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The day before, I had written about the popularity of Obama amongst both Blacks and Whites. I had written that he broke the mold of the traditional Black politician, who was primarily focused on civil rights and thus only commanded a narrow range of support in the general population. Barack Obama, a talented orator and charismatic leader, whose focus on unity and progress, certainly deserves the great support he has. However, today, I would like to touch on a more sensitive subject, one that gets to the very heart of the sensitivity that racial issues continue to hold on this country. Now, the question I would like to propose is whether Obama would be able to enjoy his wide support if Michelle Obama, his wife, had been White instead of Black. If Barack Obama pulled an OJ Simpson, and married a White woman after he had become a successful lawyer, would he be able to command the same enthusiasm and whole hearted support from both the White and Black communities? After pondering this question today, I would have to conclude, that only under extraordinary circumstances, the answer would be no. If Obama was married to a White woman, he would lose a lot of authenticity points in the Black community. Coupled with the fact that he already does not come from a traditionally African American background, being raised in a White household, and being born from a Kenyan father, he would undoubtedly be seen as an Uncle Tom. Even if he had pursued a career making significant contributions to civil rights work in Southside Chicago, he would be seen as another hypocritical Black man who "talks Black" but "beds White". Would Oprah have lent his support to Obama if this was the case? I would have serious reservations about it, and certainly not with the level of commitment and enthusiasm that she has put into his current campaign. The fact that Barack Obama married Michelle Obama, an educated, attractive, successful and strong Black woman, has lent him a lot of credibility in the eyes of the Black community. Effectively, he has been able to balance his "inauthentic" background, being raised by Whites and being half-Kenyan, by marrying an authentic African American woman, thus, solidifying his identity and allegiance, and connecting him with the traditional African American community. Now, if Obama was married to an attractive Blonde woman, instead of an African American, would he enjoy the same amount of support from Whites that he currently has? I would have to answer No. His support from White males, in particular, would be nowhere near the level it is now. Although our nation has certainly made great progress when it comes to racial attitudes and acceptance of interracial dating, there still exists certain sensitivities and attitudes towards that topic that continues to run rampant today. Although it may only be a minority of the population, but the suspicions surrounding the possibility of a Black man in power continue to inhabit the minds of many White Americans, and it has been a struggle that Barack Obama has been quite successful in challenging. However, if America was confronted with the image of a Black man seeking the most powerful office with a beautiful White woman on his side, the level of threat and uneasiness will multiply significantly. The specter of a giving a Black man, who is seen as aggressively taking away White womanhood, will not be welcomed easily, especially compared with the unthreatening image of the Obamas, a successful Black couple, who are content and secure about themselves. Although this may all in fact be on a subconscious level, the image of Barack with Michelle Obama is unthreatening because he is seen as an intelligent and patriotic Black man who will serve the country faithfully and with character, while not challenging or taking away from White America. A Barack Obama with a "Britney" Obama will be seen as going to far, and will certainly, perhaps subconsciously, be seen as an affront to the sensibilities of White America. So I want to conclude by saying that Barack Obama chose his partner wisely. I am certainly not suggesting that his choice to marry Michelle Obama was, in any way, related to his political career as I believe he is a man of utmost integrity. However, I believe his decision was a wise one in both personal matters and for his prospects in seeking the presidency.
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I do agree though that if he were to have married a Caucasian, his claim towards understanding the "African American" legacy would be far less powerful than it is with Michelle Obama at his side. But I would like to also state that if his wife was of another minority, he might enjoy a greater slice of the minority pie. Then it is also possible that that could be too much "minority-ness" for mainstream Caucasian America.
Who knows?