Reply #3: i posted about this in another thread

[griffi94]

i think racism is certainly alive and well among plenty of voters. i don't think racism alone is the reason the race is as close as it is tho.
a lot of voters just aren't comfortable with anything new, and obama is new. at a time when folks are losing their homes and their jobs, gas prices are thru the roof, and millions are uninsured, many voters aren't willing to take a chance on someone they only heard about a year ago. they want a candidate that's the equivalent of comfort food.
mccain has been one of the most visible politicians of the last decade, he's seen by many people as a maverick who bucks his own party. many voters feel safe with mccain. they don't know obama well enough to be comfortable with him yet.