Obama, Race and the Presidential Campaign

Barack Obama's mother was white and his father was African. In the United States, that makes him black. He doesn't talk about it the way Hillary Clinton talks about being the first woman president, but Obama could be the first black to win the White House. The latest poll by CNN shows that Barack Obama has caught up to Hillary Clinton among Democrats in New Hampshire, the first state scheduled to hold a presidential primary next year. What's made the difference is a switch among women. New Hampshire Democrats still think Clinton has the best chance to win in November, but Obama is more likable, more believable and more likely to unite the country. Why do so many white voters support him? Why are so many black voters supporting her? We talk about transcending the racist past while confronting racial differences as a present reality.