AFP

Obama frets about his 'white half' voting wrongly
Wed Oct 29, 7:59 pm ET

SUNRISE, Florida (AFP) – Running as the first mixed-race candidate with a serious shot at the White House could pose a psychological test for Barack Obama come election day next week.

Satirical TV host Jon Stewart, on his "Daily Show" program, asked the Democrat Wednesday if he was worried that his "white half" might balk at voting for a black candidate next Tuesday.

"It's a problem," quipped Obama, whose father was a black African from Kenyan and his mother a white American from Kansas. "I've been going through therapy to make sure I vote properly on (November) the 4th."

Obama dismissed the so-called "Bradley effect," when white voters are supposed to tell pollsters of their support for a black politician only to vote the other way in the privacy of the ballot booth.

"They've been saying that for a while, but we're still here. I don't think white voters have gotten this memo about the Bradley effect," he said, interviewed by satellite ahead of a rally in this Florida city.

"We are now counting down every single vote. And the crowds are terrific. And I think we've got a good shot at this thing," the Illinois senator added.

Asked by Stewart if he was daunted at the prospect of becoming president at a time of crisis at home and abroad, Obama said: "I actually think that this is the time to want to be president.

"If you went into public service thinking you could have an impact, now is the time when you can have an impact," he said.