One of the hazards of getting older is that it's less likely that people will know what I'm talking about when I mention things I remember. I certainly hope people haven't forgotten about Jackie Robinson.
But if you have, Jackie Robinson was the player who re-integrated Major League Baseball in 1947 (yes, there had been blacks in the major leagues before, but there hadn't been any for decades when Robinson showed up).
There's no doubt that Jackie Robinson was chosen for his historic role because he was black. But it wouldn't have worked if he hadn't also been chosen because he was good.
And now there's Barack Obama. It's hard to imagine anyone with more hype relative to his accomplishments. You'll look long and hard to find anything worthwhile he's actually delivered, whether as a "community organizer", lawyer, student or legislator.
In short, he's no Jackie Robinson.
If Jackie Robinson had failed, it could have set desegregation of Major League Baseball back for years.
And if Barack Obama is elected and follows the policies he has run on, it might be a very long time before we ever again see a black President.
