Is the Skin Color and Race of President Obama the reason for the heightened Antagonism and Racism?

I think It has more to do with some of the people he has chosen for his cabinet . And the fact they do not pay their taxes like we do. And the utter contempt that some of them voice for their own country .

Both Racism and Antagonism are still happening everywhere. Truly men of colors are often ridicule as second rate citizens. Majority believe that intelligent people are those who have lighter color or white (color branding). I think not. People of white descents should refrain from branding colored people and respect what is our individual attributes.

I do believe it is, in addition to his middle name, partly playing into the equation. It is a terribly sad thing, the divisiveness and hostility that is in Washington DC **and** in the country at large. It is an awful, awful thing. It is shameful that members of congress and senators and such are dichotomizing SO much.

We need to learn to be gentle creatures and work together. We need to be kind to Right-wing Republicans, and kind to left-wing hippies, and kind to ALL the people in between as well.

It is caring and kindness that is being left out of the equation. People are panicking and becoming hostile and violent in mind and heart. Conspiracy theories are cropping up like sticky weeds, and alarmists all over the place are driving forward, being led by fear, and it is the saddest thing I have ever seen. I feel very sad for this country being plagued by all this hatred. I feel so sad for President Obama and his family. I feel scared for him, too. He is a human being. I am tired of fighting, railing back and forth, getting angry at people. I don't want to do that anymore. At my high school tomorrow, security even is tightening up, just over an "eat your peas" speech (as a writer from the New York Times called it).

I am for becoming a kind and gentle people.

Yes! Really, it is a yes or no question and my answer is an emphatically yes, but since the simple answer is too short I will add this no-value added jargon to take up space. The truth is though, it is a plain and simple yes. Everything beyond that is all junk.

I think you need to clarify your question. Are you talking about in the Nation in general or against him? It is sad that skin color and race are a reason for anything!

Absolutely not, President Obama would not be in Office if Both White and Black people had not cast their votes for him in unison.

America did the right thing, we elected the best Candidate. It is the fault of Party Spin Miesters, and special groups to left and right, screaming see, we told ya so! Creating panic.

The American Core, the non extreamists, if you listen to them fairly, will tell you that Obama is the President of Choice, but, he has to open up to the all the people, say exactly what he wants. Not let Political speech writers and Democratic talking heads speak for him. He needs to be less eclectic and more stronger.

If he stoped that easy going nature, and forgot the Mid-night appointments and paying back special interest groups that we all do not understand the need for, then the Antagonism would stop.

Now, as for the race-ism, well...

both Black and Whites need to get over it, before that will ever stop. We are both at fault.

The perfect color is Green. If you got green you are something, if not...well your just another Mid-Class American. Working and Trying.

Look, We all bleed red, and we all need to remember that. We are different and similar and that makes us a special people, stronger togeather if we will ever try to be.

Jon in Nashville

Unfortunately, it is the obvious answer, yes. It is not to say that other parameters don't help to disguise this fact or contribute to a debate of his effectiveness. Nor does it help that Obama is suffering from a country truly divided along political lines that have been blurred by the infusion of religion. This adds to the masking of the race issue as well as provides the smoke screen for a minority of people driven by hundreds of years of ignorance. There is progress along these lines, but we are still well short of acceptable.

It seems there will always be some people that can't or will never believe that racism will end. You are what you think or believe.Whlte,black,brown,yellow,red or green.

Your skin color doesn't make you immune from the accusation of racism.

Some people of color claim that they can't be racist,because they don't have power or money.

What makes you think that people with money don't look down on poor people of whatever color? That's another issue though,but money and power are not the only reasons that people respect sonmeone for !.

Integrity and character are more important,or didn't you know that?

It seems to me antagonism is not race specific or haven't you noticed!