The Intermountain Jewish News does not endorse political candidates, but surely it ought to be non-partisan to observe how far America has come. Without endorsing Barack Obama or John McCain, it is encouraging to note that a black man is now a candidate for the presidency of a country that once defined blacks as three-fifths of a person.
Candidates need to be evaluated on the basis of their program and their credibility. If we ought not to vote against a person because of his skin color, we likewise ought not to ignore his platform and his character and vote for him in deference to his (or her) skin color. All true. But one cannot gainsay that this is a proud moment for black Americans, just as 2000 was a proud moment for Jewish Americans. Even Jews who voted against the Gore-Lieberman ticket were tickled pink that a Jew had finally made it that high. It should not be difficult for those who are not black to understand the pride that blacks feel at this moment.
Clearly, women feel the same, whether they would have voted for or against Hillary Clinton. It is, blessedly, a different America.
