Editor:

Apparently, there was some umbrage taken at the statement that Obama was elected because of the color of his skin. Well, he was, but of course he was also elected because of his politics, his oratorical skills, the Democrats finally getting it together and mainly the anti-Bush sentiment.

A letter writer admitting that 95 percent of blacks voted for Obama would seem to lend credence to the original statement. I also believe he was elected despite his skin color, not in spite of it.

I did think it strange that the letter writer expressed his respect for all commanders in chief, even if he thought them wrong. What I had drilled into me in my decades of military service was that you can feel any way you want about an individual, but you respect the rank. In other words, you can feel utter contempt, disregard or hate for an individual but still serve them well out of respect for the authority the appointment carries.

Which brings me to my central idea of why Obama is so either revered or reviled. In talking with many people, the one viewpoint I have never heard advanced was that he was judged by his color. It seems that the pro-Obamites like him for changing America into what they feel is a better country, and the anti-Obamites feel that he’s throwing away 200 years of individualism and history in search of a socialistic nightmare. I tend to agree with the latter.

John Palmer

Salem