The current “race” for the White House was not supposed to be about “race” but somehow, that has become the overriding issue, right alongside its sister: “gender.”
We have all watched for months now while Hillary has talked “tough” to prove she is not a weakling, and that she has the right “stuff” to be president. She watched her words, for the most part, but her recent slip about “whites” – “middle class whites” – was just the ammunition her opponents needed to start calling doomsday for her campaign. They said that she had alienated four states, yet to vote, who are heavily populated with African-Americans.
Since when did Americans get so touchy about words? It seems that everyone has been watching and waiting for a slip, not just from Hillary Clinton, but from any of the candidates. With McCain, he is now the person who will keep us in a “100 year war” in Iraq (if that’s what it takes … ).
I have not heard much of what Obama has had to say ever since I realized that much of his rhetoric was borrowed words from his friend, Duval Patrick. I guess the theory was that whatever worked to get Patrick elected, could work again! Perhaps they were both right!
Each of the candidates has endurance, and it is endurance that is keeping Hillary in the race, in spite of the odds. She was, and is, my favorite candidate. Yet, the American people have been voting for “change” over “experience,” for “youth” over “dotty old senior citizens.” When all is said and done, my hope is that both parties can come behind their true leaders to bring America forward in this century, to keep us safe, and to begin to straighten out some of the problems that have plagued us, but have been put on the shelf during this time of political process.
I favor turtles more than jack rabbits. “Slow and steady wins the race.” May the best turtle win.
Patricia Cummings
