Why I wouldn't vote for Obama:
First of all, I'm British, so I couldn't vote for him, but I really hope that Barack Obama does not become president just because he is black or despite of his blackness'. He should be judged as the man first and what he stands for. As a black man myself, I've always hated the fact that my blackness has either opened doors or caused others to speak on my behalf because of my colour. Case in point was my time in the British Army. I wanted to be taken at my own merit and prove things to myself, but when I failed one course and was back-squadded others tried to play the race card and get me back, as I later found out. I was not happy with that. I failed because I was not good enough, not because I was black. And so it is with Obama. If he wins it should be because he was the best candidate not because his blackness will somehow absolve America of slavery issues or show the world that America cares. If he loses then he lost not due to his colour, but because people doubted his message and social policies.
Obama's background is not that of the typical African American. His father was from Kenya and his mother from Kansas so he does not have that slavery issue hanging over him. That is attractive to white Americans who do not want to be constantly hearing about the sins of their fathers. However, to African Americans, Obama has the chance to lay to rest the stigma of slavery, even though Obama's ancestry is not their history (though Obama's wife and former pastor certainly do carry chips on their shoulders about it). Though race has not been an overt part of the campaign it is a factor and it has to be addressed so there are no festering undercurrents of racial hostility should Obama win.
To me, Obama is an empty shell of a politician. His orations are mesmerising, but preachy and mechanical, like the lecturer he was. He may be intelligent and eloquent, but you need more than that to be president, you need policies, not platitudes. Obama will not change America in the sense that the whole world is looking for in regards to foreign policy and economics. No matter the political affiliation, the US has been in some form of conflict every three years or so, since WWII. Not all have been senseless or unavoidable and in choosing Joe Biden as his running mate, a seasoned foreign policy champion, who voted for the Iraq war and backed Clinton into the Balkans, Obama is hedging his bets. Obama has never been tested under fire as a politician and has been a politician long on conviction; but short on action. Obama will have to become a hard-boiled President or he will crack under pressure.
Obama is the new face of young black ambitious talent as recognisable as Lewis Hamilton, Theo Walcott and Usain Bolt. He is fast becoming a cult of personality with more authored books than national policies; he is still only a first term senator. Even the increasingly mocked Sarah Palin has more executive and legislative experience than Obama, yet people feel she is not even up to Vice Presidential duties. America does not want a black president, just a president who can do the job. If Obama is seen as not helping the black communities, he could become a lame duck president in their eyes, just as David Dinkins was as New York's first black mayor from the early 90s, then came Rudy Giuliani, and the rest is history. If Obama does not deliver what blacks expect, what white America wants, and what the rest of the world needs then his legacy for future black presidential candidates could be lost.
Obama has come at the crux of a new age; a new age of economics (supposedly to arrive after the global financial crisis), a new age of energy (to meet the challenge of climate change), and a new age of politics (a softer, gentler US foreign policy). But that is similar to the Carter Presidency, who Obama's presidency could well emulate. But as an American friend told me, Carter actually believed in what he said, but his plans though real were a little bit too ambitious for the time. Obama, of course, will actually be the second black president, after Bill Clinton. Clinton was another cult of personality, much beloved by African Americans, who did not achieve much in two terms and whose wife could have been the first woman President if not for her marmite nature. People love Obama, because he promises a new vision after the Bush age, but the Bush era has cast a long shadow over the world militarily, economically, environmentally, and politically that Obama will find hard to dispel.
Over here in Britain, people are looking for our own Obama, but Britain is a long way from that with no viable black parliamentary offerings for the top job for some time to come. It is a class thing more than a race thing since Britain has a more-or-less better integrated society where blacks, whites and Asians can socialise and inter-marry more freely than most other nations. But there is seemingly a stained-glass ceiling for blacks in the boardrooms, public institutions, politics, etc. Will Change in America lead to change here? Or will it just lead to Obama envy and disillusionment?
If Obama fails to lift the African American community (or if they don't use his inspiration and help themselves) or if he is seen as pandering to them by the white community then Obama will find himself in a difficult position. His performance or lack thereof could also affect later black presidential candidates' chances if people remember Obama and any failures. The trust will not be there for future black candidates. The future of American politics could not only be about the blue Republicans or the red Democrats, but also about black and white America, which could cause further schisms. Obama has a mighty task on his hands and for a novice, I do not think that he has the political nous and experience to handle such pressures. So will America's future be black, bleak or bleached of past racial divides? I think Obama's time has come too soon and will lead to a more unsettled America; change indeed!