It may come as news to the left, but racism has long since faded off the political radar. A few ignoramouses aside, it has all but disappeared. I find it interesting that the theme has mostly been liberals worrying whether Obama being black will hurt him in the election, while Republicans just don't give a hoot about it.

In all my conversations about the election I have had, ONLY LIBERALS have brought up race.

That is quite telling.

Oh, so what. So liberals have a tradition of concern for the underclass, which persists. Without them, where would African-Americans be? Stuck in the 1930's. Sorry but conservatives get no credit for giving increased opportunities to black people over the past 75 years.

That's so adorable you think racism is dead and gone, save for a few "bad apples."

bsharporflat:

Oh, so what. So liberals have a tradition of concern for the underclass, which persists.

Blacks = underclass? Sounds racist to me.

As an American citizen and man of color (Black), I disagree that racism has all but disappeared in this country. I believe that it is still very prevelant, especially in the south. I was raised in the south and my family heritage is mixed, just as Obama's is. So it is not just liberals that are concerned about electing a Black man, it's still a considerable portion of the general public. I believe the difference now is that the younger generation, of which I am part of, is not as concerned with race as our parents and grandparents' generation. We are about results and whether you can truly relate to the issues facing young people. It seems that most of the issues discussed on both the Democrat and Republican sides mainly effect the Baby Boomer generation. And that is why Barack is so appealing people under the age of 50. He can relate to our issues, our concerns, and how we view the world. We desperately need someone, as Ann mentioned, of a different, darker shade to address the issue this country faces globally.

As to Ann's point about the name recognition, I think she is right about the country growing weary of the so-called "dynasty administrations" that continue to dominant our political and even business landscape. But Michell Obama being a "straight ahead" black woman is not negative for Barack. She is a smart, brilliant woman, much in the same vein as an Oprah Winfrey or many others who are less known, but successful. Michelle Obama represents all young mothers who cope with balancing a professional career and raising a family in today's world. And I think that helps Barack relate even more to young families.

Sakura:

...ONLY LIBERALS have brought up race.

HaHa. What planet are you on?

It's not a matter of race, it's the fact that Barack "Hussein" Obama is a muslim! He claims that he does not practice his muslim religion but it does not take away from the fact that he has a muslim heritage. People need to wake up and realize that they may be putting a muslim in the white house.

What a disgrace to this country!!

So your argument is that although Obama outwardly belongs to the United Church of Christ, he really is a secret Muslim who probably has a prayer rug discreetly stashed on his campaign bus?

Some enterprising reporter could ferret out the truth about Obama by hitting him with an "Assalamu alaikum" when he least expects it. If Obama responds with "Wa alaikum assalam" then you know you got him.

sly:

People need to wake up and realize that they may be putting a muslim in the white house

I can't decide what's more appalling... that people still think Obama is a "closet Muslim" or that people think a Muslim shouldn't be allowed to become president. (Or, for that matter, a Mormon.)

Yes, a person's religious beliefs will influence their actions in office. But keep in mind, our overtly Christian president has done more to erode our Constitutional liberties than any president since Lincoln. How on Earth could a non-Christian president do any worse?

United Church of Christ

Which is in itself a black racist organization which promotes the idea of a "Chosen People" which just happen to only be "African American." He may or may not be a muslim, but some of the ideas of his church sound similar to Louis Farrakhan's.

underclass refers to "socio-economic" class and I'm not sure who is arguing that african-americans are equal in all socio-economic to whites and asians. Civil rights gave a lot of opportunities to many african-americans to escape the underclass and many did. Those who didn't remain as a highly significant portion of the underclass of the USA. There is no racism there just sociology and demography.

Regarding the debate on whether there is racism in the USA, why ask such a limited question? Why not ask is there any racism in the world. And also ask if there any nation or area in the world which is free of racism. The answers could be illuminating.

TheRaven:

United Church of Christ Which is in itself a black racist organization which promotes the idea of a "Chosen People" which just happen to only be "African American." He may or may not be a muslim, but some of the ideas of his church sound similar to Louis Farrakhan's.

So Obama "may or may not be a muslim" but if he isn't, he belongs to a "black racist organization." Mudslingers like you are not normally that concerned with hedging their bets. They usually pick one idiotic charge and stick with it.

Trinity UCC is an historically black church? So what? Huckabee's Southern Baptist conference split from the Northern Baptists during the civil war over the issue of slavery. The racism of the Southern Baptists and the Mormons has been extensively documented. It is not as if blacks were welcomed into these churches.

Trinity's harmless blather about a "chosen people" appears more spiritual than ethno-centric or "racist". Their web site states that "African-centered thought, unlike Eurocentrism, does not assume superiority and look at everyone else as being inferior." Your comparison to Farrakahn's loony psuedo-theology is tendentious rubbish.

Caryg - you are spot-on! The only way racism may be eradicated in this country is through the continued anti-racism education of our young and the expiration of our old (racists).

Or with people who adamantly deny their own bigotry? Part of the problem is that people refuse to acknowledge their own biases or those of others. Most of us have them. It is a hazard of living in a world full of other personalities that we don't always agree with. And many are too intellectually lazy to do ought but stereotype. These people are who make the statement about racism being dead even more absurd. Until we confront the way we think, bigotry (no matter what it's based on) will never die.

Who cares if hes Muslim? Whats that got to do with anything? What if hes born again? What if hes jewish? What if he's hindu etc etc etc

Who cares?