Obama might be the candidate who can bridge the racial divide
But more than that, there are plenty of politically engaged baby boomers who are tired of waiting to see the American Dream realized.
Yes, we've made some progress on bridging the racial gap. But it hasn't been enough.
In many urban areas, the public schools have been re-segregated, neighborhoods are starkly divided by ethnicity and race, and the impoverished are hidden from view.
Besides being immensely gifted, Obama has intimate knowledge of the best and worst of black and white relationships and our often-intolerant behavior toward each other.
He has an intimate understanding of the attitudes that keep Americans from capitalizing on their differences. And he knows that racial apprehensions aren't always driven by racism, but often by irrational fears on the part of whites, and deep-seated pain on the part of blacks.
If he can craft a message that brings this country together across racial lines -- something that ought to be the goal of anyone running for president -- he can win enough support to take the White House.
Unlike both the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., who twice ran for president, and the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is considering entering the 2008 race, Obama has not set himself up as an advocate for African Americans.
"A change in our politics can only come from you; from people across a country who believe there's a better way and are willing to work for it," he said in a message posted on his Web site that announced his formation of a presidential exploratory committee.
Obviously, some people aren't going to like that message.
But I disagree with pundits who claim that average black folks aren't impressed with Obama. How could they not be? Obama hasn't shied away from his blackness. Rather than an elitist, he is an example of what can happen to any of us when we make the most of our God-given talents.
Is America ready to elect a nonwhite male as president? I think so.
Even before reporters started asking Obama if he intended to run for president, a needy public was eyeing him as a potential candidate.
In 2004, when he delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, I was standing in a crowd surrounded by young, white people, most of them female.
"This man could be president one day," one of them said, while the others stared awe-struck.
If Obama is indeed counting on the black vote -- like all Democrats count on the black vote -- that could only become a problem if Sharpton jumps into the race.
"I'm waiting to see if someone raises the issues I want to see raised," Sharpton told reporters in November when he announced he had formed an exploratory committee.
With Sharpton in the race, we can expect to hear some of the "but is he black enough?" rhetoric that tainted Obama's unsuccessful run against U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush in 1999.
Some voters won't like his decision, but Obama wouldn't be Obama if he didn't heed this call.
After all, we've all been taught that opportunity knocks once.
In fact, at this point, not to run would be a waste of his talents.
Obama has the instincts, intellect, and charisma that communicate hope to others, and he has already proven that he has the political and fund-raising capital to make him a serious player on the national stage.
The majority of black people will understand the significance of Obama's campaign.
Because until a black father can look at his son and tell him in earnest that one day he could grow up to become the president of the United States, then America's great promise is as elusive as peace in the Middle East.
Until a black man can seek the presidency without worrying that something tragic may happen, then we really haven't made much progress.
No, Obama is not a saint.
He is a man -- who happens to be identified as black -- who has a desire to lead this nation.
The question now is this: Will America give such a man a real shot at fulfilling his dream?
