Local experts have expressed conflicting opinions regarding comments Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., made in “Game Change,” a book about the 2008 presidential election released Jan. 11.
During the election, Reid said President Obama “could become the country’s first black president because he was ‘light-skinned’ and had ‘no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’” according to a New York Times article. In a statement, Obama said he had forgiven Reid, but Reid’s comments led some Republicans to advocate for his resignation.
Bryan Griffin, executive director of the Florida Federation of College Republicans, supports the idea of Reid’s resignation.
Griffin said he was surprised Democrats didn’t react more strongly to the statements. He said he thinks the reaction would have been different if a Republican had made the same comments.
“The Democrats live on a double-standard,” Griffin said.
Other Gainesville locals expressed different points of view.
Ben Cavataro, president of the Florida College Democrats, disagreed and said Reid is not racist.
Cavataro said Reid’s support from the Congressional Black Caucus and Obama is more important than the comments.
Faye V. Harrison, professor of African-American studies and anthropology, agrees Reid should not resign.
“President Obama does not want him to resign,” Harrison said. “He’s part of an alliance — a team that is important at this time.”
Shannon McNeal, president of UF’s Black Student Union, said she would like to see Obama and other officials use the comments as an opportunity to hold an open discussion about race.
She said racial stereotypes still exist.
“For my entire life, I’ve gotten comments like, ‘You’re so articulate for a young African-American girl,’” McNeal said.
