CullmanTimes.com - Cullman, Alabama

Opinion

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January 26, 2008

TIMES EDITORIAL: A voting milestone

America’s presidential race has drawn attention to a lot of important issues, from the economy to foreign policy to education and health care.

It also highlights another meaning of race. Barack Obama, a frontrunner on the Democrat ticket, has a real possibility of becoming our nation’s first African-American president. The fact that he’s remained a viable candidate this long into the weeding-out process of state-by-state primaries shows how far American voters have come in their acceptance of minorities. They realize race is no indicator of capability.

Thankfully, local voters seem to follow that same mentality. For the first time in Cullman County history, a black man won the local primary for a state-level office to represent this area. As an African-American, James Fields’ success on the Democrat ticket is a sign that voters here — a place that’s certainly not known for its racial diversity — is home to many people who are able to look past skin color.

We want to make it clear that the newspaper isn’t endorsing any candidate for office. Both Fields and his Republican opponent, Wayne Willingham, have strengths and weaknesses, and we think our readers are smart enough to make up their own minds without us pontificating on the subject.

But we do think Fields’ place on the ballot is worth celebrating. Not only does it represent a milestone for him as an individual, but it’s also a milestone for Cullman County as a whole. This is the point where we can say — evidencing Fields’ wide margin of victory over his challengers in the Democrat primary — that race was clearly a non-factor in the minds of voters.

We hope it stays that way. Neither Willingham nor Fields said a single word about ethnicity during the political forums and discussions with reporters as they conducted their campaigns — at least none that we’re aware of. They focused strictly on the real issues, as they should have.

Voters should do the same thing. There are some considerable differences between Fields and Willingham that must be weighed, from their viewpoints on social and political issues to the background and experience that may or may not have prepared them to be successful at the state level. Those differences actually matter.

We encourage all registered voters to first inform themselves about the issues and then vote in Tuesday’s special election. And we hope when you look at the candidates you see only their level of competence, not their color.

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