The Big ‘What If’

Randall Kennedy in the Washington Post writes:

I anticipate that most black Americans will believe that an Obama defeat will have stemmed in substantial part from a prejudice that robbed 40 million Americans of the chance to become president on the day they were born black. They will of course understand that race wasn’t the only significant variable — that party affiliation, viagra canada pills ideological proclivities, medical strategic choices and dumb luck also mattered. But deep in their bones, they will believe — and probably rightly — that race was a key element, that had the racial shoe been on the other foot — had John McCain been black and Obama white — the result would have been different.

I’m sorry, but if Colin Powell were running as the Republican nominee instead of John McCain, he’d win in a landslide.

I DO think race will play a part in this Presidential election. How could it not? Some whites just won’t vote for a black man. More African-American’s will come out and vote for Barack Obama than would have voted otherwise.

But to say that Republicans wouldn’t vote for a black man is just flat out wrong.

When Hillary Clinton was running, people said that Republicans wouldn’t vote for a woman either and Sarah Palin is certainly disproving that assertion.

As I wrote a few days ago:

In the end, which side of the political divide you inhabit in this country is less about what body you were born in, than what body of thought you believe in.

Repbulicans would have no problem voting for a conservative African-American for President. (Well, that’s not 100% correct. The problem they would have is FINDING a conservative African-American who was actually willing to run. ;) )

Hat tip to The Volokh Conspiracy

4 comments September 14th, 2008