Obama's Bold Gamble on Race

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1723302,00.html



The above article comments on a speech that Barack Obama made in response to public concern about the racial views expressed by his own pastor.

The speech was particularly striking as it was Obama's first real departure from the strategy of treating race as a non-issue, in contrast to the tactics of Hillary Clinton, who has consistently made her gender a part of her campaign.

Obama had therefore been treading a fine line of commenting via not commenting, a tactic which also relies, to some extent, on public acceptance and confidence.

Without the latter, Obama's actions would, arguably, inevitably be seen as negative.

This particular, brand of appeal has been evident throughout the campaign.

Directly making race an "issue" was thus a huge risk, acknowledgement threatening presumed endorsement.

On an issue that those in power rarely asked the public themselves to confront, Obama handed just such a challenge to the people of America, not demanding that they came up with a definite answer, he sought only that Americans understand that there were no such answers.

Therefore, the speech arguably displayed an ambiguous, complex quality, but this could be said to reflect the nature of the subject itself.

It may not have been the simpler, definitive message prefered by politicians, but that commentators and the public allowed Obama to give this speech, and responded to it positively, is revealing of their connection to the candidate.