Is racism causing some Americans to reject Barack Obama’s presidential candidacy? Or is it possible that some of us who oppose Obama, simply don’t like his ideas?

In recent weeks, much has been said about the notion that Senator Obama has not adequately secured his own Democratic voter base, and has not adequately made inroads with independent voters, as many analysts believe he should have done by now.

This reality began to set-in a few days after the Democratic National Convention when, even with the closing night’s Super Bowl-styled nomination acceptance speech, Obama received virtually no “bump” in the tracking polls. It became even more apparent after Governor Sarah Palin’s selection as the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, when polling data revealed that Obama had not “closed the deal” with former Hillary Clinton supporters, (especially female Hillary supporters) and the prospect of a female Vice President on the right side of the aisle was alluring.

As of now, the Palin excitement has dissipated a bit (although she continues to energize conservative Republicans). Economic news is worsening. And the liberal “Democracy For America” political action group from Vermont is running a new video advertisement trashing Mr. McCain for having been a cancer patient, featuring photos of the Senator with surgical scars and bandages on his face, and Medical Doctor’s expressing doubts about McCain’s life expectancy.

And in the midst of this environment, it’s still essentially a “tie score” between McCain and Obama. Those polls that seem to lean in the direction of Obama, do so only slightly, and mostly within the margin of error.

So how can this be? How is it that our nation, anxious over present conditions and disgusted with the current President, is not more fully embracing the purveyor of “hope” and “change” and everything else that is thought to be the opposite of George Bush?

About two weeks ago an orchestrated effort was attempted by liberal politicians and media pundits, to assure us that the only thing that could possibly stand in between Obama and our vote is “racism.” CNN’s Jack Cafferty explained that the differences between Obama and McCain could not be more pronounced (this is true); and that McCain is essentially a carbon copy of the “failed” President George W. Bush (this is not true); and, therefore, the only reason that some Americans are not supporting Obama is Obama’s “race” (this is also not true).

Similarly, when asked at an Obama rally why she thought the presidential contest was so tight, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius replied “have any of you noticed that Barack Obama is part African-American?…That may be a factor..” Continued...