A-Train Talk Shows Obama Crossing an Old Divide of Politics and Race

Oh, the blogosphere. Today comes a posting from an A-train Brooklynite arguing that a new culture of inclusion is emerging from the Democratic presidential primary race.

Robert Ellman, a self-described Obama camper who migrated there from the Edwards site, reports on a conversation overheard between a Latino woman with an Obama t-shirt and a white man who said he had been a Bush backer but was now thinking of voting for Barack.

What?

Truth is, of course, that we are seeing this sort of thing across the nation. Heck, there's even the last report that a KKK chapter is down with Barack Obama.

But the A train is built on sturdier stuff than white sheets; and the wisdom gleaned from there must be taken seriously.

Ellman says that the Obama factor - the pleasant-sounding and -looking man of Kenyan and Kansan heritage - is erasing fears that have long separated people and groups here and across the land.

And fear, as the Boss says, "is a powerful thing" that'll turn your soul into "Devils and Dust."

Here's the relevant section from Ellman's blog, which he calls The Intrepid Liberal Journal:

"A young Hispanic woman wearing an Obama t-shirt and a middle-aged white man in an expensive business suit, who acknowledged voting for Bush twice were talking about how they both wanted Obama to become president. What really amazed me was when the gentleman said, “I don’t agree with him but the country needs him.” I almost decided to stay on past my stop just to hear more of the conversation."

Comments

[Ron]

They were great, thoughtful jottings.

Ron

[Robert Ellman]

Thanks for the shout!