Early on in this Democratic primary it was noted that Hillary was trying to paint Barack Obama as “the Black candidate”.  Now all I am hearing is “can The Black Candidate get the White vote?”, so apparently she was successful in that regard.  It’s interesting how once race comes to the forefront the need to look further disappears.  Take Rev. Wright for example, the complete fixation on that never looked beyond to any wider context.  Now we have the White Working Class demographic polls.  Hillary performs better there.  She is White and Obama is “The Black Candidate” so it must be a racial issue right?

Barack Obama is a multicultural figure.  As a bi-racial man he was raised in a White family with a focus on multiculturalism.  He later immersed himself in Black American culture because as a Black man in America it’s a significant part of his being and something that a White family can’t really give him.  An important part of his appeal is that he has a unique perspective on and identity with many different facets of our country’s cultural makeup.  But currently all this is overshadowed by a preoccupation with race and an assumption that it trumps all when it comes to a voter’s decisions.

John Kerry polled similarly amongst blue collar Whites when he was at a similar stage in his nomination.  I don’t think this related to any blackness in him.  There are other reasons that Obama might not be resonating with these folks as well as Hillary has been.  There is a familiarity factor where she is concerned.  Perhaps that group is more comfortable because she is more of a “known”, he does do much better once people get to know him.  Maybe those blue collar workers are more resistant to change, after all changes in the recent past haven’t benefitted them much.  Perhaps once they hear that the necessary change will involve worker retraining and a focus on job creation here it will gain a wider audience.  There is also the “elitist” factor.  Obama has a certain elegance about him which Hillary lacks.  That could make it easier to sell the elitism accusation.  Once people come to accept his humble beginnings and dedication to working class citizens throughout his career the elitist label will fade away.

Our country as a whole wants deeply to move beyond the divisions we have.  Obama is a figure that will lead us in that direction.  We should not be pulled back by destructive forces that obsess about racial divisions.  We should not listen to the voice that’s been given to it by Hillary’s campaign and the media.  If you still wonder whether the Clinton campaign is playing the race card you need look no farther than your own hand.  Put that card down.