" Julian, your points in the first half of your letter are fairly tame, but challengeable. For example, I doubt that Condi Rice or Clarence Thomas or Frances Rice or Colin Powell (just because they're black) would view the OJ or Rodney King debacles any differently than I do as a Caucasian. How one views those two men has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with judgment and intellect. As far as I know, no particular race has a monopoly on either of those qualities.

When you say *Barack Obama sees everybody as a whole, not divided* it sounds as if you are willing to allow Obama to hide from his racist and divisionary remarks of late. Of the two candidates, Obama is the only one who brings up race.

Then you go on to say *Our record of White presidents isnt the best and because he realizes that, Barack Obama has my vote*. Let me understand this correctly. Youre going to vote for Obama just because hes black? But earlier you had said *Both sides have to learn to look past it*.

Lets turn that statement around. What if, as a Caucasian, I said *Our record of Black presidents isn't the best and because he realizes that, McCain has my vote*?

That division you're talking about works both ways. Doesn't it? "

" tom we know how you feel about minorities....no need to try and rationalize it. "

" Tom, you said what I was thinking. Russell's last statement "Our record of white presidents isn't the best and because he realizes that, Barack Obama has my vote" is saying that I am not voting for McCain because he is white which is a racist statement and as such negates the good things he said before. "

" I have to agree with Tom on this one. Not because I think Obama won't make a great president, he may very well. Fact that he's said thing like, "I look different." So what! A candidate who is fatter than an opponent wouldn't say something like that because it gains them nothing. Obama has intentionally injected race into this election himself.

By the way, our record of white presidents, as you say, is exactly the same as our record of male presidents. Race had nothing to do with past presidents being good or bad. Why it seems to matter now, I don't know. "

" Julian your first mistake was to establish a difference between white and blacks by calling blacks, African-Americans. If this country is going to move forward our first step is to either ALL be called Americans or start establishing names for all ethnic groups. Such as, Chinese Americans, Japanese Americans, Korean Americans, Mexican Americans, Irish-German Americans, Irish-German-Native Americans, Polish-German-Irish-Native Americans and the list goes on forever. You state that many black leaders have made positive achievements for the better of all humankind. I sure hope you're not talking about Al & Jesse because all they have done is kept the racial tensions going. It seems with these 2 black leaders, its okay to kill, mame, injure whitey, but look out if whitey does something to them.
I do agree with you that its time to look beyong the past, but thats going to be hard to do with Al & Jesse always stirring the racial pot up every time there is an issue between a black & white person. "

" If Colin Powell ran for president I would vote for him in a heartbeat (without even considering the other party) just because he is BLACK!!! LOL "

" I will agree my letter sounds a bit racist in it's own but my vote for Obama has nothing to do with his race. It is because he understands we've had a long line of crappy presidents. I shouldn't have had the white part in there but my overall point is race is kept alive too much and yes even Barack Obama is guilty of that. But Obama gets my vote nonetheless because he can unite the country and for once things can be peaceful. We are wasting money on a war that we've been at for 5 years. Either way I have nothing personal against McCain, I just feel like he's wanting to run out Bush's presidency a little longer. "

" Oh and Jesse Jackson can go fly a kite dude. All he wants to do is suck up any media attention the crony can get. Al sharptons not as bad but I meant people like Martin Luther King, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas and who not. Jack Pierce can't sum all african americans because of some crappy leaders. Look how many horrible horrible white men are at power. "

" Injustice85 wrote: "I just feel like he's wanting to run out Bush's presidency a little longer. "***Looks like you've bought the Obama campaign's line, haven't you? Please tell us how Obama is going to "unite the country and bring peace."? While not thrilled with McCain, I cannot and will not vote for a socialist which is what BO is. And I am quite sure that those who are determined to wipe us off this earth will not care one whit for Obama's peace and love platform. "

" I feel like Obama has good communication skills which isn't everything but still Iran has said that communication is the only way to solve this problem and not simply sending in the calvary half cocked. We've been at war long enough. We have American problems that are constantly being overlooked. I at least feel like Obama cares about our thoughts. John McCain said during the debates that public opinion isn't crap. It's public opinion that they are supposed to be representing. John McCain wants to do what John McCain wants to do instead of what we want him to do. Iran will talk with Obama which is better to me than jumping the gun. If we don't get down to the bottom of the issue it won't get any better. Really for once maybe we should decide that Israel isn't our problem. We've been tucking them in for 50 years. Either way war in Iran and Korea doesn't appeal to me. Besides John McCain is an old perverted crook which sums up our past presidents fairly. What do you think John McCain will do for you? He doesn't even want to hear you speak miltmart! "

" John McCain really said public opinion isn't crap?**I'm not going to argue with you. Obviously you have bought into the hope and change mantra and believe that these people really want to just sit down and talk to us and everywhere there will be peace and love. Good luck with that. It amazes me how some on here seem to know what McCain, Bush, et al are 'thinking.' No need to bother with facts when you can read minds. In the meantime, I KNOW from BO's RECORD just where he stands and he stands for things I absolutely don't believe in. If you choose to go along with Obama's policies and believe in them because you 'think' he will do all these wonderful things, fine. As for me, all I have to do is take a look at the state of our state and know that Obama came from that line of thinking. Enough said. "

" Julian, when you say *It's public opinion that they are supposed to be representing*, you're all wet. We're a republic, not a majority-rule democracy. The only time a majority opinion makes any difference at all is on election day. Once elected, our representatives operate with the *consent of the governed*. Surely you've heard of the concept. If they're doing their job right, they're not going to check your pulse every time a decision must be made in Washington DC.

Sometimes that means, no matter what the polls are saying, a US Representative must vote his/her own conscience, his/her own will, for the good of the country. Sometimes, that means making unpopular decisions. The reason were supposed to make informed decisions on election day is because were giving our consent to 435 male and female LEADERS (as opposed to followers who read polls) to do the right thing for our union. "

" "Our record of White presidents isn't the best and because he realized that, Barack Obama has my vote" is about the stupidest reason for voting for BO that I have heard. Maybe blue eyed presidents have a better record that brown eyed presidents, or maybe curly hair is favored over straight hair. I don't care what the color or the gender of the person is. It is what the person stands for and what the person's core values are that determines my vote. I think the record and the platform of BO stinks (pun intended). "

" I agree miltmart Obama might do nothing good at all but i'd rather give him that chance than watch McCain fail where we already know he will fail "

" Sure Tom they have to make decisions but we elect them to make our majority decisions which the 2000 election proved doesn't always go right but to completely deny that our opinions are relevant makes for the worst kind of leader this country could have "

" And by the way miltmart people like Bush created the state of our state and Obama is against everything it stands for "