ยWith Barack Obama, we have entered upon a post-racial world and a post-racial politics,ย Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton said Wednesday, expressly agreeing with a conclusion of that kind offered by 9th District U.S. Representative Steve Cohen during the congressmanยs recent televised debate with Democratic primary opponents Nikki Tinker and Joe Towns.
Wharton agreed with Cohen that his own two mayoral victories, Obamaยs success in this yearยs Democratic presidential-primary race, and Cohenยs congressional win in 2006 were all of a piece ย each an instance of cross-racial voting. ยHeยs entitled to say that,ย ventured the mayor, who said he took pride in such an analysis as applied to his own success.
Noting that Obama was even then on the eve of a much-ballyhooed visit to Germany this week, Wharton described the enthusiasm toward Obama that heยd encountered on his own recently concluded trip to Germany. ยItยs amazing. Weยve definitely turned a corner,ย Wharton said.
However, the Shelby County mayor said he would offer no endorsement as such in the congressional primary. ยMy friends are divided on the issue,ย Wharton said. ยHalf of them want Cohen, and half of them are for Nikki Tinker. I donยt want to get in the middle of that.ย
Wharton made the comments at a fundraiser at Owen Brennanยs Restaurant for Trustee Paul Matilla and Assessor candidate Cheyenne Johnson, both of whom are Democratic nominees on the August 7 election ballot. The mayor also offered his endorsement to Criminal Court Judge John Fowlkes, his former CAO, and Otis Jackson, the Democratic nominee for General Sessions clerk.
I think Iยll round it off with just those endorsements. I donยt want to get over-extended,ย said Wharton.