Country/City: Luxembourg/LuxembourgMany voted for Obama in the past 6 month who did not see colour as a critical issue. Policies matter much more - i fact many women were hoping to see a woman at the top of the ticket and in the White House; even some Republican women liked to see a woman make it in their lifetimes. Race will affect a very small portion of the popular vote, some blacks may lean to Obama (though they generally vote Democratic, they may vote in greater numbers than before). A few less voting for Obama due to a racial bias are probably Rednecks who will vote for a third party looney in any event - even if Hillary was in the race. Obama and Mccain have a much wider view of what to do than Bush/Kerry and Bush/Gore so the race will be more tipped per state on way or another. Less 50/50 than the past two elections. Obama is very intelligent but inexperienced, while McCain is quite old but has been aroiund. Neither has run much (Senators talk, Govenors & Mayors run things with real budgets) of anything so everything is up for grabs. Their VP picks (Obama/Edwards?) may tell even more. (McCain/Lieberman? - who ran with Gore!). Not a dull RACE at all. That's the race issue, not the colour issue.

Anyone who has been awake during the last eight years while G.W. Bush has alienated most of the world and most thinking Americans; done nothing to alleviate the suffering of our own homeless and medically impoverished; "created" a war based on lies for personal reasons, thus murdering our own troops and countless Iraqi citizens; has accumulated unimagineable national debt; exchanged nuclear technology for mangoes; allowed "free" trade to eradicate the American middle class; voted against positive ecological changes; and single-handedly attempted to turn the U.S. into a third world country and yet still decides to vote for John McCain, whose politics are "more of the same; simply because he is not black nor a woman, needs seriously to see a mental health professional IF he or she is lucky enough to have medical insurance. When will people stop thinking in terms of color and/or gender? Perhaps after there are only a handful of survivors struggling to stay alive in whatever is left of Earth following a nuclear or biological event inspired by hatred and greed? I cry for our children and grandchildren. I apologize to them. I pray for and pity them. If this be civilization, we should not have been allowed to evolve.

Barack Obama is a breath of fresh air for America. I like Hilary - I hope he picks her as VP.

America needs Obama after the disaster of the warmonger Bush. He is a man for all people and he WILL succeed and I AM WHITE.

While this is certainly not a time to panic, if winning, the general election and not just the nomination is the point then concern is certainly in order for Barack.
On the one hand he has demonstrated that a large number of white males will vote for him. Yet, on the other hand the truth remains that a sizable portion of the country will also vote against him simply because he's a black male. Does this equal the number that will vote against Hillary, simply because she is a woman, maybe, but what about John McCain?
This election must be framed a manner that highlights one's strengths. One of Obama's strengths being his oracle ability to inspire but if he is to reach a larger electorate this strength must be combined with the demonstration that Barack is an honest and sincere man. He cannot get sidetracked by manufactured fury over though full reflections.
He is losing the non college educated and older voters for the same reason Democrats have lost them for the last 40 years. He must also show an understanding that that small town rural America shares a similar sense of bitterness as his minister. Both feel isolated and disenfranchised. Barack must demonstrate a focus that allows all of us to see we have more in common with one another than with the Republican politics of wealth and fear. We all want freedom from the fear of want, and freedom from fear for what our children will face.
For too long the far right has been allowed to divide and separate common allies. To be successful not only as a candidate but as President, Barack must continue to humanize the common denominator that we all share. The fact being that as far as fears and desires there is little difference between a poor, to lower middle class back and a poor to lower middle class white. Yes the black citizen has more obstacles, but both groups have the same desires, same goals and similar fears. Give us all a hope of having someone represent us and someone that knows our dissatisfaction yet realizes that deep down we are all still very hopefully, still want to believe in America's great promise.
We all want freedom from the fear of want, and freedom from fear for what our children will face. While Barack can’t offer guarantees, he can offer empathy and understanding he cannot let the attacks keep him off message, the message being we are in this together and we can only make things better together.