“Seriously, white people, did you all have a meeting somewhere, where you decided that Obama was black and have to use race, slavery in the same sentence as Obama all the time? How come I did not get that memo? What is it about you that makes you ignore that he is half white biologically and maybe even more in terms of entitlement? Seriously, exactly what is “black” about Obama, with a white mother and a father from eastern Africa? If somebody like Obama brings about these emotions, how would you cope with a homegrown fully American black dude in politics? Grow up. acting on guilt never helped anybody.

And black people, if voting for somebody who looks like you is your sole criteria, then do you realize the consequences if everybody goes by the same rule once they go to vote? Do you really, really think your life will change for better if Obama is president? How many times did he had to fight discrimination in his life? How can he relate to you?

And to everybody else…prepare to prove your “blackness” if the feds ever decide to cut a check for their past guilt. I would hate for you to miss that gravy loaded guilt train.”

Dumbrenter,

I couldn’t agree with you more. It is infuriating when I speak to some of my black friends and family members who openly admit that they are voting for Obama simply because he is black, but fume in anger when anyone suggests that some white people would NOT vote for him because he is black. I am stunned that they see one-way racism as a completely acceptable philosophy.

I actually went to law school with Obama, and I can say that neither one of us experienced any noticeable discimination there. I can’t speak to his experience before or since law school, but I would doubt — given his pedigree, which is very similar to mine (Princeton and Harvard) that he experienced the degree of discrimination that has plagued so many in the black underclass. Obviously, education clears a pathway that allows people of color to overcome many of the discrimination hurdles that snag others who are less educated. Have I experienced a lot of racism in my life? Yes, a great deal. But I assure you that there are many, many poor black people who are farther down the ladder and who have experienced MUCH more racism than either Obama or I.

My partner and I have often asked ourselves the question: is it fair to completely discount Obama’s white heritage when we consistently call him “black”? That kind of thinking actually plays into the racist pre-Civil War notions of “octaroons” and “quadroons”, i.e. you’re considered black if an ounce of black blood runs through your veins. This has always been offensive to me. I think it more appropriate to call him bi-racial, because that is truly what he is.

His father was African, his mother was white: this does make him, technically, African-American. But in terms of understanding the African American experience and culture, I’m not sure how that is entirely possible, given that he has no other “black” relatives in this country who have held this experience; his “black” family is entirely in Africa. In that respect, Obama and I have had completely different experiences, I believe, as so much of the black experience comes from our family and the culture, traditions, language, tales, etc passed down through our families.

I don’t particularly relate to Obama, especially given the fact that he is now supported by some of the wealthiest men and women on the planet, including George Soros. An Obama presidency would not “change” my life any more than a Hillary Clinton presidency would. A Jesse Jackson presidency might set this country in a completely new and interesting direction (;-)), but I seriously doubt an Obama presidency is anything more than a massive PR job to the rest of the world: “See, we’ve changed! Don’t be afraid of us. Please come back and play with us again!”

Let’s be very clear: if there was ever a candidate you could effect any real, meaningful change, they would never be viable. And if voting REALLY made a difference, it would be illegal.