John McCain is the winner....

The battle is over. Hillary has tits and no charisma, Obama is black and too young. What's the use of an expensive election campaign? Congratulations McCain for your victory, even I as a leftwing European would vote for you.

Seriously, I see the chances of McCain winning by 90 percents.

What about hope and change?

"hope and change" is not enough. Obama is a good speaker and a charismatic person, but the colour of his skin will cost him the critical percent. I'm not the one to say that the average American is racist, but in the end, such details matter.

So, what the fuck are you saying then?

I'm saying that the colour of his skin MIGHT cost Obama some votes.

Hello, btw...

Um. Hello.

The color of his skin MIGHT cost him votes based on what? In your opinion, of course.

Based on the assumption that some American voters will not vote for him because Obama is black (or kind of...).

The same would happen here in Switzerland.

Obama's as white as he is black, and except in Staten Island and in little pockets of the Bible Belt where people marry their cousins, that doesn't matter much anymore. Muslims are the new scapegoat, haven't you heard?

Anyway, what's the black population of Switzerland?

To suggest that it won't cost him any votes at all is kinda insane.

Whether or not it would be a meaningful percentage is up for debate.

Wow, g. I'm really amazed to see you saying that. I agree that racism isn't a singular defining issue anymore.

What Obama really has to worry about, IMO, is classism. He continues to offend everyone in mid-America with his elitist attitudes.

The black population of Switzerland is negligible, I admit. However, I still think that skin colour might be a reason for not voting him for a number of people. I doubt that society is so enlightened.

As I've said, it may cost Obama some votes. Perhaps one percent. But this one percent might be crucial.

The number of meaningful votes Obama will actually lose for being black is fairly small--most of those voters weren't about to vote Democratic in the first place, and most of them aren't in swing states either--and is almost certainly smaller than the number of meaningful votes Obama will gain because Americans who've never bothered to vote before will turn out and vote for Obama because he is black. For every vote Obama loses in Virginia for being black, he'll pick up three or four more for the same reason.

McCain is 300 years old, so no...

Exactly. Obama is losing momentum, not because he is black, but because he has found his limits--"talking nice" turns out not to be enough.

All other things being equal (they never are, of course, but we are talking theoreticals), I would love to have a black president. Just to show blacks and other minorities that "it can be done." The most important message that can be sent to them is to believe that they can get somewhere, without having to have society assist them all the way. A black president, if he is a good president, could be a tremendous inspiration to all minorities. So I am in favor of having a black president.

Just not this black president.

I see you've really put a lot of thought into this.

Yeah, but he's Muslim too.

Nah.

I'd say the fact that he is a fucking moron will cost him the critical percent.

He's actually not black.

Just a dumbshit oreo cookie.

McCain is not quite two years older than the Great God Reagan was going into his first term.

Uh, 3?

It seems that you Americans care more about age that you care about race. Good!

Haha... However, Africans are heavily involved in the heroine and cocaine market here. They are poor victims of the system, as always.

No young black guys for prez!

I have no HOPE that things will CHANGE.

Melanin signifies as a factor in skin cancer, not leadership.

Age, on the other hand, depending on the health of the candidate, can have an effect on leadership.

Jan: what are the reasons you would vote for McCain over Hillary or Obama despite being on the left politically?
It seems a little strange that in your original post you make a
point of the fact that Hillary is a woman (in a derogatory way no less) and Obama is black just before saying that even though you would share more political beliefs with them you wouldn't vote for them.
Seems a little bit like you might be projecting your personal bias onto American voters....

Obama's still in the race.

I hope that will change.

Clinton, Obama, McCain...

Oh, God!

I HOPE all three get hit by an egg truck so we can get some real candidates.

Perhaps, but I'm still hoping McCain has a fatal coronary before the convention.