In May 31 issue, Russell County News
By Barbara Sharp Zimmerman, Columnist

Given the national media’s anointing of Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for President, along with their misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the mood of the people, we may be setting up Senator John McCain to stroll relatively easily into the White House.

Senator Hillary Clinton’s lopsided win in Kentucky has been painted with undertones of racism, and some of that might be correct, though not at all right, or honorable. I firmly believe there are some people who would not vote for a black person for anything, much less President of the United States. That’s the kind of prejudice you can’t do anything about; you simply have to let it die with the misguided people who harbor that point of view.

I prefer to think that many in Kentucky believe Senator Clinton understands the dire condition of our economy as well as the plight of the working class; that she has the experience to end the war and restore our good standing around the world; and that she has earned the opportunity to show what a capable woman can do.

On the other hand, there are the people who will vote for Obama purely because he is black – regardless of whether he has the experience and seasoning for the presidency. They reason that it’s time for us as a nation to show our lack of prejudice by supporting a black person’s ascendancy to the nation’s highest office; that’s why they’re voting for him in record numbers.

Then, there are the people – primarily women like myself – who are unhappy with Obama for entering the race in the first place. I see it as just not his time; it’s our time – time for a woman, and we have one in place who’s capable of performing admirably as President.

Some are angry enough at Obama that they will not be able to bring themselves to vote for him if he is the nominee, though I am not that angry. I’m madder at George W. Bush for the mess he’s made and is leaving us in, and I don’t think John McCain is the person who will change anything for the better.

First of all, Senator McCain is too old to be running for a rigorous office such as the presidency. Second, he has left most of his admirable maverick qualities behind in his quest for the job. Third, there is every indication he would bring an unconscionable continuation of the failed policies of the current Bush administration.

However, there are people who will vote for McCain because he is the Republican standard-bearer, just as they would vote for any Republican over any Democrat and just as some die-hard Democrats would vote for a yellow dog over any Republican. These kinds of people are not open to reason.

Neither are wealthy people who have benefited enormously from the Bush years. They see McCain as a way to continue enjoying the fat-cat tax breaks Bush handed them – you know, the ones most of the rest of the country didn’t get.

In every kind of poll there is, 80 percent of the people correctly see that this nation is headed in the wrong direction; the vast majority thinks the problem is George W. Bush, and I agree wholeheartedly.

But here’s the problem: if the racists, many of the angry women, the disenchanted working class, the blind Republicans, those who benefited from Bush’s disastrous policies (such as oil companies, war profiteers and other rich persons) and the majority of the deep South all vote for John McCain, he just might get elected.

Could this sinister coalition of voters happen? It not only could, it will – to some degree. How many of these disparate elements will join together won’t be known until November’s election. Stranger things have happened, such as the Supreme Court election of 2000.

If enough misguided voters combine to hand the White House to John McCain, I shudder to think that we could be in for another four years as bad as the seven and a half we’ve just come through.