I have been asking myself the following question: will either Obama or McCain be able to steer our republic to a safe harbor? And who should be the one "... that one" or "... this one." Since I seem unable to get a satisfactory answer, why not throw the question out to a larger audience for their comments?

I am in no way inferring that McCain (during the Oct 7 Nashville debate) in referring to Obama as "that one," committed a racial slur: I think perhaps not. But I do think this campaign has had both racial overtones and undertones. The race card seems to be held in hand, not always clearly displayed and promulgated but often enough its ugly head crops up and displays a distasteful presence. I?ll be frank; I know that I have not always been without racial bias; that is partially explained by my age, as I?m now an octogenarian.

...

Yet how my mind is churning ? Obama: what is he? Black, White? Mixed race ? and what?s that? It seems that because obviously he has a black skin, married a black woman, the black race has perceived him as black and are heralding his candidacy. He is getting white support, no way near the proportional support he is receiving from the black voting community. But he is fifty percent white, a white mother; he has a black father. He has a history of growing up under the tutelage of his mother, his father having left him in his very early youth. His white grandparents (not his black grandparents) supported him in his youth. What does he think of as his race? What does he carry around in his heart-of-hearts as his physical and spiritual presence, in this often racially divided society and world? Well we will see.

There is anecdotal evidence that many (well a large number of people) who are considering him for president are examining their personal understanding of ?race? in this election. I don?t think that ?many? will want to voice a direct opinion as to what they are ?really? thinking as they see and hear him speak and some may ask themselves: is ?that one? the person to help lead this republic away from the abyss that many largely white self-serving privileged have foisted on the American people?

What a tragedy it seems to me to see and hear this republic prattle around about ?race? when the very fabric of our economic and social order begins to disintegrate before these old eyes. And yet to think that still, after so many years of struggle with ?race issues,? we Americans can?t seem to close our eyes and instead of raising black, white or other racial doubts, accept this man as what he is: a struggling human being in a most difficult age, who has stepped forward and asks that we award him our vote and trust that he will govern and guide this republic in its hour of pressing problems.

I?m not sure which of these candidates is ready to lead all races in this republic to a safe harbor. But my intuition tells me Obama ? that he is at this moment in time most likely the one who is able to do so. Moreover, I have tried to closely follow his proposals for ?change? and find that these proposals provide greater support for the American middle class than does McCain?s. Obama has lived the ?American dream? and will rekindle this for all Americans: all races, creeds and political persuasions.