As our country prepares to make history next week, I have been thinking a lot about race. My father came to America from Bangladesh to pursue his education and a better life, just like Obama’s father. He expected that hard work would be rewarded. Like other immigrant families we rarely discussed race; it was assumed…

Mix’ology: noun. The art and science of mixings In these final days of this presidential campaign, John McCain and his supporters have been trying desperately to raise doubts about Barack Obama’s identity. They have called him a terrorist sympathizer, a socialist, an unrepentant liberal. For weeks, their tagline has been “Who is Barack Obama?” The…

On a recent morning, a normally hidden employee of the “Steve Harvey Morning Show” stepped into the spotlight and made a bold confession. The security guard, whose nickname is Big Boom, had not voted in all of his 53 years. He explained that he had never registered or voted because he could not read. He…

In a moment of unusual candor for a political professional, John McCain’s campaign manager Rick Davis admitted earlier this week, “This election is not about issues. This election is about a composite view of what people take away from these candidates.” Cynical as the sentiment may sound, he may well be right. Now that the…

Sen. McCain’s vice presidential pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has injected some much-needed energy into the Republican campaign. The risky but potentially game-changing selection provides a choice to the white and Hispanic female swing voters who may be decisive in this year’s election. Will they make Sen. Barack Obama the first black president? Or…

She wasn’t Hillary Clinton. Sarah Palin did many of the things she needed to do last night. She established herself as a politician with gumption, a candidate who would not shy away from battle, a conservative who would carry her small-town ideals to the corridors of Washington. She billed herself as an advocate: for special-needs…

Republicans are trying to get their national nominating convention underway after deep worry about the effects of Hurricane Gustav, but the Grand Old Party faces other significant challenges, including an unpopular president and a country frustrated with both the economy and foreign policy. And a Democratic ticket—led by a charismatic African American that has enthralled…