Say what now, Senator Harry Reid?

With the recent publication of Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s book “Game Change,” Americans everywhere have gotten their first delicious look at the dirty laundry involved in the 2008 election. Unexpectedly, the one exposure with the most news coverage in the past week was not any grimy secret of the current administration but an off-handed and racially charged remark made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

The book cites Reid as saying Obama’s success as a “black” democratic party candidate would come from his “light skinned” appearance and because he spoke “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” On the one hand, it is truly pathetic that a leading member of the Senate would spout such archaic and unworthy comments. On the other, who’s surprised?

It is hardly unknown to everyday Americans that racism is alive and well. While Reid’s words are unacceptable from a social perspective, they are unfortunately true in their assessment of public opinion.

The surprise comes when one notices where all the news coverage criticism is directed: not at Reid, the author of this childish 1950s sentiment, but at Obama. Critics express their disbelief at Obama’s tongue-in-cheek handling of the situation, arguing that he is consistently missing “teachable moments” and ducking his responsibility to address the nation on important issues.

The question arises: In the light of other domestic and international issues, should we expect Obama to focus on race just because he is part black?  Would we expect the same from a white leader?

Surely, Obama has inherited a unique position for advocating such civil rights concerns. As the first multiracial American president, he shuffles the subject to the forefront without even trying. However, is it truly his duty to use his position as a platform for addressing the issue?

I am sure there are many civil rights leaders the world over who would love to be in Obama’s position at this very moment, itching to take up the “teachable moment” reins and usher in a post-racial era. However, I am equally sure that there are myriad lines of economists, health care professionals and anti-war activists who would love to take over, also.

While voters can select their candidates based on one-level issues, presidents do not have the same luxury in politics. Rather, presidents must address the nation on a global plane, remembering their first grade teacher’s advice about “picking your battles.”

America is undeniably an environment full of racism. Anyone who says otherwise lives in an idyllic world of make believe. But America is many other things, also. It is a country with an economy in desperate need of creative solutions. It is a country chest-deep in questionable conflicts and policies with a unique position to determine the course and characteristics of worldwide war in the future.

Obama is not a “black” leader; he is the leader of America. I, for one, applaud him for realizing that remarks made several years ago are considerably less important than the immediate reality of today.