Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at 12:12am
Can the Democrats take the high road?
Column: All Paths
This past weekend I went to visit a friend who was in Washington, D.C., for the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting. When I arrived at the hotel where the meeting was being held, I could sense the excitement that was in the air because the committee members had just finished two days of meetings at which the party's presidential hopefuls met and spoke with them. As I moved about the hotel with my friend, we met several old friends or party activists who shared what they thought or felt about the various candidates.
There is one impression that has lingered with me from my visit to the DNC meeting, and I think it is worth sharing. It seems to me that the Democratic Party has the unique opportunity to help America grow and mature in how we view people in this country. Here you have a woman, Hillary Clinton; an African-American, Barack Obama; and a Latino, Bill Richardson, running for the nomination of the Democratic Party. Each is an outstanding American and brings to the presidential race a unique blend of skills and experiences that extends beyond their ethnicity and gender.
The question is: Can Democrats see beyond gender and race and look at the background and character of these candidates and make an enlightened assessment concerning their ability to serve? After the election of Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House, you would think so. However, based on what I heard and saw at the DNC meeting, this does not appear to be the case. Many of the comments that I heard from some of the leaders and operatives seemed to focus on America's readiness for an African-American, a Latino or a woman to be the nominee of a major party for president.
A good friend of mine, a Democratic Party operative who attended the meeting, sadly said, "If Bill Richardson were white, he'd be an 800-pound gorilla." Unfortunately, I think she might be right. In my opinion, Bill Richardson has the best resume of all of the candidates. And he will get my vote based on that, unless ... . However, my vote is not important, and it is certainly not the focus of this column.
What I want to focus on is the thinking and conditioning that helped shape the statement that my friend made about Bill Richardson. My friend is a very educated, smart African-American female political operative and campaign veteran, and according to her statement, she does not feel that many of her fellow party members can see beyond Richardson's ethnicity.
Another statement that I heard was from a powerful African-American state senator from Illinois, who basically said that the members of the DNC's Black Caucus should vote black. This seemed to upset African-Americans who were supporting other candidates. And it should have.
My friend whom I went to visit, who happens to be white, said, "I think it would hurt Obama's chances if African-Americans laid too strong of a claim on him." In other words, the pride and enthusiasm that African-Americans have for Obama, wanting to be near him and embrace him, might alienate potential white supporters. Sadly, there might be some truth here.
Comments about Hillary's presidential prospects were heard everywhere and were extremely varied. Some felt that she is just basically "Bill's wife.' Yes, she is that, and so much more, in my opinion.
Some of the most troubling statements I heard were by some who felt that tension might result between African-American and Latino Democrats as a result of Obama's and Richardson's campaigns. There is a possibility that this could happen.
What all this suggests to me is that many in the Democratic Party still see race and gender first, and not character or qualifications, when assessing candidates. They are preoccupied with differences, and judging people based on what's on them and not in them. I hope the Democratic Party's leadership can seize the opportunity that this historic and unique group of candidates offers, to foster a shift in thinking about gender and race in this country and who is capable of ascending to the presidency. However, there needs to be an internal shift in the thinking by some within their own ranks before they can help the country shift. I have faith that they can do it.
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Rev. Jay Speights, with an MA in public policy, is an interfaith minister and main United Nations representative for The New Seminary in New York. You can learn more about his work at the United Nations at The New Seminary website. His email address is {email jayspeights@newseminary.org}jayspeights@newseminary.org{/email}. © copyright 2007 by Jay Speights
There is one impression that has lingered with me from my visit to the DNC meeting, and I think it is worth sharing. It seems to me that the Democratic Party has the unique opportunity to help America grow and mature in how we view people in this country. Here you have a woman, Hillary Clinton; an African-American, Barack Obama; and a Latino, Bill Richardson, running for the nomination of the Democratic Party. Each is an outstanding American and brings to the presidential race a unique blend of skills and experiences that extends beyond their ethnicity and gender.
The question is: Can Democrats see beyond gender and race and look at the background and character of these candidates and make an enlightened assessment concerning their ability to serve? After the election of Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House, you would think so. However, based on what I heard and saw at the DNC meeting, this does not appear to be the case. Many of the comments that I heard from some of the leaders and operatives seemed to focus on America's readiness for an African-American, a Latino or a woman to be the nominee of a major party for president.
A good friend of mine, a Democratic Party operative who attended the meeting, sadly said, "If Bill Richardson were white, he'd be an 800-pound gorilla." Unfortunately, I think she might be right. In my opinion, Bill Richardson has the best resume of all of the candidates. And he will get my vote based on that, unless ... . However, my vote is not important, and it is certainly not the focus of this column.
What I want to focus on is the thinking and conditioning that helped shape the statement that my friend made about Bill Richardson. My friend is a very educated, smart African-American female political operative and campaign veteran, and according to her statement, she does not feel that many of her fellow party members can see beyond Richardson's ethnicity.
Another statement that I heard was from a powerful African-American state senator from Illinois, who basically said that the members of the DNC's Black Caucus should vote black. This seemed to upset African-Americans who were supporting other candidates. And it should have.
My friend whom I went to visit, who happens to be white, said, "I think it would hurt Obama's chances if African-Americans laid too strong of a claim on him." In other words, the pride and enthusiasm that African-Americans have for Obama, wanting to be near him and embrace him, might alienate potential white supporters. Sadly, there might be some truth here.
Comments about Hillary's presidential prospects were heard everywhere and were extremely varied. Some felt that she is just basically "Bill's wife.' Yes, she is that, and so much more, in my opinion.
Some of the most troubling statements I heard were by some who felt that tension might result between African-American and Latino Democrats as a result of Obama's and Richardson's campaigns. There is a possibility that this could happen.
What all this suggests to me is that many in the Democratic Party still see race and gender first, and not character or qualifications, when assessing candidates. They are preoccupied with differences, and judging people based on what's on them and not in them. I hope the Democratic Party's leadership can seize the opportunity that this historic and unique group of candidates offers, to foster a shift in thinking about gender and race in this country and who is capable of ascending to the presidency. However, there needs to be an internal shift in the thinking by some within their own ranks before they can help the country shift. I have faith that they can do it.
— — —
Rev. Jay Speights, with an MA in public policy, is an interfaith minister and main United Nations representative for The New Seminary in New York. You can learn more about his work at the United Nations at The New Seminary website. His email address is {email jayspeights@newseminary.org}jayspeights@newseminary.org{/email}. © copyright 2007 by Jay Speights