I have no qualms with saying that the tipping point for me supporting Barack Obama is that he’s a Black man, with a Black wife, and his 2 Black children. He’s done everything WE SAY folks should do in the community. If he weren’t running, I’d support Edwards. But, Obama is running, so I support him.

If we were being brutally honest, the person with the best resume is RICHARDSON, but, I don’t like him, and never have liked him, and will do my best never to have to vote for him for ANYTHING.

But, running for President isn’t always about the best resume. Obama’s as qualified as any of the rest of the top 3.

IF Obama actually wins Iowa, and comes in a strong second in NH – TWO OF THE WHITEST STATES IN AMERICA-

then what will be the EXCUSE then, as to why they can’t vote for him in South Carolina?

And why would one think that?

‘Cause you think we should support “our own,” perhaps?

Barack is not a protest candidate; a gag candidate; or a one-issue candidate. He’s legit. And while he’s wise enough not to appear condescending by spoon-feeding many Black voters, he’s smart enough to know that it needs to be done.

Enter Michelle.

I agree; that constituency is huge. And it does have to be addressed. But at what point does “addressing” it cross the line into condescension?

I get your point now:…you feel like Michelle Obama is trying to make African Americans feel that they are “sellouts” if they don’t support her husband…lol, i’m not seeing that at all.

However (believe it or not), there is a sizable constituency in black america (NOT ALL of Black America) that have the concerns she’s stated, and only a dumb politician would sit back and let those issues go unaddressed.

Hillary’s definitely playing gender politics…”Men piling on, I’ve got to break up this all-boys club, etc.”

In all fairness to Hillary-who I don’t like either-I haven’t heard her explicitly say, “vote for me cause I’m a woman.” Maybe she has.

If this were really not meant to be about race, then the sound bites would not even have come out. Problem is, they were attempts to force black people to come down on one of two sides (it’s the “either you’re with us or with the terrorists” argument, writ a little larger): either you support Obama because you believe that we-as blacks-can truly do anything, or you don’t because Massa made you doubt yourself back in the day.

And I wish that I could say I’m supporting Barack simply b/c he’s black, but that would be a falsehood.

If that we’re true, I would’ve eagerly supported Sharpton or Carol Mosley Braun in 2004.

Unlike other candidates who are attempting to use GENDER as a key rationale for why they should be elected, Barack is demonstrating why he should be President based on CHARACTER and JUDGMENT rather than RACE or GENDER…that’s partly why I love him.

These quotes from Michelle Obama are really short-sound bites, they are not meant to be 20-minute stump speeches. The media is making it seem like the Obama Campaign is exhausting themselves on this issue when they are rarely addressing it.

He’s not the “savior of the race” or this paragon of African-Americanism that he’s made out to be.

I think that if Obama had a record that stood out or could stand on its own, there would be no need for him-or his wife-to attempt to play on the sensibilities of black people.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t. And he’s not the “savior of the race” or this pantheon of African-Americanism that he’s made out to be.