Many people watching and listening to my national TV and radio appearances this past week seem to have gotten the impression that any support for Obama from me — or any other black conservative, for that matter — is due solely to race. Unfortunately, they have misinterpreted my opinions if they somehow think there is a concrete Obama vote coming from me or that I believe the black community should all rally behind and vote for Obama because he is black. Let me take a few moments to elaborate on what my comments really mean — or rather, what they don’t:
I do not condone Harvard Professor Cornel West, who turns blackness into a political ideology. The Illinois senator used to be accused by people like West of “not being black enough.” But apparently he’s now black enough and can identify with black America — which means what? Can he not identify with or represent white America?
I do not support those who blindly follow anyone only because they have more pigment than a white person. If Sen. Obama creates bad policy, you can bet I will be first in line to critique — standing up for my fellow conservatives who feel they cannot speak for fear of being pegged as a racist.
I do not believe the color of my skin translates into a choice of the color of my support — red or blue. Acknowledging the historic nature of this election does not render an unconditional brotherhood of support where all other issues aside from race are ignored. Instead, it recognizes movement — even two years ago, no one expected a black freshman senator from Illinois to win against a well-known white female politician.
Simply put, I am a conservative American who happens to be black. The color of my skin does not translate into a political agenda — a black, blue or any other colored agenda. I recognize the historical context under which this election is operating. But this does not mean I will restrict myself from commenting on policies that I believe are unhealthy for America — and not just black America, because above any gender, any ideology, any race … I am American.
Monday, June 23, 2008
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I agree with you that it is an historic event in which a black freshman senator receives the nomination of his party to run for the highest office in the country.
Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama have paved the way in the future for anyone to now believe "yes we can."
What scares me about THIS particular black man is his lack of good judgment on many issues. He certainly didn't use good judgment in defending over and over again his relationship with Rev. Wright who clearly preaches a message of hate. It took a great deal of public pressure for him to FINALLY denounce (only publicly I'm sure) his relationship with Rev. Wright.
Even more than that, a passage from "Audacity of Hope" where Mr. Obama will "stand with the muslims" worries me more than anything else. Where do his loyalties lie?
It's easy to say, "forgive me, I made a mistake," after all everyone makes mistakes. But he's in a unique position where a "mistake" such as underestimating countries that would obliterate us from the face of the earth could surely cause a demise to the country as we know it.
It bothers me when I hear people such as yourself, who clearly have very different opinions on issues, say that you would consider voting for him. Why? Because of the "historic nature" of the event?
Now that the door is opened, I'm sure many other people of color will come along who would be much more qualified than Mr. Obama. I would hope that you would wait for one of those people instead of forsaking the future of this country.
Marie McCormack
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