You know, I felt sad that I saw so many black people rejoicing, crying, praying, and really being happy en masse. I am used to seeing black people united in anger and protest with the intensity of this celebration. I am used to sharing that anger. It was bad feeling not to be able to be united with black people and participate in that celebration. It is a bad feeling to be detached from the people whose fate is similar to your own. People of color simply do not have the same social independence that white people do. We lead different lives and come from all walks of life, but discrimination is the tie that binds us all. The fact that all I can share with other black people is anger over injustice was disturbing.

I already explained to you why I felt Obama's victory is his and his alone in terms of race. Already, pundits of all political stripes are saying that this is a sign that racism no longer exists and that Obama is proof that if you work hard enough, you can do anything. I think that Obama's triumph is being used as proof that racism is a thing of the past. Conservatives have been declaring that racism is over and that all black people need to do is work hard. Obama's victory bolsters that argument and will serve as an excuse to undermine efforts to remedy the crimes that have been committed against blacks. Now, if someone tries to say that s/he was denied a job, a promotion, a home, a loan, or a fair shake with the justice system, Obama will become an example of how that is untrue. Obama's exceptionalism will be used to undercut the credibility of blacks or people of color in general who say that they were treated unfairly because of race. The pundits were patting themselves and America on the back for having finally gotten over racism. That is why I feel Obama's gain is a net loss for black people.

I do not think that it is wrong that a black person in the vein of Obama should be banned from holding political office. I just do not like the idea that it is somehow a victory for someone like me. Again, it is the assumption that all black people have the same perspective on America and the same opportunities. People who move to America from other countries come here because they envision a better life here. Black people whose lineage is different from mine were not born into this country with the same optimism. The immigrant experience is different from the experience of people who were born and raised here, and I think that that is a notion that is not limited to any race.

"He's not in office yet, and fixes to a whole array of social problems are not going to happen overnight. But Obama has discussed such matters at length. Go read the policies on his web site. He's extremely pro-education -- he has discussed such matters at length and in detail (even though you refuse to admit that he has ever mentioned specifics)."

I never said that Obama is anti-education. People in the Republican base tend to be anti-education. I like to hear policy specifics. I do not think "we need better teachers, we need to pay teachers more, we need to educate our children so that they can compete in the world." I would like to hear how he plans to deal with the states on an individual level. What will he do about states or counties in which property taxes and school taxes fund schools. My parents pay very high taxes in Scarsdale, NY. They do not mind paying taxes, but elderly people who are on a fixed income and whose children have long since graduated have a problem with that. As you know, the elderly come out and vote and there have been strong efforts to eliminate the school tax. While Scarsdale has lots of money for its schools because it is an expensive place to live, what about places that do not have high property values? What about schools that suffer because rich people have fled the city? What about schools that are not equipped to handle the influx of children whose parents are not here legally? This is just one issue surrounding education that I would be interested in hearing about.