McCain at NAACP (I wish)

Senator McCain addressed the annual convention of the NAACP the other day and was politely received. I haven't read the Senator's remarks, but I've seen enough out-takes on the news to know that he didn't give the speech that I had telepathically sent him. So in the interest of keeping my readers informed of my back-channel communications with the Senator, I reproduce below a portion of that speech....

"My friends, it is indeed an honor to talk with you today. The NAACP has a long and storied history of advocating for civil rights in the great nation, and is considered to be the premier advocacy organization for the concerns, hopes and dreams of millions of African-Americans. I look forward to working closely with you over the course of my presidency to make life better for all Americans."

"I come to you today engaged in an exciting race with a formidable candidate. Barack Obama is a smart, savvy, gifted man who is proving every bit as tough in this race as he was in his primary. But over time, I have come to believe that we are currently not engaged in one election, but two."

"John Edwards has run two Presidential campaigns talking about two Americas. For once, I agree with the former Senator from North Carolina. In one America, this race is largely about ideas, it is about the future of the country, it is about the scourge of Islamic radicalism and the promise of an economy soon to be back on track. In this America, Senator Obama and I are locked in a very competitive race, with people across the socioeconomic spectrum considering our ideas and our characters as they grapple with this decision. According to the latest Washington Post Poll, I am leading this race for President, but not by much. It is a great race, one I'm proud to be a part of. Oh--by the way, this Presidential race is largely taking place in White America.

"Now in the other America...for the sake of convenience, let's call it Black America. In this America, I am waging an exact replica of the campaign I am waging in White America. I am talking about the economy, the War in Iraq, immigration reform and global climate change. Yet in the same Washington Post poll, I find myself slightly behind. Well, I guess that's not exactly true. Senator Obama currently enjoys an 87 percentage point lead over me. Not that I'm giving up, mind you. I'm a fighter!"

"I ask myself sometimes, why is it that I am not appealing more broadly to Black America? Heck, George W. Bush got four times as much support from Black America in his first run for office...though he still didn't reach double digits. Is it that my ideas are less palatable to poor blacks? I hope not, as my support among poor whites is pretty good. Is it that my ideas are less palatable to middle class blacks? I hope not, as I'm beating Senator Obama among middle class whites. Is it that my ideas are less palatable to well-off blacks? Maybe, but I'm still way up there in support percentages among rich white folks...though Senator Obama appears to be doing better."

"I can really only come to one conclusion, and that is, that among a very large portion of Black America, I am not being evaluated on the content of my character, but on the color of my skin. Perhaps just as unfairly, Senator Obama is receiving the same treatment from Black America, though it appears to redound to his benefit."

"I'm not naive enough to think that some of my support among white Americans comes from people who simply can't bring themselves to vote for a man of mixed race. I wish that it were not so. But my friends, even a cursory analysis of Senator Obama's support would reveal that there is a trend afoot, an easily identifiable rationale for his monolithic support in the Black community, and it is called--pure and simple--racism."

"I am sure that it is exciting for many Black Americans to have a man of mixed race running for President. I am proud of my country for how far it has come. I'm willing to believe that a significant percentage of Senator Obama's support among Black Americans comes from people who find his policies preferable to mine and his accomplishments more laudable. But seriously folks, 89 to 2? The plain truth of the matter is that there is a large percentage of his support coming from Black Americans who are supporting him solely for the fact that his father was a Black African and he self-identifies as Black. They have no idea what his policies are, they have no sense of his accomplishments, they know only that he considers himself to be a black man and that is good enough for them. This my friends, is simple racism."

"And so my friends, as I go around the country and try to raise money to compete in these two Presidential elections, I find myself faced with a choice. Should I spend more time in the race where my character and ideas are being fairly evaluated, where every dollar spent will likely have more impact; or should I spend it in the race in which the only factor that could realistically improve my chances would be to magically wake up with a different skin color? Do you have any idea how much it cost me in time, airfare, staff preparation and lost opportunities just to come here today? I long for a day in which our voting public sizes up candidates based on character and ideas. Apparently, for one part of America, we have not reached that day."