j.r. leonard

That was also part of Obama's appeal to white, marginal D voters. They could feel righteous bc they were supporting a (non-threatening) black man, and they know in their bones that racism is bad -- even if they don't want to live near an actual black person.

Eh. Or maybe they voted for him because he is a gifted politician who knew how to message. You’re basically giving me a softer version of the right’s affirmative action president point

He was a gifted politician, that he could make himself palatable requires a lot of skill. Frequently being the first requires that you be MUCH better than the average. He won by an unusually high margin in both years despite respected opponents.

That he overcame a racial disadvantage and turned it into a strength is a sign of how incredible a pol he was.

OK, but which one is it: did his blackness appeal to white voters or was it something he overcame become he was a gifted politician? Those two things counter each other

Ppl wanted to be good ppl, but their fear of black pols overwhelmed their desire to be good. He figured out how to make them comfortable so that their desire to be good could shine.

Sounds confused to me. He’s just a gifted politician who was both able to beat his own party’s front runner and win over white swing voters. That he could do that and HRC couldn’t isn’t because he’s black

I agree with you. His talent made him appealing to those ppl, and they got to feel righteous. More resilient support than he would have otherwise had.