White Voters Not Biting Race Bait, Poll Shows

The McCain campaign seems hopeful of a reservoir of racism among Americans that might give McCain the election. Thus their attacks on Senator Obama, not so gently veiled, as a man to be "fearful" of, in Sarah Palin's words:

"I am just so fearful," Palin has said, "that this is not a man who sees America the way you and I see America."

A New York Times/CBS News poll reports a better sentiment. The poll shows that 45% of white voters support Obama - a higher percentage than voted for the Democratic candidate in 2004 or 2000.

If there is anything to fear in this campaign, it is the howling cries of "terrorist" and "kill him" toward Senator Obama from McCain audiences. But they won't make the election. Instead, it seems, the vote will be carried by those who heed not Sarah Palin, but Martin Luther King.

45 years ago in Washington, Dr. King spoke of a dream of a nation where people are judged "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

First in the Democratic primaries, now in the general vote, this election year holds promise for that dream.

Stephen Burke
for Ithaca Blog