Since I mentioned yesterday that I had not voted for Obama, and the reasons why, I’d like to take a moment to go a bit deeper and to expand upon that.

I’m a Republican, for starters; I’m also a Christian. Now, while the conservatives don’t have a corner on the market here, I simply cannot support a party which, in general, is too liberal and, by extension, seems to believe that truth is relative.

I said yesterday that Obama has little experience; a newscast last night mentioned that, just four years ago, Obama had entered the US Senate. That’s a pretty big climb in such a short time. I also read that, while Obama has some great ideas, he lacks knowledge of the ins and outs of D.C. – and its inhabitants.

This can be borne out in the interesting turn of events regarding some of his recent choices for certain positions, and their accompanying indiscretions; not to mention the slight taint from his home state of Illinois.

I do think that Obama has some wonderful ideas; I think that he’s rather naive and will face difficulties and opposition to completing those ideas and actually bringing them to fruition.

I believe that Obama rallied the country when that was sorely needed. However, I also believe that many people joined “the cause” simply due to race. Race is relevant – it’s a huge thing for a black man to run for President of the US, let alone to win the election. I also believe that many people are expecting miracles, right away. That won’t happen. Impossible.

I’m also afraid that when Obama fails to deliver what many consider his “promises”, things will rapidly deteriorate.

There’s a long road ahead, and it will certainly be an interesting journey.

I suppose this could have been written months ago, or be put off until next Tuesday, but I saw a comment in the newspaper today and it just got me to thinking a little.

The comment was regarding a bi-racial child, whose grandparent wasn’t happy with racial designations provided on official paperwork; she stated that usually only “black” or “white” were the proferred choices. I happen to know that’s inaccurate, but that’s not the point.

The individual closed by saying that the granddaughter was neither “black” nor “white”, but a new race, the Obama Race.

Is this a joke? Race is not designated by skin color. How absurd. Race, as defined by Webster’s, is considered “a family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock”, or “a class or kind of people”, or even “a category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits”. Can the term “Obama Race” fall into any of these definitions?

Perhaps, by a stretch. A very long stretch. But race is not determined by one characteristic alone, and a new one can certainly not be created on the whim of an individual. Of course, if bi-racial, or black/white, or whatever term one uses, can be considered a “race”, then it’s certainly been around for a long time. And naming it after someone who is arguably the most famous person in the world at this time is nothing more than a gratuitous stunt.

I did not vote for Obama. His race had nothing to do with it. I consider him too young, too inexperienced, and too naive. Neither am I black or bi-racial.

I understand this individual who commented probably has great pride in Obama’s accomplishment in being elected President of the United States. I understand it, even while something escapes me: to be truly free of racism, something which minority communities frequently accuse whites of being, color or race should be irrelevant.

It’s almost as though I myself should be “proud” if a blond, green-eyed president were elected, simply because he shared a couple of my physical characteristics. Does that make he and I a “race” unto ourselves, even including others with these attributes? I don’t think so.