Issue date: 9/22/08 Section: Editorial

Most nights I come home, start dinner then turn on the television which is chronically tuned to CNN. I tell myself that I am going to catch up with what has happened that day in the election news but once I begin listening to the McCain vs Obama sparring match my mind wanders all over the possibilities concerning the outcome of the upcoming November 4th presidential election. I decided to sit down and write tonight because a great number of our readers stop me on the yard and ask for my opinion on the election. I promised you I would write it for publication in the next issue so here is my opinion.
After watching the DNC on CNN I was moved to tears as I experienced Barack Obama's message. He promised a fair campaign devoid of the usual nasty slurs and mud slinging. Immediately following the DNC the republicans had their turn where they formally introduced Sarah Palin, John McCain's Vice Presidential running mate.
The problems with his selection are numerous. Palin, the first female governor of Alaska is said to have met John McCain only one time. She is said to be the "pitbull" of the Republican ticket. Reviews of her introductory "speech" (as some have called it) are as mixed as the days that we can number.
Sarah Palin was definitely selected by McCain to shake things up a bit but at times her delivery sounded as though she were running against Barack Obama herself. And don't even get me started on the tenor of her talk which sounded more like a 6th grade Student Government talk replete with childish insults, mudslinging, and petty applause lines. I was actually mortified and wished that her microphone would somehow go silent.
I don't know about you but this is my first time really paying close attention to a national election. I usually have waited until the dust settled and the mudslinging has ceased before making a definite choice, although I had some idea prior to the election day.
This election is a little different because for the first time in history a black man has a good chance of being elected president of the United States. It is different because some people have to choose whether or not to vote their race. Now some people have said that they simply will not vote for a black man for president. People have actually gotten on television and said for whatever the reason (usually racist ideas) they will not vote for Barack Obama even if they feel the republican ticket is unqualified.
The media is not spending as much time on Mr. Obama's race because he is running for a national office and to keep pointing out the fact that he is black may skew or blur the issues at hand. The whole question of whether or not Obama is black enough came up earlier this year. How ridiculous was that? Was Ronald Reagan white enough to lead black people? What about Theodore Roosevelt? Was he white enough to lead? Were either of them "Black enough"? The fact that such foolishness was even given so much airplay and discussion was laughable.
McCain has jumped on the slogan coined by Barack Obama regarding Change. How is it that he can be an agent of change when he has done virtually nothing to change anything in the last thirty years?
Here's an idea, why don't we start our own UDC political blog. Let us begin by watching the Obama and McCain speeches. You may view them at www.cnn.com/. After watching go to the forum area and we can have some of the first civilized debates in this election!

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