A change?

The political landscape sure is interesting, this time around. I never, in two-hundred years, would have though that an African-American man could be a legitimate nominee for high office. Then again, I never thought that a woman could become a nominee, as well. The campaigns between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama actually fills me with a glimmer of hope. It says to me that maybe, just maybe, the people in this country aren't as stupid and ignorant as I usually believe they are. Maybe...

Anyway, I remember having a conversation with a black woman, her name was Kelly, in northern Maine, about this racist country. This conversation occurred sometime in 1998 or 1999, I think. I told her I believed that this country would never, under any circumstances, nominate, or vote for, a black man for president. I told her it would take two-hundred years for America to get over its racism. I also told her that America would have a white woman as president first, and then have a black man as president after. She told me I was too cynical.

Of course, I was talking from the gay point of view. I always believed that minorities -- including sexual minorities -- can see how things really are, from the outside in. Maybe Kelly was right. I thought I was right back then with my assumptions.

Cut to today: Maybe I am wrong! After a sixteen month long campaign from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, maybe Americans really have grown up, just a little bit, to actually nominate not one, but two minorities for high office. Is this possible? Is it comprehendible? To me, it is barely comprehendible. I still cannot believe that a black man is the democratic nominee. Now all he has to do is win a presidential election. Therein lies the problem.

Ok, the democratic party has nominated a minority to be president. He just has to actually win the general election. The democrats may have put aside their racism, but can the rest of America do the same? I think back to that conversation I had with Kelly from ten years ago, and I wonder if we can get over ourselves and just vote regardless of color.

You can be sure of one thing: The republicans will be as underhanded as ever to ensure they retain the oval office. You can be sure they will use America's inherent racism to ensure that people don't vote for a black man -- or at all. If those tactics don't work, they could just steal this election, like they did the last two. Why fight fair when you can just take what is not yours? Barack Obama won't win the general election. The republicans will steal this election, like they did the last two.

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