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How 'Raceless' Must He Be to Win?

      *In one of those amazing ironies of history Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech in Denver, Colorado 45 years to the day that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech before 250,000 civil rights marchers in Washington, D.C.

      In his speech King demanded that white America judge Blacks based on “the content of their character and not the color of their skin.”

      Many African Americans consider Obama’s nomination and the likelihood that he will become the first Black president of the United States the culmination of King’s dream of racial equality in America. However, during his speech, Obama did not mention King’s name. There was only a vague reference to “a young preacher from Georgia.”

      Despite the historic nature of the speech, Obama angered many Blacks with that perceived slight. Prominent Princeton University professor Cornell West summarized the anger by saying, “It looks like he is running from history. He couldn’t mention King. He couldn’t mention the Civil Rights Movement.”

      However, what Obama’s failure to mention King signifies is not disrespect but the reality of race in America and the fact that King’s dream has not yet been realized. The astute Obama knows he will only attract enough white votes to win the presidency by running as “raceless” a campaign as possible.

      Thus far, his strategy of not being seen as “the Black candidate” for president has worked. In addition, most Blacks have indicated they understand and accept the strategy. The only question that remains is if he is elected president in November, how “raceless” will his policies be? (source: Taylor Media Services)