When I said I had come to "appreciate" Tavis Smiley's opinion, that he felt Obama's speech had thrown Wright & Trinity under the bus, I didn't mean I agreed with that opinion.

But that in the past week, while listening to some of my conservative, non-black nationalist, Baptist church going, middle class African American colleagues, I heard them express an opinion virtually identical to that of Tavis Smiley. I came to appreciate *their* perspective as African Americans on this supposedly historic speech. Again, these are not ignorant black folks, living in poverty. These are people as highly educated as Obama's most committed core supporters--white liberals with high incomes & high levels of education. However, I am not suggesting that they would vote for McCain over Obama, because they won't. So don't worry Obama supporters. Obama didn't lose their vote, because he couldn't. He absolutely cannot lose the African American vote, because that voting block, given the choice in November, will still go overwhelming to Obama. Not necessarily as a vote for him personally, but as a for any African American over the white candidate. For some, their rationale will be the historic thing, for others who love Obama, it will be because they feel he is the best candidate, and for yet others, it will be a vote to stick it to whitey. The African American community is as diverse as any other in the nation.

I see few here are truly interested in having that difficult discussion about the state of race in America, which is what I figured. What the Obamamaniacs are interested in is shouting down anyone who isn't supporting Obama.

I think catspaw pretty much has the pulse of the Midwest--at least his part of the Midwest. Minnesota went overwhelmingly for Obama, and since the party leadership in this state has already declared allegiance to him--unprecedented this early in the race in our state, where the leadership doesn't endorse until the candidate is clear--the majority of the 1/3 of the voters in MN who are independent, according to the most recent polls here, are leaning toward McCain.

I tried to begin this thread as one that was about race, but not the election. I guess it just isn't possible to have that conversation separate from Obama here at this time. So be it.