Just because, decades ago, a few mad people thought skin colour mattered doesn't make him being "the first black President" any more important.

Trivial.

Just like Maggie being the first woman Prime Minister.

In both cases, about fucking time - move on.

It's as unimportant as "first leader with blue eyes". Some humans were once barmy; thank heavens they have gone.

But what matters is - is he any good?

That is what really matters.

yes..the 'first' anything is becoming passe but I guess for all those black Anmericans that have had a hard time it means something.

At the same time..Condolezza Rice & Colin Powell( who calls their kid Condoleeza ?) showed that being black didn't stop you being a right-wing crazy.(although Powell sounds like he now has regrets)

Significantly you ask.."is he good"?. Well who were his backers ?..Wall Street !

At least..he isn't George Bush.

I remember going to a Public Enemy concert on Long Island with several other big rap names about 20 years ago and I seemed to be the only white person there.

Not only did that not worry me but I was delighted by the positive niceness directed at me by artistes backstage and kids in the crowd.

I spent much of the time cracking Flavour Flav up by asking him if he had the time (his gimmick was an enormous clock hanging round his neck).

I was, of course, in the wonderful music industry which has never - I'm certain - had any racial element to it at all.

Public Enemy's lyrics to " Fight the power " state that "Elvis was a hero to most, but he never meant shit to me, you see, straight up racist that sucker was, simple and plain, motherfuck him and John Wayne."

Certain racial elements apparent here.

I think JK is right..the music and entertainment business in the USA ,being so strong, led the way in banishing racism.

That said, I'm stil amazed by some of my New York friends who can say amazingly racist things. And I bet JK knows one of them who was a former editor of a top music magazine !

Was Elvis racist ?? I wouldn't have thought so being a dirt poor southerner. Maybe some of those around him were but Elvis sang like a black man. I'm only a recent convert to Elvis..just beginning to appreciate what a beautiful voice he had. Shame he sang so many awful songs.

As for John Wayne..everyone knows he was a closet gay and made up for it by being a macho patriot.

veritas wrote:
I think JK is right..the music and entertainment business in the USA ,being so strong, led the way in banishing racism.

That said, I'm stil amazed by some of my New York friends who can say amazingly racist things. And I bet JK knows one of them who was a former editor of a top music magazine !

Was Elvis racist ?? I wouldn't have thought so being a dirt poor southerner. Maybe some of those around him were but Elvis sang like a black man. I'm only a recent convert to Elvis..just beginning to appreciate what a beautiful voice he had. Shame he sang so many awful songs.

As for John Wayne..everyone knows he was a closet gay and made up for it by being a macho patriot.

I'm quoting lyrics Veritas. These are not my opinions. It is in response to suggestions that the music industry has no racial element. Public Enemy's back catalogue is littered with this kind of material. I am speaking as a fan.

I may be certifiable but to me the one thing everyone goes on about - he's black (he's not, actually) - is totally trivial; no less absurd than "he has brown eyes" if some stupid rule had meant nobody with brown eyes could be President.

What matters - will he be any good - is cynically easily answered "probably not".

They never are. I had high hopes for Blair.

I had high hopes for BLAIR but he proved to be vain and power became his drug. Brown's pursuit of his job did not help either.....

I have high hopes for OBAMA. at least he is not another BUSH - I am hoping that he can try and diffuse the War on Terror - and turn it into Campaign for Peace. The last 8 years since 9.11 have been dreadful in terms of loss of life due to wars. People are tired of wars - they want peace.

If OBAMA can bring us peace then he will be a legend in my view. The World is in a mess and perhaps this is the small chink of hope and light that we need to try and take it back from the nutters who seems to have taken over our lives since the turn of the century. Otherwise we are headed for Nuclear War and oblivion.