Color blind leading the blind

Here I was thinking African-American meant an American with African ancestry. Next thing I know, Barack Obama "isn't black enough."Following Obama's Illinois announcement of his candidacy for the democratic presidential nomination, Senator Joe Biden (D-Del.) said of Obama: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."

The Rev. Al Sharpton went on record as bathing daily.

Biden apologized, but his comments raise questions over America's level of color-blindness. If Obama isn't black enough, what prevented Sharpton - a three-time senatorial candidate in New York, mayoral candidate in New York City and 2004 Democratic presidential candidate - from winning the party's nomination?

Graded by Biden's standards, Sharpton's articulation is best described as "outspoken," but he's very bright, in that bitter, never-wrong sort of way. It's hard not to climb on the "Barack Bandwagon," but his presidential contention ought not to be judged by the color of his skin,but the content of his character.

However, Obama's political resume isn't long. Serving his first Senate term, his political future - enter Biden - may hinge on his ethnicity. Following his heralded keynote address during the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Obama rode the TV circuit, stopping everywhere from Oprah in daytime to Conan at nighttime.

Yet, who is Barack Obama?

While the race appears to be all around Obama, pundits' repetition of "Is America ready for a black president?" signals we may not be. However, Obama's popularity within the black community suggest differently.

According to Time Magazine and a Washington Post-ABC poll, Obama trails Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) by 40 points among black Americans. There have been no reports addressing whether Clinton is woman enough.

If the African-American community, whose support Democrats assumed Obama would have, can reject Obama based on his positions, it shows this country craves real leadership so much it can overlook differences. Are blacks basing it off positions? Are they the ones asking, "Is he black enough?" Also, Hillary is the wife of Bill Clinton, dubbed the first black president for his immense popularity with African-Americans. That's the main reason she's so far ahead there.

To win the democratic nomination, Obama will have to be more than black. Despite being the only currently serving black senator, the characteristics of "clean" and "nice-looking" describe a number of black national figures, including Colin Powell, former secretary of state.


If Obama falls further behind Clinton in polls, one would assume he has the option of becoming "more black." Saying he isn't black enough suggests his election would only be the product of his ethnicity.

The African-American community has shown this election isn't about electing diversity for the sake of diversity.

As I argued before, the fact that African-Americans aren't supporting him could just as easily mean they don't think he's black enough. Whites may not vote for him because he's black period. That's a Catch-22, which just shows the complexities of race relations in America.

e-mail: vosburgm@sbu.edu