"Jimmy's my Jewish Friend."

Despite lingering prejudices, I’m no racist.

I realize starting a piece with this statement might predicate a falsehood or, worse, hypocrisy, but I think it’s important to differentiate the two in advance of the main thrust. Racism is the active judgment of an individual based on their skin color or ethnic background, while Prejudice, to me, is the unconscious residue of previously- or parentally held beliefs. In my mind, Racism is a conscious act while Prejudice is sub-conscious, autonomic. As with other personality traits, Prejudice can be overcome or overwritten, like a floppy disk. Racism is inexcusable, deplorable, and disdainful. Prejudice is surmountable, unlearnable. I further realize that this is not the dictionary definition of Prejudice, but rather my perception of the usage, especially in this context.

I believe Barack Obama won the election because of Racism.

I’m not politically motivated. As most of you may know, I’m not a particularly motivated person in any respect. I call myself a right-leaning fence-sitter. Over the last 2-3 years, I’ve just about fallen off that fence, though. I still cling to the pickets, seeking a rational liberal with which to have a complete discussion on the formations of their basic principles. I have yet to find that, but not, as the conservatives would have it, because there is no such thing. I think it’s because my circle of friends and my social networking skills limit my reach. I believe in smaller federal government and personal responsibility. I don’t want any more of my tax money funding the thousands of federal handouts.

I had not followed the election very closely at first. I did read Obama’s WIKI entry back in early 2008, around the time that the Democratic nomination was unofficially down to him and Hillary. I was impressed at the time with his education and public service. It was clear to me that he was not a Muslim, despite dozens of warning emails indicating his radical heritage.

Soon after he won the nomination, I heard Ice Cube on the radio. He was saying how he had never voted before, but would get out there this time for “my man.” This was the first inkling I had that something was not quite right.

So, I did a little more reading, a little more listening, and a little more wondering.

I read about his connections to William Ayers, which turned out to be slim. I looked into his connections to the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., who gushed divisive racial views on more than one occasion. I listened to the media hype about Obama’s socialistic agenda. His campaign promises grate against my belief in lesser federal involvement, but it’s really more like collectivism than socialism. That was when I realized I did not want him to be my president.

On election night, when we realized he was going to win, I had a queasy feeling. A premonition? I doubt it. Bad hoummos? Unlikely. Still, I found it disconcerting. It seemed the ultimate act of racism had been committed.

Yes, I believe that Obama won the election because of the color of his skin. People such as Ice Cube stated that they would vote for him just because he was black. Large numbers of first-time voters tilted the poles in his favor. 95% of black voters voted for Obama. 55% of white voters voted for McCain. Blacks were 13% of voters, whites were 74%. If half of black voters voted for McCain, 6.5% of the total popular vote would have made the difference a mere half-million votes! Still in Obama’s favor, but much closer!

Maybe I’m overly influenced by Glenn Beck, who I find to be hysterical (not funny-hysterical) at times and super-logical at others. I don’t watch or listen to his show, but I do subscribe to his daily newsletter, which questions every move of the MSM and liberal left with unwavering, unappealing condescension.

It certainly is not a party thing. As a right-leaning fence-sitter, I claim no party affiliation. Big Politics is anathema to Small Government, so I avoid the rails of party lines. Lesser of two evils and all that.

One factor is certainly the timing of the rise of my political awareness. The last 8 years has seen amazing technological advances as well as deplorable human regression, all of them held up to the light of the Bush administration.

I will give Obama a chance, the benefit of the doubt; the jump ball arrow points to him. I respect his position and, to a certain extent, him personally. Furthermore, I claim no measure of decisiveness or expertise on this or any other sociopolitical issue.

I am throwing it out there for discussion.