When talking politics these days, it is not enough to simply address diversity; nor is it enough to just address gender and race. The ability of candidates to model inclusion in terms of what they say and do is of paramount importance to me. And on the inclusion scorecard, both candidates have earned an “F” in my eyes.
Four years ago, Obama message of inclusion gave hope to those of us who were interested in “real change,” who hoped that the red states and the blue states could somehow overcome their differences to bring about real change. While the President has blamed Congress for the stalemate in Washington, I believe he has to bear some responsibility. He tried to be inclusive, but at times, I got the feeling that he really did not try all that hard.
More recently, one of Obama’s ads aired in Ohio. The ad, directed at Romney, stated “He’s not one of us.” If Romney had directed this ad at Obama, there is little doubt that Romney would have been labeled a racist. If Obama was not responsible for this ad, he should have spoken out against it. He’s not one of us, meaning social class, religion… We are left to fill in the blank.
Romney has disappointed as well. His “47%” comment is well-known by now. When John Sununu suggested that Colin Powell endorsed Obama simply because they share the same race, the stage was set for Romney to denounce this type of thinking. Unfortunately, Romney kept quiet, implying that he agreed with Sununu, or that Sununu’s support superseded ethics at this critical juncture of the election.
There are those who criticize Romney for not discussing his faith, and Obama for not doing more to promote a national dialogue on race. Given the religious and racial bias that exists in this country, I can understand why both candidates have largely avoided these issues. Indeed, polls show that Romney’s faith is a bigger barrier to being elected than Obama’s race.
A lack of inclusion has dominated the election so far. Unfortunately, both Obama and Romney have contributed to this state of affairs.