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Originally Posted by inthebox

Isn't racist, or at least prejudiced, for the vast majority of the media, the populace to make the distinction that Obama is the first [half] black president?

MLK wanted content of character, not skin color, to be the attribute people should be judged on.

Will it take another generation to vote based on charater and actual past performance and accomplishments, rather than on good speeches and skin color, or gender for that matter?

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Wow, couldn't have said it better myself.

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Originally Posted by inthebox

Isn't racist, or at least prejudiced, for the vast majority of the media, the populace to make the distinction that Obama is the first [half] black president?

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I don't think so. It's just marking a 'first'. The media would have used any context to tag the event as a first, it just depends on who is the winner; could be: first woman, first Hawaiian, youngest, oldest, first non-college educated, tallest, etc.

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Originally Posted by inthebox

Isn't racist, or at least prejudiced, for the vast majority of the media, the populace to make the distinction that Obama is the first [half] black president?

MLK wanted content of character, not skin color, to be the attribute people should be judged on.

Will it take another generation to vote based on charater and actual past performance and accomplishments, rather than on good speeches and skin color, or gender for that matter?

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Yes, it will be nice when a candidate or elected official is not referred to as a woman candidate or an african-american candidate, etc. But its not racist to refer to Obama as the first african-american president. Its simply noting a historical fact.

But I think you are wrong in assuming that people voted for Obama because of his race. I'm sure there are many who did, but I believe the majority of those who voted did so along ideological lines, not racial ones.

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Originally Posted by ScottGem

No it doesn't, but it certainly helps push it further into the dark corner where it belongs. It certainly helps let people who were bothered but felt they needed to conform to stand up and be counted. It certainly shows that the majority of people in this country won't tolerate racism anymore.

So, yeah, I agree with excon that a new era has dawned. Doesn't mean there is still some way to go.

But you know what would be fitting? If, for this year, we move the inauguration up to Martin Luther King's birthday.

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I agree Scott. I wasn't implying that this was not a good thing. And, I know none of us are so blind that we don't know there are things there still. I am proud to say that it is a corner we needed to turn... ;)