Across the racial divide.

[joeunderdog]

As a Northern, white male, I’d like to chime in on my thoughts on this historical event we have just witnessed. I found myself choked up for my African American brothers and sisters last night. What stuck me about the totality of the events is that Obama did not win because of the “black vote,” as many predicted. Regardless, it doesn’t mean that the fact that he is an African American in the White House won’t be a significant factor in re-shaping politics in the years to come. It’s already happening and he has yet to move in.

Historically speaking, the color barriers were broken at any number of occasions in the course of American history. With modern day breakthroughs, from Rosa to MLK to Frankie Robinson, our culture changed incrementally. As a small step in the right direction, many whites began “accepting” black people. People gradually came to respect and admire people like Michael Jordan and John Conyers, and this was more progress. In the 90’s, Hollywood began a significant trend of making TV shows and movies targeting African American consumers. IMO, this had some positive impact on the co-mingling of cultures. But around that same time, Rap music became a hit. A younger generation of many cultures didn’t simply accept this “black music,” but they embraced it for its cultural differences and sought to be like the AA performers they admired. For what might be a first on a large scale, white kids began emulating the black culture. This is a new level of progress in crossing the racial divide.

Enter: Barack Obama. He didn’t run on the “I want more for the African Americans” platform and in what may be a surprise to many, he didn’t win the election on the basis of racial demographics. Obama ran on the platform of Opportunity for all, on the sharing of responsibility and success of this country and on the idea that if we do what’s right, then it will benefit not just people of one cultural background at the expense of another, but all Americans equally. Message received, votes delivered.

And what this has done is to change the face of politics forever. Obama speaks not only to the so-called Average American, but to the hearts of the victims of oppression and victimization. His campaign and his victory and presumably his presidency have not merely empowered voters who never before believed they had anything to gain by voting, but truly emboldened them.

With young voters not bound by lifelong biases and empowered, newly registered voters already feeling rewarded, today’s enthusiasm will only gain momentum with Obama’s continuing success. This is an obstacle that the extreme RW has never had to deal with and they are already soul-searching about how to appeal to this part of the political landscape. Their solution is one they don’t want to acknowledge: they need to change their platform and not their campaign strategy. Voters Have said F-U to the RW lunatic fringe that have damaged our American legacy for the last 8 years. They have spoken loudly and clearly that they want to be represented by politicians who understand and value—and not just pay lip service to—the concept of Equal Opportunity.

Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama. And congratulations to all Americans.

[Last Stand]

1. Once you go Barack

you never go back!