By Ima Tuele, of New York Times

America had the opportunity yesterday to heal the racial divide in this country, but elected instead to cling to the divisive politics of the past.

America could have elected a young, articulate and vibrant black man to become the 44th President of the United States. Instead, it was business as usual as white voters overwhelmingly chose a doddering old white John McCain over the younger and more inspiring Barack Obama.

While Obama brought vitality to the campaign, inspiring millions of new young and black voters, white voters turned their back on Hope and Change for the future, chosing instead to support the status quo. Obama earned more than 95 percent of the vote from black voters, but the racism of white voters was more than his campaign could overcome. Obama could convince only 40 percent of white women and 35 percent of white men to support his candidacy.

The 2008 Presidential Campaign was marred with racial overtones as McCain and his surrogates consistently questioned Sen Obama’s qualification to be president. Their assertions that he lacked experiece was seen by most thinking Americans as code word for “black.” Nearly every criticism leveled against Sen Obama by the McCain campaign was seen as racial in nature.

More, including a quote from Obama is here: