The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

[e-mailed by professor Carol M. Swain]

We must separate the question of whether America is ready to elect a minority president from the individuals currently running on the Democratic ticket. In other words, the success or failure of Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama says nothing about the willingness of the country to place its fate in the hands of its first female or first African-American leader.

A March 2007 Gallup Poll shows that most Americans say that they are comfortable voting for a black presidential candidate (84 percent) or for a woman (77 percent). The country is ready for a minority president; but not any of the current Democratic front-runners.

Consider that Hillary Clinton does not seem to fit the bill as a woman whom most Americans feel comfortable supporting. Despite her intelligence, education and experience, polls show that she does not engender the kind of trust and confidence needed to become the nation’s first female president.

In fact, Hillary Clinton has lost ground. A May 2007, Gallup Poll shows that her popularity has fallen steadily. In April, the percentage of Americans that viewed her favorably had fallen from 58 percent in January to 45 percent in April. She

evokes strong positive and negative reactions from the public.

Barack Obama could eventually become the country’s first black male president. But first he has to overcome some disadvantages. He is relatively unknown across much of America, and his detractors dismiss him for not having enough experience. Moreover, he is not the product of old wealth.

Perhaps, Obama’s best chance of becoming president will be after he has served in the No. 2 position on a Democratic ticket headed by a Caucasian male. Such a ticket, I believe, would be a potential winner for the Democrats and for Obama. It would give him the exposure needed for a successful future bid, and it would create much enthusiasm among African-Americans.

Gov. Bill Richardson, another minority candidate, has chosen not to seek media attention as the nation’s first potential Hispanic candidate. As the governor of New Mexico, he is a dark horse with a number of strengths. Although his election would be a historical first, Richardson is shrewd and able to run as a Caucasian male.

Republicans could get into the game by persuading Condoleezza Rice to serve in the No. 2 position on a white-male headed ticket. Unfortunately, however, Rice’s Teflon image has been marred to the point that it is not clear whether she could attract the votes of women or blacks.

I predict America will elect a black or a Hispanic male president long before it elects a woman of any race. At play are our Judeo-Christian, and now Muslim, traditions that have limited the roles of women. Unlike a man, on a global scale, a

woman has to overcome the perception that she will be weak on defense and unable to persuade world leaders of nations where women are viewed as subordinate beings.

In a world where people of color vastly outnumber those of European descent, the “right” minority could make a world of difference in how America is perceived in the world.

Published in the Tennessean, Sunday, May 20, 2007