A Black President?

[Gromgor]

Ok. Allow me to preface this with the following:

This is only being asked to create discussion, argument, something interesting to join in. It's not intentionally racist. Instead it is a quetion about majorities and what they mean to how a government should run. If the topic turns into something that is just not good for community I will ask to have it closed.

With that being said I'll get to the topic.

Should we have a black president? Or one of any other minority?

I'll present some points for discussion.

1 - While it is a given that there are without any shadow of a doubt members of minorities that are far more qualified to be president than many of those who are elected. Can an individual from a group (for the sake of argument I'll say blacks) that comprises only 12% of the population (A figure taken from HERE ) truly represent the majority of the country?

2 - Would a member of the minority be able to hold the office without either being accused of catering to their own minority or without being labelled an "Uncle Tom"? Would this kind of Catch-22 be good for the country to have to deal with?

Thoughts? Opinions? Flames? Death Threats?

[Pyrosama]

Originally posted by Gromgor
Can an individual from a group (for the sake of argument I'll say blacks) that comprises only 12% of the population (A figure taken from HERE ) truly represent the majority of the country?

A political candidate doesn't represent the percentage of people that have the same skin color. They represent the percentage of people who share the same values and beliefs that they wish to promote.

[Gromgor]

Originally posted by Pyrosama
A political candidate doesn't represent the percentage of people that have the same skin color. They represent the percentage of people who share the same values and beliefs that they wish to promote.

Would this in any way invalidate point number two? Would the populace be able to get past believing anyone other than a white male is either being a sell out or catering too much to a specific group?

It's not necassarily the worth of the individual, as I stated. It is in a lot of ways the perception by the nation. Would this effect the capabilities of a non white male from ever effectively (regardless of actual skill at the job) carrying out those duties of the presidency?

[Kraxe]

Your point two can be applied to anybody though, not just a candidate representing a minority. Just look at Bush and Christian Fundamentalists. And perhaps anybody can point at a candidate and say 'xxx' about them. The point seems quite redundant.

[kestra]

A black president, male or female could be the political enema that America needs.
All presidents cater to one minority or another. Catering to a different minority for a change could bear interesting results.

[Dhelta]

Originally posted by Gromgor
Should we have a black president? Or one of any other minority?

All I can think, when I look at this question, is why would anyone wish to choose (or not choose) a political leader based on skin colour? I fail to see that one's hair colour, shoe size, or belly girth (or any other given somatic characteristic) is a useful criteria. (Well, possibly shoe size, but that's in another arena.)

[Gadiantor]

Originally posted by Gromgor
Should we have a black president? Or one of any other minority?

Our choices for president are limited to who emerges from the two major parties. Maybe some day in the future we'll have a viable third party candidate, but I can't see that happening anytime soon. That being the case I think we should have whichever candidate is the lesser of the two evils presented by the two major parties as president. If the less evil one happens to be from a minority group, so be it!

[Yrizaria]

Politicians who are deeply loved are also the ones who are deeply hated. In other words, the ones who stir up the most emotion in people and are remembered (for example Kennedy and Lincoln) are also the ones who met with violent deaths. Colin Powel is probably the closest we as a nation came to having a black President and his wife has a valid point, she would rather have a live husband than a dead statistic in a history book.
ANY politician has his or her own agenda. ANY politician will be really really supported by a few people who whole-heartedly share his or her opinions and be really really really hated by those who disagree. Skin color shouldn't be an issue at all but unfortunately the vast majority of people in America are more concerned with "having someone in the white house who thinks just like me" than in "having someone in the white house who would do an incredible job running this country and fixing it's woes". The problem is most people really think THEY could be president so they think picking someone just like them is the answer. Obviously most people are wrong.

[Wrent]

I don't see how either point applies solely to race....

Look at the outcry and accusations made throughout Katrina in N.O.

Kanye West "George Bush doesn't care about black people"

Its a lose-lose situation... no matter what color or creed the president holds, there will be scandel and assumptions and criticism of whatever choices they make.

That, sadly, is what politics has become... Who can convince the most people that they should be hurt, offended, pissed off by the other party that they should vote their guy into office instead...

Instead of winning over voters with positive evaluation of each platform, parties resort to digging up some obscure negative event or statement or incident to discourage whatever 'positive' thoughts they had about the actual issues at hand each election period.

I remember last election, citizen/politics turning into " How can you vote for Soandso... they said/did this!" "Soandso said this, they are obvious unfit for presidency"

The saddest thing.....

Most voters are so naive, it works.