Obama

I could ask you the same question - what makes you think he DOES NOT have similar values and beliefs as many other black people?

Because not every single black person is the same.

But that's oversimplifying things. How about this - millions of evangelical Christians voted for George W. in 2000 and 2004. George W is ane evangelical Christian. Is it wrong that all these evangelical Christians voted for him? No. They share similar experiences and have similar ideological belifs and values.

It's completely natural to vote for people you have common ground with - everyone does this. It's therefore only natural that the majority of the black voters would vote for Obama, since they have more common ground with him than with an old guy from Arizona. That's how democracy works.

Of course they're not. But they share a common heritage of oppression, neglect and poverty. Segregation was less than 50 years ago. You don't think that such issues don't play on the minds of the majority of African Americans today?

It's one thing to vote for somebody based on believeing similar things but completely another when the candidate gets a vote on the basis of race when the whole civil rights movement had the intention of getting rid of bias towards any race.

No I don't.� Not on the majority anyway.� If you look at the crime among young African-Americans (say under 40) it gives the impression that the sacrifice their forefathers made for them has never even crossed their minds.� Add to that many young African Americans probably don't know a great deal about the plight of Black people 50 years earlier, so based on that a lot of votes probably went to Obama on the basis of race and nothing to do with shared oppression.� And before I'm accused of racism (with regards to my comment on crime) I'm going to clarify that this is only some African Americans and many whites/members of other races are criminals.

I was saying the actions of some showed they didn't really care.� Not a majority.� And yes I know about segregation.

Well as I have said to El G if he was a Republican and had his speaking ability, the colour of his skin and America wanting change I believe he still would of won as they wouldn't of looked hard at his policies.

EDIT: Except perhaps his stance on Iraq.

� On a slightly different note, I read something earlier about some claiming Obama shouldn't be able to run for presidency as he was from Hawaii before it was a U.S. state

I quote:

"Add to that many young African Americans probably don't know a great deal about the plight of Black people 50 years earlier, so based on that a lot of votes probably went to Obama on the basis of race and nothing to do with shared oppression"

Your words. Don't go backtracking now.

That can't possibly be true - thought Obama was only 40-something?

If wyners ran of president then imagine the response..

You are always good to lighten up the mood SB

But in all seriousness this position doesn't have enough power for him so he might just flag it.

Indeed my words and no backtracking necessary.� I'm not talking about a majority there.� The word I used was 'many'.� And I stick by that, many probably don't know very much about it at all.I'm growing tired of this, different views we have and there's not much point in continuing.

I lived in the US (had to get in the last word�).And sorry can't find anything on the Obama/Hawaii thing.� Could've sworn I read a number of articles on it.� Maybe I dreamt it.

My dad couldn't find work in Christchurch and eventually found a post in Denver, Colorado.� So we moved there for 16 months.� We were originally in the suburb of Kolfax (spelling?) but we soon realized it was quite dangerous and known by some as the drug capital of the city so we soon moved to the outskirts of the city.

Many factors led to Obama's victory. Yes, I agree most that voted for him disregarded whatever policies he had and chose him purely due to his ethnicity and the fact voting for him was the "cool" thing to do.