Saw this over on Tyler’s blog:
Abortion Issue Again Dividing Catholic Votes – NYTimes.com
It is frustration to read people basing their votes on one factor. The article even touches on race based decision. The quote about the “Black House” is sickening but I know of family members that would say the same.
Which made me think of a statistic I saw spouted on CNN the other day and wanted to pass along, but forgot until this mental reminder:
22% of African-Americans polled (in whatever poll they cited) said they were voting for Obama because he’s black (or something similar, my number may be off) and a google search will find plenty of people saying the same thing. The point is that there’s people that are voting Obama because of his race just like there are people not voting for him for the same reason.
So this leads me to the obvious question:
Does not voting for Obama based on his race make you silly, backwards and ignorant? In turn, does voting for him based on his race make you just as silly, backwards and ignorant?
What if we look at it from the inverse?
If you’re voting for Obama because he’s black, then are you not voting for McCain because he’s white? In turn, if you’re not voting for Obama because he’s black then are you voting for McCain because he’s white?
What if the election were between two black men? What if it were between two white men? What about people voting for McCain just because Palin is a woman? What about people not voting for McCain because Palin is a woman?
I’m not sure I have any answers. All I know is that I think it’s ok to vote for (or against) whoever you choose for whatever reason you choose. Whatever makes sense to you. Whatever is important to you – even if that’s one factor. Is there much difference in having one factor (race, stance on abortion, opinion on Iraq, etc) that decides it period or going through all the issues one by one and in the end agreeing with each candidate on several issues and one essentially being the tiebreaker?
I’m pretty sure I would’ve voted for Abe Lincoln just because he had a beard. In fact, I’d vehemently support any candidate with facial hair because it’s be cool. Not enough officials get elected on the facial hair swing vote.
Then again, it wasn’t enough to make me like Hillary. (bah dum ching!)
I think we can pretend that Obama being black doesn’t matter, but my thinking is, so what if it does? There’s an intangible value in having a black president, I suspect, in the perception that other countries have of us. I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, but I do think it’s true.
Personally, I’m voting for Obama because I think his tax strategy makes more sense. I’m voting for him because he’s a figurehead that people are inspired by. I’m voting for him because I align more with his stance on issues than McCain, above all.
Now if one of the candidates just had the balls to address the most serious macroeconomic issue: The national debt.