Is race an issue in this race?

[Pastor Gary]

According to this TIME.COM article, race is "the elephant in the room for Obama." Do you think that, despite the polls and public pronouncements, a significant portion of the electorate will hesitate to pull the lever and elect a non-white President when they enter the privacy of the voting booth?

(I am not asking whether you think that is right or wrong, but rather whether you think it is a fact.)

[Shellie]

I think race will play a part on both ends. I just don't know which color will win.

I think some blacks will vote for him because of his color regardless of the issues and his stand.

I think some whites will vote against him because of his color regardless of the issues and his stand.

[Dr. Ron]

Yes .....to it all....

And when he loses, he will blame the race card as the reason....."they didn't vote for me because I am (somewhat ) black....." The dems will release that whole idea.

It will be far easier to elect a woman as vice and ease us into the idea of someone other than an old or young white guy...

I think he has used the race card all the way through this and it will continue. He is willing to use anything to try to get elected. What a useless waste of money...that could have helped "his people" ......all because of his INFLATED ego!!!!!!

[EagerBeaver]

Can't tell you how many times...even here in the Ozarks...that I have been called a racist because I have vehemently told people I will not vote for Obama under any circumstance.

[deb]

I believe it is.

This article ran in our local paper this past weekend - sounded like double-speak to me.

HAMPTON - Actor and comedian Marlon Wayans admitted to Hampton University students that he didn't vote in the last two presidential elections.

"Bush is my fault," he told them. "The economy is my fault."

Now he's on a tour of Virginia colleges to make sure that win or lose, he did everything he could to get Democratic nominee Barack Obama elected.

Wayans, brother of comedian-actors Damon Wayans and Keenan Ivory Wayans, might be best known for his roles in the films "White Chicks" and "Scary Movie."

He campaigned at HU on Friday along with actress Jurnee Smollett, who starred with Denzel Washington in the 2007 movie "The Great Debaters."

Together, they urged hundreds of HU students to meet Virginia's Oct. 6 voter registration deadline. New and out-of-state voters were encouraged to register in Virginia, a battleground state.

Smollett led a chant of "Take the state" in a packed student center, where hundreds of students listened intently as the two spoke.

Don't vote for Obama because he is black, Wayans told them, vote for him because of his policies.

"Barack comes from people like us, and always has our best interest at heart," he said.

Smollett expanded on the Illinois senator's policies, saying Obama would give every college student a $4,000 tax credit, and raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2011.

"Make sure we get that brother in office," Wayans said. "Our economy is hurting ... this is not a black and white issue — this is a red, white and blue issue."

The pair stopped at HU after speaking at Virginia State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia, said Clark Stevens, spokesman for the Campaign for Change, a project of the Democratic Party of Virginia.

Wayans encouraged students to have at least three parties — a registration party before Oct.6, a voting party on Nov. 4 and a "Barack is our president" party on Nov. 5.

"As Americans, we've got to take back this country," he said. "I wasn't around during the civil rights movement. This is my civil right, and this is our turn, and this is something we can tell our kids about — a black president."

Moses Wilson, HU senior class president and the state's coordinator for Students for Barack Obama, said the group registered 270 HU freshman last week, and will compete against Howard University today to register the highest number of voters before and during the rivals' football game in Hampton.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/local/hampton/dp-local_campaign_0913sep13,0,2543524.story

[MacUser]

In my view it doesn't in the grand schemee.. because it all comes down to the content of the character once that person speaks and takes stands. Demonstrates Beliefs (or lack of).

Colin Powell could have been President if he wanted it.
Condi Rice could have been President if She wanted it.


Obama could be President if he wasn't an extreme leftist as his voting record reveals. He isn't change.. just another personality on the same global garbage.

A revealing character issue is a person whom votes to kill (by voting FOUR times to not administer healthcare services to a child from a botched abortion) innocent born alive child. That's taking advantage of the most innocent among us and claims that as a moral high ground of intent.

[INLOVE]

Yes. I have personally heard a few black people say that they agree with McCain, but are voting for Obama because he is black and they want to be "part of history".

[Darling]

Although race shouldn't enter into the picture, I believe it is to an extent just as Sarah being a woman. Will we ever get the picture as not what a person looks like, but who they are.

[Paully_44]

I think it will come into play with the popular vote.

Not sure if the electoral college will be affected that much.

[dolfan]

I don't think it will be a big deal. Some people won't vote for a black person no matter what, but they are few in number anymore, I believe. Most folks who feel that way don't vote anyhow.

[Full Quiver]

Sure race is an issue. Just ask the 94% of black voters that say they are voting for the Black man.