I didn't stay in the fight for 30 years to elect a black man or woman. I stayed in the fight so that black men and women could be free to compete in the arena with no more attention paid to their colour or gender than is paid to mine. I don't give a damn what Mr. Obama sounds like anymore than I would if he spoke with a northeastern accent, or a southern accent. His racial make should be interesting, just as mine is interesting to me. But it certainly isn't a barometer of his fitness to be President. These, and many more, are statements of principle to me. It is my belief that with the emergence of Mr. Obama, and Ms. Clinton, means we are at the beginning stages of what could be a wonderful time in the history of this country. For all that has been right (yes, I know..... there has also been much wrong, just as in your countries..) it has been accomplished using less than half of the available brain trust. Imagine what we can accomplish using the sacred principles our form of government is based on, if we can use all of our talents instead of just white, middle aged males. It won't look the same, and it will even evolve in ways that some will resist. As I said, these are principled statements.

Now for some statements of reality. Of course he identifies himself as being a black man. Only white folks that operate on theoretic levels wouldn't understand that. It's the old, "if you have one drop, you are....." rule. Mr. Obama apparently had influences from strong folks of principle on both sides of his family, and they all had their impact. But one thing you can be sure of. He was never allowed to forget that he was black. It is a sign of his intellect and strong upbringing that he comes to us as the perfect standard bearer for an American strongly steeped in where he came from, and adamant that he move forward paying no more attention to it than any Irish, Italian, German, Dutch, whatever, American would. Yet doing so very cognizant of the economic inequalities that continue to trap our youth, whether of colour or not. He knows who he is, and he is committed to trying to change the conditions that imprison a young person based on nothing more than melanin in the skin, or economic background.

Whether he speaks "black" or not should cause no more, and no less, consternation than when Kennedy tried to speak German, Bush tries to speak Spanish, or some politician on St. Pat's Day wears green or affects some phoney stage oirish accent.

Nader is a megalomaniac. While I applaud his causes, he long ago embraced his own legend, and has become a caricature of himself. His comments show me that he believes the struggle was about putting up a black person as a symbol, instead of creating the conditions that allow our country to finally move ahead using the talents of all its peoples. The ignorance, and pavlov's dog style, of evaluating the potential of our candidates first on the basis of a visual trait that has nothing to do with intellect, must disappear. Then we will be on the road to our next level. If not, then we are headed back down the mountain.

In short, I just don't give a damn if he talks black or white, and I wish Nader would be quiet before he destroys whatever is left of his legacy.

All the best,

Mick