The US Presidential Election II - The Second Coming of the Nightmare of 40 Years Ago?

In October 27, two white men was arrested for planning the assassination of Senator Barack Obama, the US Democrat candidate for president. In this article, I will discuss the fear of the assassination of Senator Barack Obama.

In May 23, 2008, Senator Hillary Clinton, who was a candidate for the Democrat presidential primary, made a big mistake. At that time, she seemed likely to lose. When she was asked the reason to continue her campaign, she answered that it was also June that Bobby Kennedy was killed.

Bobby Kennedy means former Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who ran for the US presidential election of 40 years ago, and was assassinated just before the Democratic National Convention, where he was believed to be nominated for the Democrat presidential candidate. To be sure, the situation of the election is similar to that of 40 years ago. In 1968, the United States stuck in the mud of the Vietnam War, the world's trust in the US was lost, the sharp drop of the dollar and the depression because of the escalation of the war cost tore the United States. As a result of combination of the anti-war movement and the civil right movement, riots happened all over the country every day.

It was then that Bobby announced his candidacy at the young age of 43 advocating the unification of the country and the immediate withdrawal from Vietnam. His experience as a Senator was just 3 and half years, but he had a record as the Attorney General of exercising all authority of the Federal Government to solve the racial problem under the Kennedy Administration.  So he had big supports from wide range of races. He was assassinated in June 5, just after winning the largest state California primary, which ensured the nomination for the Democrat presidential candidate.

It is obvious that such situation is very similar to that where Barack Obama appeared on the presidential election. Now US's international position is declining because of the deadlock of the Iraq War, and the country is almost under disruption. In such condition, Barack Obama appeared on the stage at the young age of 46 advocating the unification of the country and the immediate withdrawal from Iraq. Furthermore, he has the racial handicap that he is the first Afro-American presidential candidate. It is because Obama has the quality common to Jack and Bobby Kennedy that the members of the Kennedy family and the former aides under the Kennedy Administration announce their supports for him.

Then, How strong is the possibility of the assassination of Barack Obama? The answer is it is very bare. To be sure, the situation is very similar to that of 40 years ago. However, the United States has largely changed for 40 years. The assassination of Kennedy brothers, Martin Luther King, and the racial problem are now remembered as nightmares in the American modern history. Most of the American people think that those events were blots in history which must not be recurred. And Politicians and government officials has the same feeling. If the same things recur, the world's trust in the US will surely collapse. Nobody in the US hopes such thing.

Of course, as there are fanatics in every country, there are the groups that aim at the assassination of Obama for the racial reason. At this time, however, the resolution of the United States will not allow them.