Rubbed the Wrong Way

For the first time in many years, I truly engaged in the elections.  Everyday I followed the news and visited plenty of blogs to get various points of view. Heck, I even donated money.  I am absolutely thrilled with the results and look forward to what 4 years of Obama in the White House could bring our country.

The writers of the blogs I follow are far more in touch and worldly in the ways of politics than I, so I have chosen to keep my trap shut.  But there is something in the McCain acceptance speech that really rub me the wrong way.  I expected to see it all over the internet, but no one has commented on it.  Maybe I'm hearing his intention wrong, maybe I'd have a few too many corn chips, but this really grated on me:

This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight.

I instantly perceive this statement as a huge discount of the value of Obama's election - that it was really only meaningful to the African American community.  But it wouldn't really have much meaning for us white folks.  Or any of the people of color who were not African American. Or other minorities in the US, like the LBGT community. Just that 13.4% of the US population is affected.

So what do you think - was McCain responding sensitively to the historic significance of the election of a Black man by a country that was founded upon and grown through slavery?  Or was he talking from the depths of "us vs. them" with Obama representing the Other?