kerry came within a whisker of defeating George Bush in 2004, despite receiving only 38 per cent of the votes of white males.
Obama will win if he can get out the vote of his core constituency (blacks and the under-40 college educated), improve his standing with Hispanic voters (a Hispanic running mate such as Bill Richardson would help) and build bridges with the middle-aged feminists who supported Clinton (which shouldn't be hard, given John McCain's views on abortion). He needs them to offset the obvious majority McCain will receive from white male voters.
Yet these demographic predictions are based on past elections, and this one has repeatedly defied expectations. McCain is the first Republican candidate since 1952 to have won the nomination when he was not the front-runner a year out from the convention. Enough has been written about the firsts created by Obama and Clinton.
What if both candidates pick a non-white as their running mate? Then the role of voters who lean towards a particular candidate on racial grounds may be even less important - surely a good outcome, whoever wins.
Tony Nicod Mona Vale
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