White and male.
That’s how presidential candidates usually look. And that’s one of the reasons Barack Obama’s nomination by the Democratic Party marks a historic moment in American history. But experts disagree on whether the color of Obama’s skin will sway voters in the 2008 presidential election.
Herbert Ruffin is an expert in ethnic studies at Syracuse University. He says that race is still a big part of the American political equation. He says he saw it on display at the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions.
“It’s a cultural war. It’s clear if you watch the conventions. Metaphorically, on one end you’ve got R&B. On the other, you’ve got country music.” (Herbert Ruffin, Syracuse University professor of ethnic studies)
Ruffin says that Obama’s race challenges some voters. But he adds that they are not likely to admit it.
Other experts downplay the role of race in this election. One is Danny Hayes, an SU political science professor.
“It’s possible that Obama can be hurt by race. But my guess is that it won’t matter in a dramatic way.” (Danny Hayes, Syracuse University political science professor)
Hayes says that race can actually help Obama.
“Obama has a potential to mobilize African-American voters in unusually large numbers. There’s something of a grass-roots mobilization effort that’s occurring in minority groups around the country — that can directly benefit him.” (Danny Hayes, Syracuse University political science professor)
But Hayes also says that Obama has strategically avoided inserting race into much of his campaign.
“Unless he’s prompted to, he doesn’t talk about being a black candidate. It’s not something that is a central plank of his campaign platform for obvious reasons. It’s not something that’s going to win him a lot of votes.” ( Danny Hayes, Syracuse University political science professor)
The election is Nov. 4th.
For Democracywise, I’m Boris Sanchez.
(Boris Sanchez is a senior with dual majors in broadcast journalism and international relations.)
-30-
