Lesley Stahl | 04/08/2008 4:17 pm

I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: Will Obama Prove Them Wrong?

I did a story for “60 Minutes” years ago about Denny’s, the restaurant chain, which was then embroiled in a discrimination lawsuit. As part of the story, my producer, a black woman, and I went into a Denny’s separately, sat at the counter alongside each other, and ordered. She was convinced that the waitress sneered at her, deliberately served her after she served me, and all but threw her food at her. I noticed none of that, even though I was looking for it. But to the producer it was real, and painful.

Fast forward to the current presidential campaign. From the beginning, just about every black friend and reporter I know has said that Obama can’t win the election because, as in the incident at Denny’s, prejudice is subtle, and enduring.

But as the campaign has sputtered along, I’ve been thinking that Obama’s victories are proving them all wrong.

Then today I read a smart column in the Washington Post by Richard Cohen, who points out that in the primaries Obama has done well with white voters in states where there are few blacks. Where there are substantial black populations – Texas, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey – the white vote has tipped overwhelmingly to Hillary.

Cohen says the persistence of racism makes Obama especially vulnerable to a Republican image assault like the Willie Horton ads that Bush “41” ran to portray his opponent, Michael Dukakis, as soft on black rapists.

I was in Washington over the weekend where I heard variations on the Cohen theme: Obama can’t win because the Republicans will make him into another liberal George McGovern … or effete Adlai Stevenson. (He should NEVER have bowled in that tie!) But it is the race issue that hovers over everything.

But I keep remembering that many of the same analysts and blacks who say Obama can’t win the election, said he couldn’t win the nomination. Which, I suppose, is still a possibility.

Cohen says we’ll have a better handle on all this by April 22, the night of the Pennsylvania primary. This is a state with lots of blacks.

265 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

People who are tranquil and happy, rarely feel the need to spew, as you just did. You sound quite full of something…and I don’t think it’s tranquility.

By Deni G on 04/09/2008 6:21 pm

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Deni, so funny!

By Kay Sara on 04/09/2008 6:56 pm

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Thank you so much Suzanne, I consider funny to be the highest form of …whatever! Second only to being told, one is funny!

By Deni G on 04/09/2008 7:32 pm

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Obama is a great leader and uniter! he will give us creadability internationally. I can’t imagine haveing the Clintons in the White House again. This is not a monarchy.

By Gigi DeLeon on 04/09/2008 1:31 pm

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I don’t believe “liberal” is a dirty word but in its true sense neither is “conservative” - if we truly want to get beyond partisan politics we must stop talking about words and talk about ideas and policies. I for one - after a lifetime of labelling myself a Democrat am now at the age of 54 labelling myself as Susan. http://strictlyanecdotal.com

By LCSUSAN LCSUSAN on 04/09/2008 1:36 pm

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who else wants a t-shirt, bumpersticker, bag ..with “I AM VOTING FOR MICHELLE OBAMA’s Husband!” on it. michelle obama speaking at villanove caught me, that sunday afternoon, cold indiana day [another], ‘surfing’ tv stations to procrastinate doing the taxes. i was captivated. intelligence, sensitivity, clarity of thought, incredible speaker, and what she says about her husband ..was the clincher for me. stop look and listen.

By patti r muller on 04/09/2008 1:39 pm

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Was Bush No. 2 qualified to be presdent?? I hardly think so the way he has really messed things up in our country and the world. I’m an Obama supporter—have worked for him in PA; will be working for him in NC and I truly want to believe that he can win in November. One of the reasons that I think he can win is the excitement he has generated in politics with the young as well as the young at heart! I also believe he will get the Dem nomination. He may not win PA but he will come close enough to maintain his lead. I enjoed Suzanne’s post and agree that there are some “good” Republicans. I, too, like Chuck Hagel and hate to see him go. He’s is the only Republican that I pay attention to—the rest of them are out for themselves only. I, too, will be very disappointed if Obama does not get the Dem nod. I don’t like Hillary—never thought I would feel this way about her but I do. Just like we didn’t need another Bush in the White House, we do not need another Clinton in the White House. Obama has the drive, enthusiasm, integrity, and intelligence we need in this country, and indeed, the world.

By Norma Powers on 04/09/2008 1:43 pm

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i dont think it has anything to do with black/white, male/female..i sincerely hope obama does not win because he has no clue about world politics..talk about a ‘babe in the woods’…john mccain is too much a war monger (which i cannot believe after his experience in vietnam)..hopefully hillary clinton will win, again not because of sexism/gender…i just think she has the political savvy to pull it off..i still think richard nixon was a great president because he was chock full of ‘savvy’ about what was going on in the world outside of washington dc…

By theCHEROKEErose on 04/09/2008 2:17 pm

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however, i do sincerely believe that people will end up voting for mccain because they want neither clinton or obama

By theCHEROKEErose on 04/09/2008 2:24 pm

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My Republican husband said yesterday morning - miracle of miracles- that he could not vote for McCain. He heard Hillary talk about respecting her firend McCain, but Mc Cain was just dead wrong on the issues. My husband - grmacing- said Hillary is 100% right and he will have to vote democrat this time in Nov. And believe me my husband is stubborn and we have had many fights over the democrat vs. republican issue. I am not gloating around him. I just nodded and kept quiet- jumping up and down with glee inside! But I have to tell you- it was nothing Obama said that swayed him - it was Hillary and he is not a Clinton fan.

By Kay Sara on 04/09/2008 4:52 pm

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What I would like to see all of the candidates do is tell me WHY I should vote for him or her. All I seem to be hearing is the usual bashing and trashing of each other’s records or, even worse, why one is the lesser of the evils than the others. Is it any wonder so many people opt out of the process in this country?

By P R on 04/09/2008 2:54 pm

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I completely agree with you.

By Linda Bauer on 04/10/2008 12:15 am

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As a professional historian, I approach elections with a jaundiced view. It would be so wonderful to have a woman in the Oval Office, but I’m not at all sure I want Bill in the White House. Obama is an attractive person with great inspiration. but inspiration does not provide sound judgement in crises.I also fear that he , if, elected would not serve out a term. The racial issues in this country run deep. So I’m watching!

By Jo Bloom on 04/09/2008 3:06 pm

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In my opinion there is really no contest between the two Democratic choices. Obama’s “life experiences” make him highly suited to the job of being president. He is young, intelligent, and a exceptional speaker. You can’t be a great leader without being able to bring people together,which he has proven many times over. How many people promise you the world , but then promptly forget the promise . But how many of the politicians can inspire you? First and foremost the next president will have to be an inspirational speaker, a good listener, extremely personable, and have many fresh ideas with the smartest people around him that he can find to help implement them. The world that has been so disrupted by this current government is hoping for nothing less than a complete change. No looking back to the 90’s. This is the 21st century and if you want the respect you feel you so justly deserve then stand up and elect the only NEW choice you have ,Barak Obama.

By jean byers on 04/09/2008 3:25 pm

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Jean: I think much of what we have to go on is face or media value about these candidates. Young, ntelligent,inspirational… true, but how does he really function. Sen.Obama speaks of leading the U.S. in a new direction internationally; enagagement and exchange with all based on our values as a democratic society. I admire his desire for statemanship and to reestablish the role of respected leadership in the world. But the start of this millenium has been marked by whirlwind change; fundamentalist terrorism, destablization of energy markets, the seismic economic shift of production of goods and services from Western economies to Asia and, the new competition for increaingly finite commodities and resources whether it be oil/gas, food staples, or future necessities such as water, aggaraveted by the effects of climate change. Consider how the next president will deal with leaders such as Vladimir Putin. Putin is a man who was the head of the KGB, whose mission is to restore the lost power and position of Russia. Human rights and democratic principles are foreign to Putin; it is power and its’ use that comprise the fabric of Putin. Leadership and exchange does not exist in a static environment. George W. said he could tell Putin was a man of character in the grasp of their handshake… trying to lead by imitating Ronald Reagan, dear God! How will Obama establish a relationship with Putin; will Putin view him as a man principally of talk, someone fundamentally weak who would concede to pressure.There is no room here for procrastination or unwillingness to assert, to act. All of this applies to Senators Clinton and McCain also. Subsitute Ahmadinajad,Hu Jin Tao or any of the more radical Islamic leadership for Putin within the new environment of this millenium. We haven’t been able to elect an all around great President in a long time…FDR, the closest perhaps.Obama comes from the streets of Chicago but is it enough to compare to John F. Kennedy with his PT boat shot out from under him in the South Pacific. What John McCain endured was ungodly, but a Hooveresque policy didn’t work 80 years ago and is totally misplaced in today’s world environment. We need a better prerequiste for presidential candidacy other than ability to raise hundreds of millions and superficial likeability. The best hope may be continual probing and scrutiny of these candidates in order to gain better insight on who truly deserves the chance to lead.

By HunanDadKT on 04/09/2008 11:48 pm