Honest question

[MR maverick]

I set back and hear how McCain has a chance and yadda yadda ,  I also have a honest question.

Do you actually think McCain would be even in this race if he was running  against the typical white democrat Warner, Hillary, Byh?

I say McCain would have been knocked out by now as in 15-17pts behind.

[mack]

I think a white candidate with a normal name with a similar amount of experience and charisma would be doing 5 points better, maybe more.

[TheGlobalizer]

A white version of Obama?  I agree.

But Obama has charisma those other white candidates simply don't have.  I think it's more or less a wash.

[Lunar]

A white version of Obama would have never won the primary election and McCain would be neck and neck with Hillary.

Obama's blackness is a double-edged sword.  It deflects some attacks but gathers others.  In general, it's harder to make fun of him or criticize him, but it also makes those critiques which can sink in, much more effective.

[cannonia]

There have been a lot of threads on this.  I think the poll numbers speak for themselves: Obama has locked up the Democrat voters.  Not to mention, he outperforms Clinton in the West.

There's no need to impugn others because you don't understand or don't agree with them.

[paul718]

If Hillary were the nominee, no.  There's a huge anti-Hillary vote out there.  It would be akin to the Republicans nominating Gingrich.

Bayh and Warner definitely.  Warner would be a landslide.  

But I don't think race has anything to do with it.  "Barack Hussein Obama" might have cost a miniscule number of points.  The reason why I think he's the wrong candidate is his lack of experience and the aversion Americans have toward the more liberal wing of the Democrat Party.  I actually think his being Black will help him more than hurt him.

[mack]

You really think Obama's 42 point loss in West Virginia for example had nothing to do with race?  I personally know a lot of openly racist people and/or people who think Obama is a Muslim, and I live about as far from the South as you can get without being in Canada.  Also, I think the recent economic  up would've helped Hilary even more though, not because of race, but because she has more experience.

[MR maverick]

History will look at it as the black man beat and out campaigned the white candidate and lost.

McCain will be forever remembered by blacks in that light.

[J. J.]

History will look at it as the black man beat and out campaigned the white candidate and lost.

McCain will be forever remembered by blacks in that light.

This is a real fear on my part.  History may end up looking on Obama as a black president and, in 2012, may look at the black community as being alien.  The worst think that happened to Obama, long term, was when he became "black enough." 

It depends on how he does, but there is a real potential for fairly large political segregation in our future.  One of the many reasons I don't want Obama to win, this time.

[paul718]

You really think Obama's 42 point loss in West Virginia for example had nothing to do with race?  I personally know a lot of openly racist people and/or people who think Obama is a Muslim, and I live about as far from the South as you can get without being in Canada.

I think the number of people who won't vote for Obama because he is black is less than the number of African-Americans who wouldn't vote had the nominee been white. 

Also, I think the recent economic  up would've helped Hilary even more though, not because of race, but because she has more experience.

What experience does she have, and how, exactly, would it help our current economic problems?