Obama is not, however, the product of the civil rights struggles against racial oppression, nor is he associated with any popular movement from below. His career has far more in common with those of Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell, individuals selected and groomed by the American ruling class to carry out its policies. Like them, he is being used to put a new face on fundamentally reactionary policies and institutions.

Maybe. Obama says we need to talk to our adversaries first rather than immediately get militaristic, and that is a definite and welcome change indeed. But if president, would he act upon that? Or revert to the old ways? Dunno.

His road to the White House is certainly being helped by powerful forces in the ruling class (as is Clinton’s, of course.) Maybe, just maybe, significant numbers of the rich and powerful have, like South Africa did with apartheid, decided the current path is no longer tenable and that we need a paradigm-shifting new approach. Which would be about the best we could hope for now.

The ruling class of course does not have absolute power or anything close to it. They can influence but not dictate. Obama’s growing support is genuine and cuts across class, racial, and urban/rural lines. I also think he believes what he says. And given the current primary results, he could be the next president.

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