The Obama Factor

There are no less than five thousand current sources extolling the virtues of Senator Barack Obama. They are, by and large, written by better writers than myself who have done way more research than I am ever willing to do. So I will not wade into that fray.

However, I WILL talk about some of Obama's heretofore unmentioned qualifications for President of the United States.

The man is no dummy. In this day and age I know that does not mean alot but have we not tired of politicians that do not even READ the bills they vote on? Pointy head intellects aren't the devil people. The people who point and laugh at the pointy head intellectuals...well, they sell defense contracts to the devil.

Go smart. I promise you won't regret it.

Obama is fine, yes. But more importantly in our image-concious society he is not "too" fine. He's not that kind of black fine that sets off alarms of white male sexual inadequecies and fear. He is just fine enough to want to identify with but not so fine that the call to lock up the blondes is sounded.

He has a black wife. And not some Jack and Jill milquetoast black wife, but a sister's sister. In other words, you are never going to confuse this woman for a latina. As much as this is significent for black women voters it is equally important to white voters. If he loves black woman, he can't possibly be defiling innocent white ones on the weekends a la Harold Ford. This makes him immune to that type of race baiting campaigning.

For all of the articles and press I have not heard one person acknowledge one of Obama's most basic strengths in the mental endurance contest that is a run for the White House. Black Americans, by virtue of being both black and American, are innately skilled at withstanding the kind of bullying, backstabbing and power trips that is the political system.

The brother working at McDonald's learns how to sidestep conversations on sexy white women with his boss. The sister working in the office downtown knows, instinctively, just how much she can trust her white co-workers with her ambitions and personal business. Almost all of us have learned that there is only so much of our true selves that we can bring to the white folks' party and we do it without even thinking.

That kind of ingrained cloak and dagger survival skill set can be found in the most unsophisticated of black folk. Imagine how highly tuned and refined it must be in a brother who was elected President of the Harvard Law Review?

They can keep thinking the optimistic tone, upbeat approach and easy smile is soft if they want to.

We know the deal and that helps to explain some of that cautious excitement you feel in the air.