Nathaniel

Shockey

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March 10, 2008

Obama’s Black, McCain’s Old and Hillary’s Female; Now Shut Up About It!

Concerning the upcoming presidential elections, there is an overwhelming amount of discussion about the non-political issues of age, race and gender. Apparently, they play a major role in the generally electability of a candidate. So it seemed worth exploring, as it pertains to each of the remaining candidates.

Consider John McCain. The first thing you notice is glossy white hair, or maybe bad sweaters – reminders, both, that he is advanced in years. There have been a total of eight presidents in our history younger than 50, and for most of us, the first that comes to mind is JFK. He was actually the second youngest, the youngest being Teddy Roosevelt, and coming in third with a vengeance is Bill Clinton.

But the average age of a president at the start of a term is about 57, so obviously, despite what you might think about the way Americans treats its elders, we tend towards electing grandparents. McCain, however, will be 72 if and when he is elected, and that would make him the oldest first-term president in history by a comfortable three years. And considering the life expectancy of the American male is 77, McCain’s age, though not quite looming, is less than ideal.

Moving to Hillary Clinton, the most talked about issue is her gender. In case you weren’t sure, it’s true, we’ve never had a female president. People constantly ask, “Is America ready for a woman president?” which I think is an idiotic question. We ask as though the truth of the matter is that women and men can be differentiated by nothing but sex organs, and we’re all just slowly, over time, accepting the “truth.” I think that men are more naturally inclined toward leadership roles, as they also tend to be the family leader.

Although there are many women who are wonderful leaders, and would probably be terrific presidents, the question is not “Is America ready for a woman president?” The question is, “Is the best candidate a woman?” It’s not a question of American “readiness,” but of individual character. But to answer the more general question, “Does Hilary’s gender increase or decrease her electability?” I’d agree with the general school of thought that says it’s definitely not helping her any.

And finally, we come to Barack Obama, whose most defining characteristic is skin color. For the record, characterization based on skin color is moronic, not because of racism, but because of technical correctness (which is much more important than the political kind). No one is white, and no one is black. Everyone falls somewhere between pitch black and snow white, depending on the thousands of ancestors that went into making us who we genetically are. So to call anyone one or the other is incredibly simplistic and ultimately rooted in ignorance.

But the reality is that people consider Obama the same way they consider anyone who seems to have an ounce of “non-whiteness” in them – black. And that is a factor in electability. Is America ready for a black president? Absolutely. It will actually help him. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. Racism, pure racism, is extremely, extremely uncommon. The percentage of people who think that the mind and character of a person is genetically affected by skin color is negligible. It’s too tiny to mention. But if anything, there will be a current working in Obama’s favor, with a portion of people leaning towards him simply because electing a “non-white” is politically correct, and would help prove American “progress.”

So who has the biggest advantage? Who seems the most presidential? I’d give the nod to Obama, simply for being generally handsome, “black,” and closer to the average presidential age than McCain. Coming in a close second is McCain, who looks like a president, but by the end of his first term, would be only one year away from the life expectancy of the American male, which could understandably scare some people. And coming in a not-too-distant third is Hilary, who will certainly have to overcome her gender by proving her strength of character.

Despite the unprecedented array of age, sex and presumed race in this year’s election, I don’t think the results will hinge on these non-political issues nearly as heavily as the mainstream media seems to want us to think. I really hope and believe that the electability of all three candidates will be decided by the content of their character.

That’s American progress, so let’s stop talking about it.

© 2008 North Star Writers Group. May not be republished without permission.

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