Judge the Candidates On Their Merits

By Daniel Miessler on November 2nd, 2008: Tagged as Election 2008

Question: How would the support numbers be different?

Would Obama even be noteworthy if he were white? Would McCain be in the race at all if he were a black 72-year-old who said, “Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran”?

candidates_race
Image from thecoolhunter.net

Probably not, on both accounts.

In Obama’s case I think he’s become something special in the last couple of months, and I think at this point he actually is a once in a generation leader. But the point is that he probably wouldn’t have even made it to the national level were he not black–not this early anyway.

(thanks to thecoolhunter.net for the image)

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  • http://citoyenlambda.blog.lemonde.fr/ citoyenlambda

    I am afraid I disagree, I don’t think that had he been white Mr Obama would not have been in that position.

    I think he is exceptionnally talented and he happens to be black.

    I’m french I think he is better than Sarkozy, Chirac, Mitterand, Giscard (though very clever too he never had M Obama’s Charisma nor as I think his will to change things).

    It is true that being black gives him an additionnal symbolic strength that would be given to his country should he be elected.

    Can I make a confidence ?

    Biden was referring to the next president due to be tested, I am a non amaerican person, and I think that it is the american people as a whole who will be tested tuesday.

    In a democracy the poeple is the sovereign, he chooses or “hires” his leader.

    In the 2 past elections the people did not choose the best candidate, Mr Mac Cain is better than Bush, but Mr Obama is a candidate of exceptionnal talent, I think this is an opportunity to have such a valuable person as a candidate, we haven’t had somebody of that level as a candidate in France for decades.

    I think a great people can not remain great and keep its leadership on the world cutlture long if he misses opportunities too often

    we will see how the american people takes the test…

  • http://citoyenlambda.blog.lemonde.fr citoyenlambda

    I am afraid I disagree, I don’t think that had he been white Mr Obama would not have been in that position.

    I think he is exceptionnally talented and he happens to be black.

    I’m french I think he is better than Sarkozy, Chirac, Mitterand, Giscard (though very clever too he never had M Obama’s Charisma nor as I think his will to change things).

    It is true that being black gives him an additionnal symbolic strength that would be given to his country should he be elected.

    Can I make a confidence ?

    Biden was referring to the next president due to be tested, I am a non amaerican person, and I think that it is the american people as a whole who will be tested tuesday.

    In a democracy the poeple is the sovereign, he chooses or “hires” his leader.

    In the 2 past elections the people did not choose the best candidate, Mr Mac Cain is better than Bush, but Mr Obama is a candidate of exceptionnal talent, I think this is an opportunity to have such a valuable person as a candidate, we haven’t had somebody of that level as a candidate in France for decades.

    I think a great people can not remain great and keep its leadership on the world cutlture long if he misses opportunities too often

    we will see how the american people takes the test…


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