He was very suspicious of Obama, the young senator from Illinois. Obama was not a senator then, but was starting to make waves within political circles. My informant said he was automatically suspicious of any Black politician who looked like he was the darling of the White political establishment. “What’s the catch!” my informant demanded. “Why do they like him so?”' And this, “Obama wasn’t Black enough for him. He wasn’t militant enough. In fact, my informant suggested, any Black politician who made White folks feel comfortable should be distrusted.”

In my opinion black politicians (like the informant in the posting) who are militant want to make whites feel uncomfortable will not become President. Jesse Jackson, while he does necessary work in fighting for the civil rights of blacks, will never be elected President.

I think the country needs someone like Obama to lead as President. Obama may not have grown up in the black ghettos, but this is exactly why he is not an angry black man. Obama embraces his background, has been on the end of racial biases, and as community organizer has seen first hand the crippling effects of racism on the black community. But he's not militant in his attitudes and approach. In fact he's the opposite- he tries to pull people together, whether they are white, black or brown, Democrat, Republican, Independent, or other…. Unlike the black militant politicians whose demands are basically for their own community, Obama rightly understands that we're all in this together and if the country is going to address the problems of the black community (which makes up about 12% of the population) then he can't alienate the rest of the population.

America needs a leader who has the courage to stand up and say, “This is our country and we must work together for the benefit of all of us.” The black militants are so in your face that it's difficult to work with them and their demands.

One of the reasons I support Obama is that the problems of African-Americans really do need to be addressed. I'm ashamed of the way my country treats African-Americans and I think we can do better. I feel that of all the candidates, Obama cares most about the good of the people and he can work to close the huge rifts amongst the various groups in America. I truly believe that for America to succeed we all need to succeed. I believe that anyone who believes in freedom and equality (especially the religious folks) should address the social ills of our country. I'm a staunch believer in liberalism- that everyone should have equal opportunity and individual rights. For me, Obama is the politician who can best make this happen. All other candidates either owe big corporations too much or use divisiveness as a wedge against people to gain power. In order for America to “go to the next level” we need someone like Obama- a politician who brings people together.