He notes that the Iraq war has been a "tragic mistake" (Barack Obama, cited in CNN.com), and vows to take American troops out of Iraq. Further, Obama notes his desire to have universal health care in America. He also notes his desire to lessen the influence of lobbyists and special interest groups (CNN.com).
Perhaps one of Obama's most important reasons for running for presidency is his belief that there has been a serious failure of leadership in the government of the United States. In his candidacy announcement Obama notes that America is being help back. He notes, "what's stopped us is the failure of leadership, the smallness of our politics -- the ease with which we're distracted by the petty and trivial, our chronic avoidance of tough decisions, our preference for scoring cheap political points instead of rolling up our sleeves and building a working consensus to tackle the big problems of America" (Barack Obama, cited in CNN.com).
What would Barack Obama's election mean to the United States?
If elected, Barack Obama would be the first African-American president of the United States of America (CNN.com). America has a long and ugly history of racism toward African-Americans, starting with slavery and continuing to the present. Obama's election would be a profound statement that Americans, or at least the majority of Americans, are now able to put racism aside to a point where they can elect someone with an African-American heritage.
Interestingly, Obama's African-American heritage may make Obama more attractive as a candidate for president. This certainly may be the case with black voters, who would likely identify with an African-American candidate.
There is certainly a segment of public opinion that feels that Obama's biracial nature makes him more acceptable to voters.
January 8, 2007 letter to the editor in the New York Observer notes, "Americans like to feel that someone is assimilating into mainstream culture before they award him with high office, they want to know that he truly cares about...
Obama does not seem at all particularistic."
Obama is well aware that his biracial nature is confusing for many Americans. In Dreams from my Father, Obama writes, "When people who don't know me well, black or white, discover my background (and it is usually a discovery, for I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of twelve or thirteen, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites), I see the split-second adjustments they have to make, the searching of my eyes for some telltale sign."
If Obama is elected as president, this may signal a watershed moment in race relations in the United States. The election of a man with an African-American heritage would indicate that Americans are ready to see a man with an African-American heritage in the position of ultimate power in their nation.
Obama's election, however, will have an impact beyond than that of race relations. Obama's election would mean a new direction for the country. He has noted his intention to remove troops from Iraq, and try to set up a system of universal health care. These steps alone are a significant departure from the policies of the Bush years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Barack Obama's election as president of the United States would signal a profound change in political policy and race relations. Obama's tenure as president would likely reflect an understanding of the complexities of race and politics.
References
CNN.com. 2007. Obama declares he's running for president. POSTED: 1:32 P.M. EDT, May 2, 2007. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/02/10/obama.president/index.html
Obama, Barack. 2004. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. Three Rivers Press.
Payne, Les. 2007. In One Country, a Dual Audience. Newsday, August 19, 2007.
The New York Observer. Does Obama's Being Half-Black Make Him More Acceptable?
Letter to the Editor. January 8, 2007. http://www.observer.com/node/33635
