President-Elect Barack Obama. A "friend" to the black man?

The tide has taken a definite turn and a Democrat will sit in the White House for the first time in 8 years. And - Obama's the first black man to do it (well, 1/2 black, 1/2 white, with a questionable smattering of Middle Eastern for good measure). Interesting election.

My friend was listening to talk radio on his way into work this morning. A black woman was being interviewed. No doubt, she was excited about Obama's election. Her comments, however, left me - well, flabbergasted. I'm paraphrasing her, but she said something along the lines of, "I won't have to pay my gas. I won't have to pay my mortgage. President Obama's gonna help me out!".

Ignorance, unfortunately, knows no barriers.

I read an article last week, "What Obama Can't Change: Lives of Blacks", written by Jason Riley, a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial staff. Riley quotes economist Thomas Sowell, who spent decades researching racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. and abroad. Sowells's findings - in books like "Race and Culture: A World View," "Affirmative Action Around the World" and "Civil Rights: Rhetoric or Reality?" - show that political activity generally has not been a factor in the rise of groups from poverty to prosperity.

"Empirically, political activity and political success have been neither necessary nor sufficient for economic advancement," writes Sowell. "Nor has eager political participation or outstanding success in politics translated into faster group achievement."

One of Riley's examples points out Obama's stance on educational - Obama opposes educational choice. This will have a negative impact on poor blacks, who tend to be the ones stuck in America's worst public schools. Mr. Obama opposes school vouchers that would allow low-income black parents to send their children to the type of private school where he sends his own daughters.

If the jubilant, black lady on the radio was hoping she'd get a school voucher from Obama in order to improve her lack of education, she's screwed. And by the way...Jason Riley is black.