Obama ‘Reinforces Sense of White Superiority’

Does Beijing prefer John McCain to Barack Obama? It’s unusual for Chinese rulers to show their hand in such a manner, but judging by this op-ed article written by Ding Gang, the senior desk editor of China’s strictly-controlled People’s Daily, one must conclude that Beijing is not at all enamored by Obama or his candidacy.

Charging that the secret of Obama’s success is his capacity to ‘out-White’ all the other presidential candidates, Ding Gang writes:

“He has a different skin color than Whites but shares the same ‘American background.’ … Rather than symbolizing racial integration, he is a symbol of assimilation. So his rise, far from doing away with the sense of superiority of White Americans, actually reinforces it.”

While acknowledging the advantage that Obama enjoys due to the people’s yearning for change, Ding Gang refers to Obama’s inexperience by referring to a campaign commercial that both Hillary Clinton and Barck Obama used during the primaries:

“To borrow a message used by both the Clinton and Obama campaigns, perhaps the final vote will come down to this: “It’s 3am and the red phone in the White House is ringing.” If it’s McCain who answers, it would be more reassuring.”

Ding Gang concludes:

“As for observers of the American election, one mustn’t be dazzled by the change of actors on the stage, but instead focus on the changes that those actors plan to bring.”

By Senior Desk Editor Ding Gang

Translated By James Chen

June 16, 2008

People’s Republic of China – People’s Daily – Original Article (Chinese)

Senator Barack Obama’s skin color is the greatest focus of attention in the ongoing U.S. presidential campaign. With half of his blood in his veins from African stock, the Democratic nominee has been commended as a “star of change” who seems especially dazzling and splendid after his recent victory in the primaries.

The Times of London saw Obama’s victory as evidence that the United States remains a land of opportunity .

“This moment’s significance is its resounding proof of the truism about America as a land of opportunity: Mr. Obama’s opportunity to graduate from Harvard and take Washington by storm” it wrote.

It said that his victory also demonstrates, “the opportunity that the world’s most responsive democratic system gives its voters to be inspired by an unknown; the opportunity that outsiders now have to reassess the superpower that too many of them love to hate.”

The reason that the Western media has heaped such undeserved praise on Obama is first, his skin color, and second, the transformation he might bring. Hence it’s thought that the election of a young Black president will ideally highlight the “American dream” and hopefully, be the best vehicle for altering the image of the United States.

Indeed, Obama is far from the core of mainstream American society, namely “White Anglo-Saxon Protestants.” But Obama won the primary race precisely because he didn’t emphasize his ethnic identity, intentionally drawing a clear distinction between himself and more radical Blacks. Hence one could argue that Obama triumphs because of his skin color and despite of it.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated foreign press coverage of the U.S. election.