I am a FIRM Edwards supporter. However, I am not a shill. So, when I see something good about another Democratic candidate, I dont mind talking about it. Well, Andrew Sullivan apparently got at least two emails giving examples of individuals who were known to be prejudiced against blacks, but still supported Obama. Honestly, reading this put a lump in my throat. Because Sullivan doesnt link to the specific email, a link to his blog can be found here, I have included the contents of the email on the flip:
You can definitely be sure from my e-mail address I'm not an Obama staffer, but I have a similar story to that of your earlier e-mailer. My dad grew up in Macon, Georgia in an all-white school he describes consistently as having gone to hell thanks to integration. He has never been personally racist to anyone of any background in his life, but he really thinks the world went to hell starting about 1960 and that civil rights went too far too fast. His dislike for the Sharptons and Jacksons of the world couldn't be fiercer. The N-word is pretty much the standard noun many of his family members use to describe black people. His only vote for a Democrat in his lifetime was for Carter, out of Georgia patriotism.
I had the fun experience of watching Obama's electrifying 2004 convention speech with him. My dad, who hadn't heard of him, just said "He's good." As in, "ok, I liked this guy, but he's a Democrat, so he must be a huckster. But he's a talented one."
Then, late last year, his updated view on Obama: "I think I could vote for him." I could only turn around and smirk, once I'd picked my jaw up from the floor.
Sullivan also links to an earlier example of the same phenomenon:
My partner and I were at her parents' house this weekend in eastern NC. They are people who grew up in a segregated South and would not be upset if life, in some instances, had remained that way.
So much to our surprise this weekend, they both declared they were voting for Obama! I literaly almost fell out of the recliner! I was like "What did you just say?" They laughed and said, "Yeah, we are voting for him because we agree with his views and we are sick of Bush and his stubborness and arrogance towards the war." Being the smart ass that I am, I told them if they had seen Obama on TV and knew that he was black. They just smiled and said, "Yes, so what? We need serious change in this country
I love hearing stories like this. Obama's candidacy has the potential to be such a transforming event in our country's history. I honestly wish him well with his campaign.
So, one may reasonably ask, if I believe this, why am I supporting Edwards? I debated about which candidate to support. Ultimately, I am supporting Edwards because he is so good on the issues that I care about-poverty, middle class living standards, the environment, war and peace. More then anyone since Paul Wellstone, Edwards exemplifies what is possible to accomplish with a progressive politician.
In some senses, the debate was one between my head and my heart. In my head, I want Edwards because of his pitch perfect stands on the issues. In my heart, I thought about Obama because of what it says about this country if he gets elected. But there is a final, emotional argument I have for Edwards too. Ultimately, I believe Obama "runs scared." He is "fuzzy" on issues, fearing to take strong progressive stands because he, like Clinton, does not realize that the progressive political realignment is there waiting to happen. Yet, it wont happen unless the winning Democratic Presidential nominee runs and governs as a progressive. Edwards understands this. Obama does not.
I dont want to end this post with criticism of Obama. Rather, I want to reiterate how good it makes me feel about this country that Obama can attract the support that is demonstrated in these emails.
Cross Posted at mydd.com
Title edited for spelling.