The Road To The White House: First Steps

60 Minutes Looks Back At The Early Days Of Obama's Run For The Presidency

(CBS)  There were all sorts of things that mitigated his chances for success, not the least of which was race. His father was a black man from Kenya, his mother a white woman from Kansas, and he spent his formative years living with his maternal grandparents in Hawaii. As a black child in a white family, he struggled with his racial identity.

"If you look African-American in this society, you're treated as an African-American. And when you're a child in particular, that is how you begin to identify yourself," Obama told Kroft.

Asked how important race is in defining himself, the senator said, "I am rooted in the African-American community. But I'm not defined by it. I am comfortable in my racial identity. But that's not all I am."

Obama told Kroft he thought the country was ready for a black president, and that race was not going to hold him back. "I think if I don't win this race, it will be because of other factors. It's gonna be because I have not shown to the American people a vision for where the country needs to go that they can embrace."

A few days later, 60 Minutes and Obama were driving around the South Side of Chicago, where that vision had begun to take shape. After graduating from Columbia University, Obama took a job working as a community organizer for $13,000 a year.

It was Obama's first real interface with politics and government, and helped convince him that change comes from the bottom up by mobilizing grass roots support, one of the tenets of his campaign. But support was slow in coming from the African-American community, where some dismissed him as the son of an immigrant, not a descendant of slaves.

"There are African-Americans who don't think that you're black enough, who don't think that you have had the required experience," Kroft pointed out.

"The truth of the matter is, you know, when I'm walking down the South Side of Chicago and visiting my barbershop, and playing basketball in some of these neighborhoods, those aren't questions I get asked," Obama replied.

"They think you're black," Kroft remarked, laughing.

"As far as they can tell, yeah. I also notice when I'm catching a cab, nobody's confused about that either," Obama said.

[jgw25]

My comment is on a common sense question. I would like to know why the main stream media, including 60 Minutes and CNN, always point to Mr Obama as being a Black Man. Is he not half white also? Last I checked we get approx 50% genes from both parents. How is he just a Black man then?

[rwelgin1]

a comment that disturbs me the very most came out of Michelle Obama''s mouth, and I sat there appauled at the comment. This is the mentality WE are going to be addressed with for the next 4 yrs.
The question about him possibly being assassinated. Michelle said that, "Even if he walks out the door to go to the store or the gas station, he has the possibility of being killed, for being a BLACK MAN."
What needed to be interjected right there is the statistics.
Most of the crime black men face is from thier own race. White on black crime is very vey low as opposed to black on black crime. And when you place the *** onto the statistics, it becomes a greater change, black male on black male.
Look at the statistics, Obama, before you open your mouth and slur people, please.

[tbta364]

MORE embarrassing is the ignorance of a few people who can''t see through their own hatred, but choose to question Barack%u2019s citizenship, say things such as %u201Che''s not creditable or he doesn''t cover the issues%u201D to mask what is obvious. The country is hardly recognizable now after the Bush era. Let''s see where we will be in six months!