by Christian Fann

Created on: April 03, 2008

For anyone to say that race does not matter in the 2008 Presidential election is either, blind, ignorant, or self deceived. It matters. And it will continue to matter until legitimate black candidates running for office, become commonplace. Sure, there was Shirley Chisholm in the 1970's, Jesse Jackson's two-prong runs in the 1980's, and, more recently, Colin Powell, but none of those candidates were perceived as having a real or fair shot.

As Bill Clinton once said, "It was a fairy-tale." Yes, to some it was a fairytale if, in fact, you had no intentions on ever electing a black president into office. But for those aforementioned people it was a very real run to make history. Sad that a black person, moreorless with the same credentials as a white candidate going head-to-head, is making history at all; but that is life.

Race matters. It matters because Barack Obama, in this race, is an enigma. He has less of a track record that would contradict his expressed viewpoints. Has given less speeches than either Hillary Clinton or John McCain, so, in essence, if reporters, pundits, or Clinton and McCain supporters want to see how much dirt can be finger tested on the guy, race is the most obvious route to go. He can't get around it. He is multiracial but has the complexion of someone we would consider African-American. He went to a church since he was 27, for twenty years and, unfortunately because of that, recently, was caught in a hell-storm of controversy surrounding his former pastor's out of character remarks on the government.

If race did not matter the media would have easily overlooked it. Not used it as the headline on every news station globally for weeks on end. While I do not condone the remarks of the Reverend, myself, as a black person I do understand where he was coming from, which angle and how the media can put a spin on one little snipet of the sermon. However, they didn't need to do much, the fact of the matter is this: If you didn't like Obama before, that little spy-gate, was just another reason for you to dislike him now. That little 'controversy' didn't turn people away from Obama, so much as it either increased or affirmed the support or non-support that was there from the beginning.

Any reasonable person with any degree of intelligence knows that, they, at one time or another (forgive us all for always being perfect) have made slanderous and outrageous comments to, which they have felt some regret over. With that said, the people whom they may

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