America Becoming Colorblind? Don't Bet On It

I can admit when I'm wrong.

For more than a year, I've been the leader of the "No Way America is Going to Elect a Black Man Named Obama as President" Club.

While a clearly superior choice to Republican Nominee John McCain, I simply didn't see how America could throw of its historic embrace of racial politics and allow the son of a Kenyan philosopher anywhere near the White House - without a guest pass.

I've covered race and minority affairs for the Associated Press for years and read virtually every major study and survey on the topic of race and voting. ...

The bottom line, I thought, was that most white folks might tell you race doesn't matter but when they punched that ballot on Election Day, they would stay close to home when voting for president.

But if the polls are to be believed and Barack Obama makes history Tuesday evening, my credit card will bear the brunt of my miscalculation. By my latest count, I will owe 5 dinners to friends, both black and white, who said all along I was being too pessimistic about Obama's chances.

With the election so close I can now say I've never been so happy being so wrong.

But let's say Obama goes onto win. What does that tell us about America and race?

Some will say the election will usher in a new era in racial times where skin color means as much as eye color. Excuse me but I'm not willing to go anywhere close to that.

I'm not certain that McCain's own stumbles during the crucial days of the election will be responsible for Obama's victory.

For example, polls are showing Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin is dragging down the GOP ticket like an anchor for all except the most conservative wing of the party.

Would Obama be cruising to victory if McCain had selected Mitt Romney or Tom Ridge or Elizabeth Dole or any of a host of more seasoned, solid and worthy running mates?

I also wonder if Obama would have this commanding lead if he hadn't been helped by the timing of worst economic crisis in more than a generation. The financial mess made McCain look like George Bush Jr., incapable of providing a roadmap to recovery, or even any encouragement that things are going to get better.
So forgive me if I don't get teary-eyed when I hear a television pundit telling me that Obama's victory is a triumph over bigotry in America.

Let's just say that McCain ran a terrible campaign and the better man won.
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Paul Shepard blogs the Democrat side of the election for BlackVoices. He has been a journalist for 16 years; on the national urban/minority affairs beat for The Cleveland Plain Dealer and for The AP in Washington, D.C.