I was at a local sandwich shop yesterday, waiting in line, and a political ad for a state senator came on the radio. It was typical over the top, sensationalized content bashing the guy's opponent. There was a little girl coloring behind the counter, the daughter of a woman who manages the place, and she heard the ad and decided she'd make a comment; "Is that Mo-bama, mom?" Her mom laughed, as did I and a guy standing in line with me. Apparently even the seven-year-olds of the world were absorbing some of the Obama-mania that has been saturating the radio and television airwaves, and she innocently confused this ad for a fellow Democrat with one for Obama. It was a very cute moment, from an adorable little girl.
The guy standing next to me, a early forties African American, laughed when he heard the girl ask the question and after her mom explained that it was an ad for someone else, the guy says, "So this is going to be one hell of an election, eh?" to which I replied, "I think so." He asked, "So who you going for, McCain or Obama?" Personally I am not bothered at all about revealing such things, but I know that the couple seated about 30 feet away looked rather shocked, as if he had asked me when the last time I pleasured myself was. Politics is a very personal thing, and I get that, but I have no problem answering such a simple question in public. The conversation, though paraphrased a bit, went as follows:
"I think I am going to have to go McCain, though it's not an enthusiastic vote," I reply.
"Yeah, I hear that. I have listened to both these guys speak on things and I don't know if anyone really represents me completely but I feel like I have to give my vote to Obama."
"Why is that?" I asked. The couple sitting in the booth nearby leaned in a little, eager to hear where this might be going.
"Well, to be honest because I think it might be a good thing to give a black man a chance. I think it might help heal some wounds and open some doors that have been closed for a lot of people, not just blacks or minorities either."
This is the kind of conversation that can make a lot of people, especially white folks, very nervous. These discussions have been going on ever since Obama became the nominee, and relation-discussions between blacks and whites have gone on forever, but in the current election climate it can seem like it's a dangerous road to venture down. I have never been a big fan of holding back or suppressing feelings, and my neighbor in line here didn't seem to be either, so I had no fears about engaging in this topic.
"You know, I don't dispute that, not at all. I think Obama represents a lot of things that are great about this country and I think that just having him in office will likely inspire/motivate a number of people who might not have otherwise been inclined to be. I worry about his tax policies and his ability to fund a lot of his programs, but who knows how many of those will get off the ground anyway. I am a little uneasy with the idea of people voting based solely on race, religion, hair color, etc etc, but I understand your point and I can't say that if I was a minority that I might not vote for someone I felt represented my community in a way that was positive and uplifting, even if I didn't believe in all of his platforms."
From this point on, after I placed my order and he did the same, we waited in line and discussed the political positions of Obama and McCain in pretty great detail. William, as I learned his name after we shook hands and left the restaurant awhile later, had a lot of insightful and thought provoking things to say about not only the election and politics in general, but also about the black community and the US population as a whole. It became increasingly clear to me that although I feel the opportunities for minorities in this country have never been better, the possibility of an Obama administration was not simply about "Look what a black man can do" but rather about "Let's support a leadership role that's not the status quo". As I explained my tepid support for McCain, and his ability to work with both parties effectively, William was in almost total agreement, and even complimented him on his military and foreign policy skills, and only really disagreed with his choice to initially support the Iraq War. We talked about inner city education, taxes, abortion, energy and even the Jeremiah Wright situation, which he brought up simply by saying "I think there is a general misconception by white people that black folks don't like them, which was intensified by that whole mess with Wright. I think if you ask most black folks to tell the truth, it's that some are cautious, not spiteful." Whether Jeremiah Wright represented a small fraction or a majority of their population is not really relevant in terms of an Obama administration because only an idiot would assume any bias his preacher had is going to spill over into any facet of his leadership.
As we wrapped up the conversation I told him that I would still likely be voting for McCain based solely on fiscal/defense policy but that if Obama won I would be be in support of him as a leader, and at least give him a chance to get things done in his first few years in office. Although many of Obama's positions are counter to what I feel the best way to improve an economy or defend a country are, I am not someone who is against the idea of trying things another way from time to time; I have been proven wrong before and I will admit defeat when my battles are lost. I think what I learned most from talking with William for those 20 minutes or so was that we live in a pretty amazing country and one that has had a somewhat checkered past, but one that has had some amazing triumphs as well. It's not all "black and white" out there, it's not one way or the other and it's not Obama or McCain that will cure the ails of any one individual. It's two people that live side by side, though from vastly different worlds, talking to one another about the real issues that affect everyone and how best to make things better for all of us going forward. I think William would agree that whether Obama or McCain gets elected, the only chance of the economy rebounding and the "mood of the country" improving is if we as a nation make that happen together.
What a glorious world it would be if we could get to that place...
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