There is much discussion in the Democratic Party regarding how to handle the nomination delegates from Florida and Michigan. As a supporter of Barack Obama , I am arguably going against the grain with my assertion that the DNC needs to seat the delegates from both states as they are represented now.

Here's the deal. Obama has the potential to be the first African-American president in our country's history. This is a significant development that has the potential to highlight tangible growth in this country in regard to race relations.

Although this is important in its own right, it must have embedded in it a perception of legitimacy.

Any course other than seating the delegates opens the door for questions and innuendo surrounding legitimacy after the fact - be they valid or not.

Although this country must show that it is willing to look beyond race when selecting its president, the inaugural instance must never carry with it even a shred of doubt.

There can be no asterisks in the history books when discussing America's first black president. There can be no court battles. There can be no cracks from which even the slightest hint of impropriety can be insinuated. Doing anything other than seating these delegates would invite such criticisms.

If the delegates are not seated, or if there is a new vote in those states and Obama wins, there will always be the perception that he didn't do it on the up and up.

He has run too clean a campaign and has been too inspirational to too many people for us to allow that to happen. Better he lose by seating the delegates than win with the perception of fraud, regardless of how erroneous that perception may be.

If he loses, at least he did it with honor, by following the rules and leaving no questions regarding his character. If he wins, he did it despite Michigan and Florida, not because of them. This is the judgment and character America's president should possess and portray.

Daniel Wittrock


Junior


Sociology