Some of the Republicans' supporters are definitely against Obama partly because he's black, McGrath. I wouldn't be surprised if at least half of them felt that way. But they are MAINLY against him, first and foremost, because he's a Democrat! ;-) The fact that's he's "black" just gives them an additional reason to dislike him, that's all. I think that was Chongo's point.

Bobert, I do understand that you are confronted with extraordinary levels of racism (open or camouflaged) where you are living, and I can understand how much it troubles you. It's just not like that up here in Canada...or in most other places either. The USA has such a traumatic history in regards to black & white race relations that it's a whole different ballgame down there from what it is in most other places.

McGrath suggested an interesting possibility, one which I think we may yet see happen. What if the Republicans ran a black man or woman for president? They might do that if they had the right person and they thought they could win that way. A black woman Republican would be the ultimate candidate to cause the Left in America acute confusion.

What I mean is...a black candidate is a progressive's dream. A female candidate is a progressive's dream. Put the two together. Wow.

Now, the reason I mention this is, I knew a guy from Georgia a few years back. He was an interesting character, into various Hawaiian healing techniques. He was a nice guy, but way far to the Right, politically speaking. What he was really worried about was "big government", the Democrats supposedly being "soft on terrorism", and the creeping "perils" of socialism... ;-) These were all things he identified with the Democrats.

His political views seemed nonsensical in Canada, but I realized they seemed totally normal to him.

Now....he was quite dissatisfied with George Bush. This was during Bush's 1st term, as I recall. But you know who he thought would make the absolute best Republican president? Condoleeza Rice! That's right. This was a super rightwing Republican guy, a working class white guy, and he wanted Condoleeza Rice to be the next Republican president.

Don't think it ain't possible, Bobert. If the Republicans had the right black candidate and they thought that candidate could win, then THEY'D pretend to have the moral high ground, racially speaking, virtually all their traditional supporters would line up behind that candidate, and it would be the Democrats who would have the embarrassment of finding themselves attacking a black candidate...not over his or her color...but just because of the usual bipartisan reasons.