The Toronto Star, in a somewhat blatant fit of American political envy, prefaces its profile of CFL executive Michael “Pinball” Clemons, with the following:

Is there an Obama-like figure out there as the federal Liberals seek a replacement for Stéphane Dion? Is one being groomed? Are there candidates not yet in the political pipeline? Or some little-known Palin-esque figure?

Party rules almost guarantee the next Liberal leader will come from the pool of politicos we’ve seen and heard and tuned out – except young Justin Trudeau, a long shot.

But there must be possibilities – people who might rally young and old, rich and poor, Liberal and Conservative to get enthused about service to one’s country, province or city.

People like one Michael (Pinball) Clemons, CEO of the Toronto Argonauts football team, and the effervescent former star football player with the million-dollar smile and irrepressible personality.

Unfortunately for the Star, they seem to have missed the point of the Obama phenomenon. It isn’t just the weariness of the American electorate with Republicans or conservative-appealing politicians. Nor is it the wistful echoes of the youthful Kennedy.

No, what Obama represents is a culmination, of sorts, of one of the most basic struggles in American history. From the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation, to integration in the South in the 1950′s and the civil rights movements of the 1960′s to the O.J. Simpson riots of the 1990′s, one of America’s defining traits has always been race relations, and especially race relations with African-Americans, based in its belief that all people are “created equal.” What Obama represents here is a belief that America, as a nation, has finally discarded its historical disdain for “uppity niggers” and “Uncle Toms” and is prepared to elevate a member of its primary visible minority to its highest office, accepting that he will speak for the nation for the next four years.

Here in Canada, our history could not develop in such a way that an Obama could emerge. Yes, we’ve also had problems with race (Japanese Canadian internment, First Nations / Inuit relations), but we’ve never really institutionalized it to the extent that it was done in the U.S. Our breakthroughs in race relations either happen on a small scale, or as a reflection of (or reaction to) events south of the border. I’m not saying that the problems are minor — anyone looking at Indian & Northern Affairs will agree that they aren’t — but we’ve never really been convulsed by them as America has.

Now, if I’m right in identifying race relations as a major component of the Obama phenomenon, then the Star won’t find its Obama in Toronto, which is Canada’s equivalent of New York City and where race relations are a minor concern. It has to look in Canada’s equivalent of Chicago, where race relations are a far more important topic. Say, Winnipeg, with its growing First Nations population.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 26th, 2008 at 08:22 and is filed under Media Watch, Politics, Yankees. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.