Bill Cosby voted for Obama, denies any "Huxtable Effect." [View All]

[Bicoastal]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/12/cosby-talks-huxtable-effe_n_143192.html

Excerpt:

"There's an argument circulating that "The Cosby Show" laid the groundwork for President-elect Barack Obama by presenting an appealing black family, the Huxtables, to young TV viewers who grew up equipped to thwart stereotypes and barriers. Writer Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez called her theory "the Huxtable effect," a counter to the so-called Bradley effect (named for failed black California gubernatorial hopeful Tom Bradley) of possible hidden racism among white voters.

Ask Cosby, 71, his view of the part his 1984-92 NBC sitcom played as political groundbreaker, and the man who looms large as both a comedian and blunt commentator on black America first offers a measured appraisal.

"I was amazed when the young woman's theory came through," said Cosby. It sounds plausible, he mused, recalling the show's immense popularity and the many times that fans said Cliff Huxtable reminded them of their dad --their white dad.

But he chafes at what he calls the "Karl Rovian" interpretation, referring to the Republican strategist's Election Night comment on Fox News that viewers embraced the Huxtables as "America's family" and not a black one. "The reason why he's in the White House is Cosby? No, no, no," Cosby said.

He suggests looking beyond the influence of a TV family to that of a real one: the household in which the future president was raised. He cites Obama's account of being woken early to do his homework and his mother's refusal to brook any complaints. Cosby bows as well to Michelle Obama and her father, who refused special treatment despite multiple sclerosis. "This is what Michelle and Barack are made of, the things they see" in their parents, he said."