Well maybe not like me. I'm thinking mutt, more in terms of diversity in backgrounds. My parents went to the same high school and raised me in a neighboring city.

I am interested in the attention the seemingly unimportant comment Barrack Obama made when talking about the kind of dog his family was going to get.

“There are a number of breeds that are hypoallergenic, but on the other hand our preference is to get a shelter dog, but obviously, a lot of the shelter dogs are mutts like me,”

I love this comment for a couple of reasons. First, it is a lighthearted comment that belies an overarching social tension regarding race that ran throughout the elections. Without going into this in great detail. I felt there was a lot of race tension in the past election. But not the tension of two sides pulling apart. More like the static electricity in the air. It was electric, apparent, but not tangible and not easy to point out why it was felt.

The second side of this comment is the strength that comes with a mutt. As dogs go, mutts are more resilient, heartier, and less prone to genetic flaws. In politics, Obama was dubbed "Teflon." Did his diverse upbringing, both in race and experience, cultivate the Telfon shell?

Is the age of the pedigree dead? Does coming from a long line of Kennedys or Delanos really mean that much in our society? Does it really even help? Sure as a safety net being a Kennedy out weighs the bad, but look at the case of Caroline Kennedy. The pedigree of being a Kennedy opens doors, but the stigma of nepotism is going to close it right back in her face. She may assume a Senate seat on name recognition and family ties, but her merit will always be shroud in presumed entitlement. The first article I found in search results echos this perception

When it comes down to it, I guess I wouldn't pass on a Kennedy upbringing, but the original intent of my entry was more to celebrate diversity than to discuss political lineage. Going back to my discussion on the lowest common denominator, comfort in the known and familiar real is only comfortable. Reaching out, embracing diversity is really the path to becoming exceptional.