Obama's father was an African, not an African-American. Obama is a second generation African immigrant, not a descendant of slaves. So how can you absolve your guilt by electing him? Isn't electing Obama really just saying to the African American community, you guys aren't good enough to produce someone of presidential caliber, so we have to import a new guy from Africa to appease our guilt?

Obama's election to presidency will not be a civil rights victory for African Americans, but a testament to the failure of white relations with the native AA community--that of all the descendants of slaves who have lived in America for so many centuries, none of them are deemed worthy to be the first black president of the US, so we have to bring in a half-black African import in their stead.

You are right, he is not a descendant of slaves. But by dint of his phenotype he would have grown up sharing in African American experiences. By your own argument (his African father and American mother) he is truly African-American. His story is similar to 'native' African Americans in that he is the product of both worlds (Africa and America) and he embodies all those aspects of American history but under much less tragic circumstances.

Yikes! supernovastar--

Isn't your thought contradicted by the facts? If Senator Obama grew up in Macon, Georgia, or Detroit Michigan-I might agree.

I don't believe Senator Obama grew up sharing any "Arican American experiences." If I read his history correctly, he spent his childhood almost entirely with the "white" side of his family---in Hawaii. I've lived in Hawaii-its racial tensions--such that they are have nothing to do with a white/black divide. To native Hawaiians, Obama's family would be "haolee" (forgive my spelling--I intend the Hawaiian word for "outsider"). His light brown skin color makes him look much like any of the mixed-race residents of Hawaii. I suspect he had a wonderful childhood in paradise--and his childhood experiences with race were very different indeed from what you'd expect on the mainland.

Hey--I support him, but it has nothing to do with his race (whatever that is) or mine. Besides--isn't it about time we give serious consideration to changing our concept of race and what it means--and doesn't mean?

Springfield123,the African American experience is very diverse and you needn't have grew in a "ghetto' or the "deep south" to have had that experience.

Right! What BlackMoses said. :-)