I don't think Obama was elected because he was black. It was just a convenient talking point for 24 hour news networks when no one really cared anyway. And I still think that there's very few people who actually care that he's black. He was just such a breath of fresh air after the last 8 years, that's why he was elected.

Dr. Jeebus wrote:

but a LARGE part of his campaign was to energize young voters who normally don't give 2 shits about politics but wanted to vote for a black president.

No, it was to energize young voters to vote for the younger, more articulate, less "more-of-the-same" candidate. The largest part of his campaign was focused on hope and change from the dismal 2000-2008 era. That's why people voted for him.

Any other speculation as to why he was elected is just bipartisan bullshit. I sincerely believe if every part of him was the same, but Obama was white instead, he'd have been elected by the same margin as the black Obama was. People love to talk about race, but I really do feel it had very little impact on the actual election at all.

Five years. It's irrelevant though as politics holds absolutely no interest to me so I have as much knowledge outside of the country as I would have inside of it, but I do remember Obama's campaign and I remember the vibe of the world at the time.

Just because I wasn't physically in the country during the election, I am still connected to America in a variety of ways. I also am a moderate when it comes to political affiliation, so I can usually look at these sorts of things with a more objective view than staunchly partisan folks such as yourself.

Syd Lexia wrote:

Pandajuice wrote: Five years. It's irrelevant though as politics holds absolutely no interest to me so I have as much knowledge outside of the country as I would have inside of it, but I do remember Obama's campaign and I remember the vibe of the world at the time. Just because I wasn't physically in the country during the election, I am still connected to America in a variety of ways. I also am a moderate when it comes to political affiliation, so I can usually look at these sorts of things with a more objective view than staunchly partisan folks such as yourself. America was very much split in the 2008 election, and they were split along geographical, economic, and yes, racial lines. The same can be said of any election, of course. When analysts look back at this election 20 years from now, they will cite Palin as the deciding factor. She turned into an absolute PR nightmare for McCain.

It was split along party lines just like any election is. Why should this be any different? Every election is split along geographical and economic lines because that's how the Republican and Democrat parties are split. You're saying the introduction of a black candidate suddenly made the race about economics when others in the past weren't about that? Child please. I don't have to be in the Young American Politicians League to see that fallacy.

I never said everyone wanted Obama as president because obviously that's not true, but I do agree with you that the introduction of Palin made many conservatives think twice about voting along party lines for the sake of it like they normally do which made the result more lopsided than usual. My arguement is that I think very few people voted for Obama simply because he was black. Most people who voted for him did so because he is a great speaker, came in with a plan everyone wanted to buy into after the last dismal term, and simply because he wasn't McCain/Palin who scared many people into believing if they were elected, it'd just be "more of the same" which no one wanted, not even conservatives. Of course some people probably voted for him based on his race, but I think it's retarded and close minded to say that that was the single deciding factor of the election.

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Secondly, how long it's been since you've lived in the country is very much relevant. You're talking like you're Joe Everybody, Populist At Large, with America's pulse constantly at your fingertips. And for you to sit here and try and lecture me on why Americans elected Obama as though you have some personal knowledge of it, quite frankly, is offensive.

But you trying to lecture us on why Americans elected Obama isn't offensive? I highly doubt you have any more personal knowledge or insight than I do. Simply living in a certain country doesn't automatically make you an expert on her politics nor does it alienate you from your home country either. I've lived in Britain for 5 years, but I have no idea how parliament works or when they have elections here, and yet I still follow American politics loosely and followed the 2008 election pretty closely. I'm still American who reads American news, listens to American radio and podcasts, and watches American TV shows. In fact, I made it a point not to assimilate into British culture because my stay here was always temporary.

I'm not trying to be a populist or claim to know the pulse of America in 2008. But I did live in the USA for 25 years before I moved here, and still exclusively speak to American family and friends (I don't have any British friends and rarely interact with the locals), as well as frequent American message boards. Just because I don't live on American soil doesn't mean I'm completely and totally removed from the culture and information like some kind of outcast in Siberia. I have more knowledge of American politics and the vibe of the country than your average hillbilly in Kentucky, even from outside of the country.

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But it is not an American perspective. It is a spectator's perspective. You are an outsider looking in. Do not pretend otherwise.

That's an extremely ignorant and close-minded thing to say really. You don't know me enough to call me an outsider or spectator when it comes to anything. And SH, again, just because someone lives in a certain country doesn't glean them to any more information than you can get online. Why do you think you get some unique insight simply by living on American soil? It doesn't come from the fucking water.

Your average Brit has no idea about the inside scoop in Parliament just like your average American has no clue about what's going on on Capitol Hill on any given day. Please, do me a favor and just choose a random American on the street next time you go out and just ask them, "Excuse me, can you give me the inside scoop on what's going on in Congress today?" Believe me, you won't get much information or insight about the particular bills they're voting on, or even if they are voting, or even if they are in session at all. But he's American, he should know right?

Where you live is irrelevant. It's what you watch, what you read, and who you talk to that gives you knowledge.