Obama focused on issues, not race - USATODAY.com

Obama focused on issues, not race, reports the USA Today papers. Wow! What a concept that is! Who would have ever thought that a U. S. presidential candidate would actually think of focussing on the issues that are foremost on the minds of U. S. Americans?

We have many issues that need to be brought to the proverbial table. Foremost on everyone's mind, is the situation in Iraq. If we were to base this on President Bush's overall ratings, this would mean that approximately 67% of U. S. Americans want the war in Iraq to stop, and our troops to return to the U. S. immediately. The flip-side to this is that MOST U. S. Americans do not fully grasp what it will take to pull said troops out of Iraq. The average person in this nation seems to have the notion that pulling the troops out is as simple as giving an order, they all pack their gear and within 2 weeks, everyone is home. I'm sure the troops wish it was that easy.

In the case of Sen. Obama, there also comes the Black Civil Rights questions. Personally, I'm pretty sick and tired of this "black civil rights" stuff. It sounds so "1950-ish". In the article, it mentioned that Black Americans want to feel like Sen. Obama is "one of (them)". We're talking about a man who was the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Excuse me, "One of (them)"? Do the black communities of this nation expect this man to put on "pimp daddy gangsta" wear and parade around with his entourage listening to "gangsta rap"? Do the black communities perhaps wish he addressed the nation by saying "Word playas"? Or perhaps, on the flip side of things, Sen. Obama should possibly 'reach deep into his Kenyan roots' and allow 'the spirit of God' arise from within, so that his speaches and discussions have a more "Kwanzaa" feel to them? Puh-lease already. We're talking about a man. Not a black man. Not a white man. Just a man. One who happens to be running for the presidency. Is that really such a difficult concept to grasp?

Obviously, Sen. Obama is fully aware of his skin color. He's had it his entire life. I'm also pretty certain that he's fully aware that he is the first black American to have the capability of obtaining the presidency of this nation, but that the road to this position is long, tiring and scrutinizing. This is not something Sen. Obama is un-accustomed to.

According to the USA Today article, and countless others I have read on this specific "Obama" topic, there is indeed a sort of 'unspoken' and 'indirect' segregation that is taking place. However, it's taking place in an odd, reversed sort of way (so I've observed... and if I'm wrong, by all means, please correct me on this).

The white Amreican community is looking at Sen. Obama and wanting to know what he has to say. What are his stances on various issues of national concern? What is his stance on the war in Iraq? How does he feel we can pull together as a nation? Is he at all concerned with the price of gas, and if so, what does he intend on doing to lower those prices? Where does he stand in regard to Stem Cell research? Does he believe that it is possible to further move ahead and over-ride the 'presidential cells', allowing the medical community to advance themselves enough to enable life-saving procedures that were once never possible? How religeous is he? What is his stance with the Gay/Lesbian Marriage issues? Furthermore, what is his stance on those couples in regard to adoption proceedings and parenting? How is his outlook on health care and social security? THESE are the issues that most white Americans are looking at.

However, from the articles I've read, the black community has an almost entirely different outlook. Is he our 'brother'? Is Kwanzaa important to him? What is he going to do for us? I actually read one article from the Associated Press, where a young black woman from the inner city said "Can he even communicate with us, so that our street people understand what his positions and view points is?" IS?!
I have to agree with Bill Cosby here, "Hooked on Ebonics" is NOT going to cut it in the White House. Our national Constitution is not written "We is da peeps, yo word. We done made a better place to live in".

The 'voice of the people' is about to come to a full blown roar. Mostly in defense of Sen. Obama's stance in most areas of political and public interest.....and mostly, from the white communities around this nation. I personally do not see color, race or ethnicity. I do not see religious preference. I do not see sexual preference. I see a person. Until everyone grasps the fact that if we each get a cut on our arms, we will all bleed the same color.... this nation will be 'unofficially' segregated. If it takes a Kenyan/American/Hawai'ian president to be the boot to help us unstick our heads from our behinds, then so be it. As a nation however, we are in no position to squabble over the color of someone's skin. We have bigger things to squabble over. For example; Will this nation ever truly be able to say " We beat the war on drugs!!" (now THERE'S a headline folks!)