The Rev. Al Sharpton was a 2004 presidential candidate. He hoped to be the first black president in America. He lost. Rumor has it that he may be considering trying again in 2008.

Meanwhile, Senator Barack Obama announced his 2008 run. Sharpton said of Obama, "Just because you're our color doesn't make you our kind." Apparently, he was referring to blacks who haven't necessarily worked in the best interests of the black community. Still. The comment came directly after a question posed at a panel where the question was if Obama is black enough to effectively represent the interests of the black community. I don't recall anyone asking if Condoleezza Rice was black enough to push a black agenda as Secretary of State. I don't think it's the job of the President of the United States to work in the best interest of any one community.

Yet, Sharpton came to Obama's defense when Senator Joe Biden said of Obama, "You've got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy." Sharpton apparently came to the aid of the "black" Obama, or at least the one black enough to be offended by the statement, which also offended me, and I'm not black.

Black Columnist Stanley Crouch said that Barack Obama has "not lived the life of a black American." What does it mean to live the life of a black American? Does it mean living the opulent life of an Oprah Winfrey? Is it the same thing as the life of poor black person in what's left of New Orleans? I know a black woman in her 90s whose parents were slaves in this country, yet she is the only black person in an otherwise all white church every Sunday morning. Does this make her white on Sundays?

Suddenly it's not just about being a Democrat or a Republican; it's about being black enough, or African enough, or from enough slaves or enough drops of black blood, or white enough, or multiracial enough. It's enough already.

[Read Part 1 - Read Part 3]