Помогает или мешает кампании Обамы цвет его кожи

Недавно бывший кандидат в вице-президенты от Демократической Партии и сторонник Хиллари Клинтон, Джеральдин Ферраро, сказала, что Обама обязан своим нынешним положенем в президентской гонке тому факту, что он -- черный кандидат. Вот интервью, в котором Ферраро разъясняет свою позицию.

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Разяснения ей не особо помогли, и официально она уже не связана с кампанией Клинтон. Однако, сам вопрос, по-моему, вполне естественный -- действительно, помогает Обаме его цвет кожи в нынешней кампании, или мешает, или, воможно, цвет кожи тут вообще не играет сколь-нибудь существенной роли?

Вот два мнения совсем не политиков, а игроков на деньги, взятое с одного форума о спортивных ставках. Я их приведу для иллюстрации.

poster A:

I essentially agree with the point Ferraro was trying to make - that Obama's race has been beneficial to his political career.

Let me ask you this, and please answer honestly: Do you think if instead of who he is, Obama was a white, first-term Senator named Bob O'Brien he would still be on the verge of attaining the Democrat nomination for President?

Further, given how the Obama-Clinton primary battle has unfolded, with Obama getting well over 80% of the black Democrat vote, do you think white first-term Senator Bob O'Brien would be leading Clinton at this point? Of course not.

Clearly Obama is an excellent campaigner and public speaker and has inspired many in his party, but in this instance, I believe his race has been beneficial to his campaign.

poster B:

"...with Obama getting well over 80% of the black Democrat vote, do you think white first-term Senator Bob O'Brien would be leading Clinton at this point?"

Wow, a black candidate doing well among black voters, imagine that. Next thing you know, Hillary will be doing well with women, Romney with Mormons, and McCain with mental patients.

"Do you think if...Obama was a white, first-term Senator...he would still be on the verge of attaining the Democrat nomination for President?"

If Obama were exactly the same person he is except with white skin, I think he would already have wrapped up the nomination. The idea that being a member of the most disfavored minority in American history is a big plus in public life is laughable. Sure, a few guilty whites will throw him a vote for the wrong reasons, but 10 times that number are just not gonna vote for a darkie, period. And that business about being a first-term senator is way off historically; the worst presidents have been those who have been lifers in the government biz, and many of the best (in my opinion only, of course -- I'm sure you regard Kennedy and FDR as Commies or worse) have had only a term or two in Congress. It's the same as in sports: the really great ones jump right to the majors, while the ones who spend five seasons in AAA never amount to much.

Кто прав? Я не знаю, но склоняюсь к мысли, что для Обамы цвет кожи -- скорее препятствии. Возможно, сейчас этот фактор не играет особой роли, но в борьбе с Маккейном он будет более существенен. Что не значит, что Обама не имеет шансов стать президентом, конечно.