Political Forecast

Matt Yglesias and Ezra Klein both note the importance of Barack Obama’s win in Iowa last night by emphasizing the fact that a black man just won in a state that is described as overwhelmingly white and lacking diversity.

Matt writes:

“One crucial thing Barack Obama did last night was get white people to vote for him. Lots and lots of white people. Iowa’s not the kind of place where you can dominate the black vote, plus add on a sliver of white liberals and win a primary. To win — even in a primary — you need the support of white people.

And one thing holding Obama back among both black and white voters has been, I think, a fear that other people won’t be willing to vote for a black guy. Winning a primary does a lot to dispel those worries.”

And Ezra writes:

“And atop it all, Barack Obama won. A black man just won the Iowa caucus. And he won not because of his race, nor in spite of it; not because of the novelty of his campaign, nor because of its historic import. He won because a broad swath of Americans found him to be the most inspiring, the most elevating, the most attractive of the candidates. He won because so many Iowans felt their heart quicken before his words that they smashed all turnout records in order to add their voice to his. It’s a remarkable night. Not just for Obama, or for Democrats, or for political junkies. For the country.”

This isn’t to say that racial discussions aren’t still necessary in this country and this state, they most definitely are. Just look to Common Iowan’s blog for an example.

Throughout this race people have asked if America is ready for a black man to be president. If this many Iowans–Democrats, Republicans, and independents–can come together for Barack Obama it sure seems like America can handle him. We aren’t just white folk loving white folk in Iowa. We’re tolerant, and we’re diverse in our own way. And through the caucus process the candidates were grilled. We listened to their rhetoric, their policies, their stump speeches, and their closing arguments. Change and unity were the themes that seemed to resonate the most. Hope for an America that can not only look beyond the things that divide us, but, if ever so subtly, look beyond race.

Now, if only Iowans could truly look past gender and elect a female governor, congresswoman, or senator. Then we’d really destroy what’s left of any glass ceiling we might have.