Who's a Racist?

While browsing CNN headlines I noticed a story about Oprah. Apparently she's being blasted for her support of Barack Obama and even being called a racist.

So it's okay for white people to support other white people but it's not okay for black people to support other black people?

First of all, I don't even see the Obama campaign as a "black thing." I'm about as white as a person can be and, personally, I think Barack Obama is the most promising of the mainstream candidates. He has energy and ideas and insight and he won't bully and bluster his way through one crisis while he's creating another. I believe he has integrity--a very rare commodity among politicians.

Anyway, I am sick of all the personal politics being played. We are searching for the next leader of this country, and most of us are sincerely hoping we get someone who can do the job this time. Does gender matter? (I won't support Hillary just because she's a woman--and I would never ask anyone for support on the basis of my gender either. That's still sexism.) Does race matter? Does religion matter? (I am sick and tired of hearing about how a Mormon can't run this country. My only beef with Mitt Romney is that I lived in Massachusetts while he was governor and he seemed to spend most of his time outside of the state, setting up the support for his presidential candidacy.)

Let's grow up. Forget about race. Forget about religion. Forget about gender. Can the person do the job?

And I think the racist is the one who faults Oprah Winfrey for supporting a candidate who happens to be a black man.