Well, okay. There is one thing bugging me...
Starting with a chunk of McCain's concession speech, followed up in Obama's acceptance speech, and greatly focused on via media choice of commentators and subjects to train cameras on... I'm disappointed that this election has been at least momentarily turned into some referendum on race. I see very little to be gained (save by the opposing party, looking to use it divisively) by suddenly moving this to the fore. I understand this is a fantastic milestone in the eyes of many, but especially considering the President Elect's mixed race birth and upbringing I would prefer we simply try to use the opportunity to move, at last, beyond the issue of race rather than to accentuate it.
To put it another way, I suspect that more division of a nation rather than unification is achieved by repeatedly showing Jesse Jackson with tears running down his face (as a Man of God he's prone to be emotionally unstable anyway; black or white, they're seldom playing with a full deck), and much the same goes for granting a platform for a broadcast reaction to anyone a reporter sees based almost entirely on the color of his or her skin.
I'd much prefer a focus on plans and policies for the upcoming administration instead. The race issue isn't going to simply go away, but I'm hopeful it can become an almost trivial matter, much as it has with the likes of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
(End post)
Starting with a chunk of McCain's concession speech, followed up in Obama's acceptance speech, and greatly focused on via media choice of commentators and subjects to train cameras on... I'm disappointed that this election has been at least momentarily turned into some referendum on race. I see very little to be gained (save by the opposing party, looking to use it divisively) by suddenly moving this to the fore. I understand this is a fantastic milestone in the eyes of many, but especially considering the President Elect's mixed race birth and upbringing I would prefer we simply try to use the opportunity to move, at last, beyond the issue of race rather than to accentuate it.
To put it another way, I suspect that more division of a nation rather than unification is achieved by repeatedly showing Jesse Jackson with tears running down his face (as a Man of God he's prone to be emotionally unstable anyway; black or white, they're seldom playing with a full deck), and much the same goes for granting a platform for a broadcast reaction to anyone a reporter sees based almost entirely on the color of his or her skin.
I'd much prefer a focus on plans and policies for the upcoming administration instead. The race issue isn't going to simply go away, but I'm hopeful it can become an almost trivial matter, much as it has with the likes of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.
(End post)
.png)
Comments