I watched an interesting program the other night that threw out a few theories about Obama's success. One which didn't seem too implausible was that he was marketable to white America because of his Harvard background and because he's half white, and that black America would support him on a national level when running against old white men. Black voters didn't support him in a local race in a predominantly black district in Chicago against a blacker guy who attacked Obama for not being black enough, lol, so race has been an issue in Obama's political career long before now and not just with whites. Anyway, I got the impression that Obama, while being a helluva clever guy, wasn't the architect of his own marketing campaign. It seems more like he was the right guy, in the right place (in his career), at the right time, and when he put himself forward he was scooped up by the people who make it happen.
I don't mean that he got this far just because he's black, but I think the candidate makers & money men decided he was a guy they could sell effectively, and possibly gain an edge with. No other black guy has gotten anywhere near this far and I don't believe it's from lack of drive or because Obama is uniquely intelligent. I think the campaign gatekeepers simply never chose to let a black guy in before, and I've got to wonder if it isn't because he's not very black.
All that should matter is the candidate's stance on issues, and for that I like Obama way more than McCain. I personally don't care what color his skin is, I just prefer what he has to say over McCain, but you can't deny that there are going to be a lot of votes cast for nothing more than racial reasons, as screwed up as that is. If McCain wins, that will be the only reason, because it sure as hell can't be because of his views, the performance of his party, or that doofus he chose as a running mate.