Posted on 09/15/2012 8:20:35 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
It’s no exaggeration to say that race and racism have been defining issues in the Age of Obama. And with the election on the horizon, the question of race and Obama’s political fortunes has returned to the fore. To wit, at the Associated Press, Jesse Washington wonders whether prejudice has played a part in the concerted conservative opposition to Obama’s presidency:
The question of whether race fuels opposition to President Barack Obama has become one of the most divisive topics of the election. It is sowing anger and frustration among conservatives who are labeled racist simply for opposing Obama’s policies and liberals who see no other explanation for such deep dislike of the president.
It is an accusation almost impossible to prove, yet it remains inseparable from the African-American experience. The idea, which seemed to die in 2008 when Obama became the first black president, is now rearing its head from college campuses to cable TV as the Democratic incumbent faces Mitt Romney, the white Republican challenger.
When people ascribe racial motives to President Obama’s opponents, the thought is that we’re calling them “racists,” in a Bull Connor kind of way. But that’s not the case at all. As Ta-Nehisi Coates argues, racism often manifests itself as a “broad sympathy toward some and broader skepticism toward others.” Despite the fact that he grew up exceptionally privileged in a world that privileged people who fit his description (white and male), no one has ever questioned Mitt Romney’s ability to perform the job of president. No one has ever accused him stupidity, and no one will ever call him an “affirmative action hire.”
By contrast, these are things faced by Obama and other minorities that find themselves in traditionally white domains. During her confirmation hearings, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor was frequently described as “not smart enough” to serve alongside men like Antonin Scalia or John Roberts, despite her clear qualifications—Princeton University and Yale Law School—and long service on the federal bench.
As I’ve said on several occasions in other outlets, the vast majority of conservative anger at Barack Obama is not based in race, but it’s clear that it shapes the nature of their opposition. If Hillary Clinton were president, I would say the same of gender and sexism. Indeed, there’s no need to imagine the response to a Clinton presidency—during her campaign, items like the Hillary Clinton “nutcracker” emerged as ways to ridicule her candidacy (while also making a quick buck).
The real question isn’t whether race affects our political disputes, it’s how. This isn’t an easy question. Yes, there are clear racial implications to things like Mitt Romney’s false charge that Obama is “ending the work requirement” in welfare and simply cutting checks to recipients. But, when it comes to the role race plays in voting—did Obama lose votes because he’s black—it’s a little complicated.
In any case, if you’re trying to answer the question of race and opposition to Obama, here’s something to remember: we’re only forty-seven years removed from the official end of Jim Crow. White supremacy was the governing ideology for the vast majority of this country’s history, and—in the broad scheme of things—we’re still in the first legs of our journey toward racial equality.
Obama is indeed half Black, NOT Arab. Kenneth Lamb is a douche. Ask Beckwith how reliable a source Lamb is.
when you are a victim every one else is a victimizer.....sick to death of this mentality
The Nation is the Bible of the American Extreme Left. They shilled for Stalin in the 1930s, for Pol Pot in the 1970s. It is not surprising that we see this racist baloney coming from them.
This is “The Nation” -progressive/communist/dem rag magazine.
Anything coming out of it—including “journalists” is pure offal.
Case in point: “...we’re only forty-seven years removed from the official end of Jim Crow.”
This implies the dems/progressives/communists were the party of civil rights. BAH!
The Nation magazine would NEVER interview Col. Francis Rice. They imply they love strong women, but...they don’t:
“READ AN ALTERNATIVE HISTORY SINCE 1865.
Social Studies and History teachers! We have primary sources from 1865 to today. Click here for information on The Nation’s 140+ year digital archive. “
“Alternative” being the clue here-—(this was copied from their website!!!!) Yeah-—let’s get the commie teachers accessing this pap to help indoctrinate the next generation of tax slaves!
I knew the mag was bad, but, thanks, Lonny!
Have them research Col. Francis Rice.
Black woman...conservative...loves this country...blames democrats for the poverty and troubles of the blacks. She’s brilliant.
If they disagree with this wonderful woman, ditch them, after telling them Bath-House Barry is after their 401k’s. If you get no response from them of any intelligent worth, realize they are lost and cut bait.
An example of the idiot commentors over at The Nation magazine....pathetic losers!
“YES, YOU ARE BETTER OFF!
10 GOOD REASONS to be thankful that Barack Obama is our President...
1. Killing Bin Laden!
2. Having a sane foreign policy with no crazy wars. Romney’s continuing foreign policy misadventures tell a sad truth.
3. Saving GM and Chrysler and millions of good-paying middle class jobs!
4. Giving the USA has the BEST (still terrible, but the best) economy in the advanced world. Meanwhile, much of Europe is in or heading into recession due to austerity at the wrong time!
5. After inheriting a $1 trillion yearly deficit, Obama didn’t do a Herbert Hoover and make it worse with destructive austerity and a depression!
6. Enabling American business to have record profits and record cash-on-hand of over $2 trillion! The S&P500 stock market has doubled thanks to Obama-Bernanke.
7. NOT doing stupid things as Romney-Ryan would do, such as supply-side economics all over again! Fool us twice, shame on us! Or as George Santayana put it, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it!”
8. TRYING to bring a large, economically healthy, and growing middle class back to health after 8 years of Bush43 trickle-down devastation! It’s a long road back.
9. OPPOSING Paul Ryan’s immoral budget!
10 The right man to endure all the hatred of being President Jackie Robinson Obama!”
(dontcha feel kinda sorry for these idiots? Yeah...me neither.)
Black Racism is a bigger problem today than any alleged White Racism. Black Racists have their White Guilt Liberal friends to cover and coddle them.
There are not too many Black Guilt Conservatives running around, the last time I checked
Bouie is like a lot of black Americans who think a nasty, white racist is behind every failure of black Americans. These are people who actually believe white conservatives would support Obama if he were totally white. I would say Bouie’s problem is one part self-delusion and another part leftist ideology. Until a Black conservative Republican runs against a white, liberal Democrat, we’re going to be hearing this crap. Even then these morons will still use the race card.
Whereas 99% of Blacks voted for Obama because he was “Black” and a bunch of the idiots that comprise the White Left also jumped on the “feel-good-hoipey-changey” bandwagon, it is obvious that there is racism due to approximately 4% of the non-Black population that didn’t vote for him last time and won’t vote for him this time because he is “Black”. The other 96% of the non-Black folks who won’t vote for him this time are racist because they really don’t recognize how racist it is to not vote to keep the “Black” guy in. Affirmative action is not dead and we have our first affirmative action/food stamp/baby-killing/America destroying etc... “president” who need folks to be reminded that their racism could ruin it for everyone...
If he wants to see real racism he should look at how liberals attack black conservatives.
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