a win for obama is bigger than politics
by Aaron Rodriguez
Published: January 9, 2008
I owe a lot of people in this nation an apology. Back in February of 2007, I scoffed at Barack Obama’s candidacy. I believe my exact words were “There’s no way that white people will vote for a black man in a presidential race.” In my defense, I wasn’t the only one with this mentality. People might not be as cynical as I am, but for a lot of African-Americans, the idea of an Obama administration is a pipe dream. But facts are facts, and the fact is he won in a state that is 92% white and finished a strong second in New Hampshire. I should have had more faith in my countrymen.
I’m sorry.
Still, one must wonder why I and so many others were pessimistic about Obama’s prospects. He easily won his bid for the senate in 2004; he’s an incredible orator and a brilliant man. Yet for some reason, I encountered few African-Americans who thought he had a real shot, and I live in Chicago. Now, I don’t speak for every black person in America. So I don’t want anyone to think the politics of African-Americans are one-size-fits-all. But one only needs a brief introduction to black stand-up and sketch comedy to see that the idea of a black president has been a surefire way to get laughs. So, many of us continued on dejectedly awaiting the inevitable Clinton victory, but in the past two weeks we’ve seen a glimmer of hope. If a black man can win over Iowa, then a black man can become president.
Of course, a few moments after his victory I began thinking to myself, “Am I supporting the man or the message?” Despite what’s been said on Fox News, Barack Obama isn’t all that liberal. He’s hardly progressive and on African-American issues he’s been virtually silent. If he were elected we wouldn’t be any closer to eradicating many of the problems that plague the working class. It might not be business as usual, but Obama wouldn’t usher any radical change. As a socialist, it’s hard for me to justify voting for a man whose actions would uphold the status quo. Even still, I can’t shake the feeling that I should do it anyway.
While this seems like a compromise of values, I’m not supporting him because his policies are particularly inspiring. On major issues, the top three democrats are nearly indistinguishable. Regardless of who gets elected, the only “change” we’re likely to see will involve bastardized universal healthcare. The battle for affecting national public policy is not going to be decided by November. However, it is possible to turn this into a mechanism for social and psychological change. We could very well see the first non-white president in US history. The impact of such an event will exceed any policy decisions made by our current crop of politicians.
Now before anyone gets offended and shouts “You’re only supporting him because he’s black,” let me say two things:
First of all, there are going to be plenty of people who won’t vote for him because he’s black, so at worst I’m counter-acting that sentiment. Secondly, while Barack Obama the policy maker won’t enact fundamental reform, Barack Obama the figurehead will. What could do more to eradicate the nihilist world views of so many minority youths than seeing someone who looks like them running this nation? Leaders inspire people, not legislation.
The Obama administration won’t end gang violence or turn every public school into fine academic institutions. However, it would definitely do a lot young black people good to see that such powerful positions are not the exclusive property of old white men. If we want to see real change, not this empty media buzzword, we must cultivate a generation that doesn’t just accept the world they are handed. Obama’s most powerful act will most likely be shattering our image of what American government has to be. If Obama winning an early caucus can restore a little of my faith in our ability to rise above racial divisions, just imagine what Obama winning the presidency will do.
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