Obamastan!

Many "progressives" were shocked by Obama's "recent" lean to the right, most obviously apparent in how quickly he buckled on the recent FISA "compromise," which in itself is hilarious had they so much as glanced at either his brief record in the Senate, or his previous political history. You don't get as far as he has without buying into the very system that brings you there.

As a person of color, it would be nice to see a president who looks more like me, than the faces on dollar bills, to loosely paraphrase his recent quote. But I have no delusions about what he brings to the table. It would mark a return to a more rational universe, no doubt. And, after the last eight years, I guess that in itself denotes considerable (if thoroughly predictable) "change." But he's far from the godsend of Utopian evolution some believe him to be. Of course, if it were otherwise and he was, in fact, a true harbinger of change, his fate might already more closely resemble that of an RFK or MLK.

A recent Slate article asked if race might still be the one crucial, determining factor in this election. And yes, the article actually proceeded to make the case as to why- presumably for the edification of all those Americans who claim they "just don't see race." It reminded me of the late eighties when another Black man, Jesse Jackson, ran for president. I distinctly remember a reporter relating how when campaigning in America's heartland he impressed many in the crowd with his command of the issues that most directly affected them. He approached two white farmers who were nodding in approval and asked if they'd consider voting for him. "A nigger?!" they laughed.