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Your point about the arbitrary one drop rule is well-taken.

However, part of the reason society classifies Obama black is because he proudly identifies himself as a black man. He moved to Chicago, organized in majority-black communities, married a black woman, joined a black church, wrote eloquently in his memoirs about his search for identity, and so on.

If Obama had chosen to do so, he could have defined himself as white or biracial, but he didn't. I think that's part of the reason why he's an especially powerful symbol of blackness. Obama chose to embrace his black identity, even though it might have been easier to present himself another way.

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