Mike Huckabee Gains Support

The New York Times reports:

Mr. Huckabee’s gains are powered by support he has among Christian conservatives, who have had friction with Mormons. They appear to be responding to his message that he is the true social conservative in the race despite criticism that as governor he raised taxes and was not tough enough on illegal immigrants.

Still, if Mr. Huckabee has emerged as a powerful force in the Republican political calculation, he still faces substantial hurdles as he heads toward the Iowa caucuses and, should he do well there, the nearly 25 contests that follow in the month ahead.

He confronts, in Mr. Romney, a wealthy opponent who has vastly outspent him and can continue doing so. He has a significantly smaller presence than Mr. Romney, Rudolph W. Giuliani and Senator John McCain of Arizona in the crush of states that follow Iowa.

A Baffling Headline: Is Obama Black Enough!?

CBS News Headline today: "Obama's Racial Identity Still An Issue" belies an oddity in American politics. Is Barrack Obama "black enough?"

Who asks such a question?

Certainly not Caucasian Americans. Only African-Americans want to know if a candidate is black enough.

Turns out, in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Hillary Clinton appears to be "blacker" than Barack Obama.

When asked such a question, Mr. Obama comments in the CBS News' article:

"My black activist friends from here to Boston say that you are not black, you are multiracial, and I want to know how you self-identify?" he was asked at a recent event.

Obama replies: "I self-identify as African American - that's how I'm treated and that's how I'm viewed. I'm proud of it."

In the same article,

Of course, there are whites who will never vote for Obama because he is black.

"I don't want to sound prejudiced or anything, but for one, I am not going to vote for a colored man to be our president," said one South Carolina voter.

When asked if this country would vote for a black man for the highest office in the land, Sen. Obama deflects the question, suggesting merely raising it is a disservice to the American electorate.

Now, in my opinion, the only intelligent statement by any of the participants in this 'what color are you?' debate is Obama's as he strongly suggests the question is a disservice to the American electorate.