October 14, 2008
That Obama photo
How voters react to Obama in a turban will tell far more than the picture itself
You've no doubt seen it. That photo of Democratic
front-runner Barack Obama dressed in the traditional headdress and wrap of Somali elders - garb that looks vaguely Muslim and decidedly foreign - was all over the news. OK. Now forget it.
That's a crucial test for an electorate that lately has sparked eagerly to the prospect of change in the way the nation conducts its politics. Voters should put aside any knee-jerk reaction associating the style of dress with terrorism and reject what smells like a cynical attempt to exploit fear in order to turn the presidential race - but will they?
Playing to our fears has been the go-to move for the current administration. It's been incredibly divisive, mean-spirited and unproductive. If change means anything, it has to include rejecting that sort of low-ball pitch.
Obama is not Muslim. The vast, overwhelming majority of Muslims are not militant and certainly are not terrorists. And donning non-Western clothes for ceremonial purposes while overseas is par for the course for elected officials. It's what politicians do, like endlessly shaking hands or sampling the signature dish of every town or country they visit.
The 2006 photo surfaced this week on the Drudge Report, along with the allegation that it was supplied by a Hillary Clinton supporter. Clinton disavows all knowledge. But the photo was out there and likely to turn up sooner or later should Obama win the Democratic nomination. What's important is how voters react to this innocuous image.
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