So he shouldn't have commented at all and let it sink him? That a black man is unable to avoid the conversation of race in this country tells us that we still have issues. As far as corporations, note his position on campaign finance reform. How he avoids lobbyists.

If being an old white man wasn't the norm in politics, then McCain would have THAT conversation thrust upon him. How the hell do you avoid that? Lie? Is Obama supposed to say that he ISN'T black, despite visual evidence to the contrary?

If you have such criteria, than I suppose we will never have a president that isn't a white male lawyer.