There is a reason Barack Obama may get close to 99% of the African American vote, and it's not because he's black. It's because the Republican Party has become almost openly insulting to black people. This tone deafness is likely the result of the lack of African Americans in the party's leadership. If my wiki research is correct, there hasn't been a single black republican elected to Congress since J. C. Watts in 2000. The treatment of Colin Powell makes me believe there won't be any black leaders in the Republican Party in the near future either. The reaction of some on the Right to Powell's endorsement of Obama reeks of racism. Colin Powell was Ronald Reagan's National Security Adviser, George H. W. Bush's Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and George W. Bush's Secretary of State, he has a long history of serving the country. He is deliberate, he is cautious, and he is thoughtful (at least when he is not cheerleading for the Iraq war). So what was the conservative reaction to such a distinguished person's endorsement of Obama? "Well obviously he's going to side with the black guy. He can't help it." This is incredibly, INCREDIBLY insulting.
What's being implied is that Colin Powell, who clearly recognizes the challenges facing our country domestically and in our foreign affairs, believes that John McCain is better for the job of president, but despite this he's going to vote for Obama, because they are both black. To say this is to say that he lacks the objectivity and the patriotism to put country ahead of any feelings of racial solidarity and that Powell would support any black candidate whether it was Barack Obama, Alan Keyes, or Flava Flav.
Rush Limbaugh, who's is no longer trying to hide his racism, responded to the news of Powell's endorsement with this:
"Secretary Powell says his endorsement is not about race... OK, fine. I am now researching his past endorsements to see if I can find all the inexperienced, very liberal, white candidates he has endorsed. I'll let you know what I come up with."
The argument, like most of Limbaugh's, is seriously flawed because it ignores all variables other than race. It ignores the times that we are in, the policies that have created our current mess, the relative strengths of the two candidates, and suggests that race is the only possible reason for a Republican to choose Obama over McCain, which is patently ridiculous. Has Christopher Buckley ever supported an inexperienced, liberal white candidate for president? And if not, does that not mean his endorsement was all about race? Further, this is an argument that is never applied to white people. For instance, Joe Lieberman, who has traditionally supported the Democratic Party, but now is choosing to support John McCain, where are the suggestions that his endorsement is based not on national security issues but because they're both white?
It's easy though to dismiss Limbaugh, whose strong point has never been logic. But Pat Buchanan made the exact same argument on Hardball.
Even respected conservatives like George Will find themselves making similar points. George Will, on This Week when asked about the impact of the Powell endorsement said this:
Some impact. And I think this adds to my calculation -- this is very hard to measure -- but it seems to me if we had the tools to measure we'd find that Barack Obama gets two votes because he's black for every one he loses because he's black because so much of this country is so eager, a, to feel good about itself by doing this, but more than that to put paid to the whole Al Sharpton/Jessee Jackson game of political rhetoric.
The question of how many votes Obama wins or loses due to his race has nothing to due with Powell's endorsement, unless Will is suggesting that race was the reason for the endorsement. And why would you jump to that conclusions when Powell laid out a very comprehensive argument for his support of Barack Obama? Powell mentioned that he has spoken frequently with both candidates and has been closely following both campaigns. He mentioned Supreme Court appointments. He mentioned the need to sit down and talk to our enemies. He mentioned the need to bring the country together and lead the world on energy and global warming. He mentioned McCain's erratic handling of the economy. He mentioned the Republican Party moving the right and becoming increasingly divisive and exclusive. He mentioned the need for a generational shift. He mentioned McCain's choice of the woefully unprepared Sarah Palin. All in all it was a complete, well thought out endorsement. And all those reasons are being dismissed because both he and Obama happen to be black.
Is there is excitement among African Americans to vote for a black man? Obviously. But that is by no means the sole reason for his support among the black community. What is widely ignored is the fact that 90% of blacks voted for Al Gore in 2000, and 88% of blacks voted for Kerry in 2004. When you throw in the facts 90% of the country thinks we're on the wrong track, the economy is in the tank, and the Republican brand is in the toilet and McCain hasn't made an attempt to reach out to the black community, the democratic candidate would have received virtually all of the African American vote anyway. Blacks like every other race use a wide range of criteria to choose which candidate to support, to suggest otherwise, especially of someone like Colin Powell is insulting. As Powell said, if he was making the decision solely based on race, he could have given his endorsement the moment Obama wrapped up the nomination.
Conservatives need to give Powell the same respect they would give a white person and take him at his word that his endorsement was based on careful deliberation about whom he believes would make the best president to lead this country rather than a compulsive desire to support the guy who looks like him.
As Powell said a month ago, on CNN's Next President, a roundtable of the five former Secretaries of State:
I'm an American, first and foremost. And I'm very proud...
... I've said -- I've said to -- I've said to my beloved friend and colleague, John McCain, a friend of 25 years -- John, I love you -- but I'm not just going to vote for you on the basis of our affection and friendship.
And I've said to Barack Obama, I admire you, I'll give you all the advice I can, but I'm not going to vote for you just because you're black. We have to move beyond this.