I normally try not to talk about US politics, but...
Regardless of whether or not Obama represents some kind of watershed in US policies (which I very much doubt), I have the sneaking suspicion that _some_ of the negative reaction to him here comes from the ideological, quasireligious conviction among _some_ that the US establishment and mainstream society are bad, bad, bad and that nothing good could ever, ever, ever come out of them, because they are the product of the Devil, err I mean bourgeous capitalist society.
I agree (for once!) with Charles. Just the fact that a black guy is a serious contender for the US presidency is an indicator of an major shift in US society. This is not so say that blacks are "equal" with whites, which they obviously aren't, or are 90% or 75% or 50% or whatever % there, or that an Obama presidency would actually be progressive in any way in terms of its content.
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