Mr. President? …

This Day, Nigeria

How Far Can Obama Go?

"Are Americans truly ready for a Black first family? Has White America truly purged itself of its notorious resistance to interracial harmony? … Obama represents all that white America has been struggling to prevent. … In short, it's not news that race remains a raging issue in America."

By Tayo Agunbiade

January 3, 2007

Nigeria - This Day - Original Article (English)

Does Senator Barack Obama have all it takes to become the next President of the United States? Media analysts publicly swear by him and think that with no trouble at all, he'll be able to carry the responsibilities of the White House on his shoulders. They sing about his capacity to hold the audience's attention during debates and convince people of his genuineness. Although one can't help but notice that more often than not, a sentence or two about Obama's experience-deficit emerges at the end of most polling result reports.

As far as Obama's policies, one news magazine described some of his statements as “bizarre,” noting that he's unprepared (a euphemism for lacking courage) to disagree with the thinking of the party base. It concludes that he needs to beef up his foreign policy statements to make up for his lack of experience. 

If there's one thing that stands him in good stead with the anti-war lobby, it's that he has been consistent about his stand against the Iraq War. Others think he has something else that could put him in good stead to win the race: the color of his skin - although the candidate himself doesn’t seem to push this as a unique selling point! One international newspaper says his face offers “an effective potential re-branding of the United States.” In other words, America’s unpopularity around the world can be fixed with a black face. Hence what Americans need at this point in time is a black President.

But just how true is this in present day America, where racial profiling is said to still hold sway? Though it is vehemently denied of being racial profiling, the actions adopted by some law enforcement agencies mean that people - Black and Hispanic men in particular - are more likely to be stopped and searched than their white counterparts.

For fear of being branded racist, many refrain from asking this blunt and pertinent question on a subject that still holds sway in present-day America. Clearly an elephant in the room, pundits deftly avoid the issue. Another up front question is: Is America ripe for a black man to occupy that most powerful office in the world? Are Americans truly ready for a Black first family? Has White America truly purged itself of its notorious resistance to interracial harmony?

Obama represents all that white America has been struggling to prevent. He grew up in Indonesia and Hawaii and his father was an African from Kenya. These are not the usual credentials for the candidacy of the Anglo-Saxon White House, and as we saw in the case of Republican Senator John McCain, not a color that is necessarily acceptable to White America. A few years ago when Senator McCain last made a bid for the White House, he received a first-hand taste of raw racism. The Senator was quickly reminded that he had an adopted child of Bangladeshi origin! A non-plussed world could only wonder in amazement about the connection between the two issues. The whispering was used as a crude weapon to discourage him from seeking higher political office.

[Editor's Note: In South Carolina before that state's 2000 Republican primary, telephone calls reported to have been made to voters on behalf of the Bush campaign in South Carolina asked, "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew that he fathered an illegitimate black child?"]

Now and again, the polls have put Obama ahead of Mrs. Clinton. This was of course helped along by talk show host Oprah Winfrey's endorsement. This may well have been a masterstroke by Obama’s campaign strategists, nut it didn't prevent cynics from opining that the people really trooped out to see Oprah! Now Ms. Oprah Winfrey is a real crowd drawer. Her judgment on books - or anything for that matter - can make a big difference. But can she sway the minds of White America over the very serious issue of skin color?

Obama’s campaign theme is “Change We Can Believe In.” This indicates that although he may not be depending on his color to get where he is going, he is very much aware of how it could help or hinder his ambitions. The crucial question is: Will the color of his skin not count against him?

In short, it's not news that race remains a raging issue in America. Examples abound about how deep the hatred of African-Americans still is in certain parts of the country. The Jena 6 and the nooses are still fresh in the minds of Black Americans. The White supremacists and other right-wing elements have a lot to answer for in this regard. And for this simple reason: if Obama somehow manages to beat Hillary in the race to jump the Democratic hurdles, he may not go much further - unless White America confronts this demon that is ravaging their nation. His candidacy may in fact push Americans to return for another serving of life under Republicans - Iraq War or not. His nomination is also likely to bring to the fore some of the contentious racial issues (not that they ever really went away!). Those who have been speaking in hushed tones for fear of being labeled racist will certainly begin to say things aloud.

Obama isn't the first Black man to make a bid for the White House. In 1984 and 1988, the Reverend Jesse Jackson stepped courageously forward to demonstrate that African- Americans can help shape the political debate. To date, no African-American has received the nomination of a major party. Many may have put themselves forward for higher office - but very few have sought the Big One.

As Americans prepare for the Iowa caucuses and the pollsters furiously reel out the statistics, it remains to be seen if the hugely popular, charismatic but largely untested Senator Barack Obama will ultimately power into the White House. But I will gladly eat my words if he does!

tayo_agunbiade@ yahoo.com