The role of white supremacy in the 2008 presidential election is a topic that has not really been discussed, mainly because Sen. Barack Obama has tried to eliminate race - the highlight of his platforms. However, these racist groups still exist and have an opinion about each of the candidates.
Surprisingly, many white supremacist groups are against Sen. John McCain and would rather see Obama in the White House.
This anti-McCain approach is not being ignited because these groups want Obama to lead the country, but because they think that if Obama is president then their membership would increase.
White supremacists believe that those who share their ideology will become so upset at the fact that a black man is president that they will want to identify themselves with other white nationalists.
Sen. Robert Byrd, the current president pro-tempore of the U.S. Senate and former Ku Klux Klan member, actually endorsed Obama in May of this year. Byrd has apologized for his association with the Klan on numerous occasions and has no association with them today.
White supremacist groups have always been fueled by hate, fear and ignorance. The realization that a Martin Luther King, Jr. and a Barack Obama can exist within 40 years of each other has affected both white supremacists and blacks.
Many of our grandparents witnessed the life and death of MLK and have lived to see the nomination of Barack Obama. Likewise, many Ku Klux Klan members have lived to see the same phenomenon and are angered by it.
Although much progress has been made since the 1950s and 60s, racism still exists and there are people who are willing to execute acts of hate.
The outcome of this election should not be determined by the race or gender of the candidate. But, it should be determined by the platforms of the candidates. There will always be groups that are against people in positions of power. The democracy under which we are governed allows for this type of protest.
Nonetheless, hatred should never be permissible, and those who may be plotting to danger either candidate should realize that there are far more important issues at stake than race.
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