Home Does Obama's Victory Mean a Post-Racial Society? No.
Home Does Obama's Victory Mean a Post-Racial Society? No.

Does Obama's Victory Mean a Post-Racial Society? No.

For everyone trying to find something positive in the Obama election by pointing to this as proof that we're a post racial society and we've conclusively proven that racism is a thing of the past by voting for a black man as President... consider this a reality check.

The election may demonstrate that racism is no longer an issue for white Americans, but it will never prove it to the satisfaction of those who benefit from keeping racism an issue.

Obama himself is the perfect demonstration of how useful racism is to such people. As a descendant of a white mother and a part African father who was never descended from slaves and had nothing to do with America's racial issues, he nevertheless successfully exploited American guilt over slavery and race, time and time again, defended by the cry that any criticism of him, including calling him a socialist, was racist. And when you have something as useful as that at your disposal, why give it up?

Once occupying the White House accusations of racism will be trotted out to shield and defend Obama at every turn. Are Republican Senators slow to adopt an Obama proposal? Clearly it's racism the media will proclaim. Are they rejecting a proposed judicial appointment, clearly racism. Bonus points if the judge is actually black. Just as during the election there will be no such thing as legitimate criticism of Obama, any criticism of Obama during his term will quickly be labeled a manifestations of racism and intolerance. There will be saddened head shaking and quotes from Black academics saying something along the lines of, "We thought America was finally moving forward, but now we're not so sure."

Anyone imagining that they will be able to cite Obama as proof that America is not a racist society in a conversation, will soon be in for a rude awakening. The quick reply will be, "Forty-Four Presidents and only one of them was Black and look how much they hate him."

The thing about racism is that it is far more useful to have around than to declare victory over, especially if your politics of entitlement is based around the twin poles of telling white people that they should feel guilty because they're racist and telling black people that they should expect to fail because white people are racist. So whenever some milestone is reached the usual quote goes something like this, "We've come a long way but we've still got a long way to go."

That's how the race game is played. Like Communism we've always got a long long way to go until we're there and we can lean back in the easy chair and move on. And a long way to go is a synonym for 'it's never gonna happen."

Obama's victory will be used as proof not that America is post-racial, but that America is still racist. After a short round of back patting, any opposition to Obama or any of his policies will be used to prove that America is still racist.

After all if we actually closed the door on that black and white picture of America, what would the race hustlers like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton or Obama's own coven at Trinity Church do for a living?

No, America is not a post-racial society. If we were, a junior Senator with no record and no accomplishments and a horde of radical associates could hardly have become President. What the election did prove is that many Americans were prepared to enthusiastically vote for a Black President in order to demonstrate how far America has come and many Blacks in America did what  what white people have stopped doing long ago... they voted for a candidate because he had the same color skin as theirs.

To have a truly post-racial society means moving beyond racial stereotypes, beyond racial apologetics, beyond race hustling and beyond exploring race for both negative and positive outcomes. But the Democratic party, once it veered away from its formerly enthusiastic racism, has with the same eager cultivated reverse racism, overlaying its class warfare with a racial component. And it will not go away until it ceases to be rewarded. Obama's victory has been the Democratic party's biggest payday yet proving that it remains a winning combination. What to some was the finish line for America's racial problems, to the Democratic party is a new phase of racial hucksterism.

Comments

  1. At the same time, if a black candidate like Clarence Thomas who is conservative and can actually think outside of racial terms where to run for president a large number of democracrts would probably subject him to the accusations lodged against Clarence Thomas during the whole Anita Hill debacle.

    That was somehow perfectly acceptable to white liberals but to pose serious questions about Obama's lack of qualifications and ties to radicals causes howls of racism. These liberals had no problem publicly calling an educated, independent, free-thinking black male an oversexed animal.

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  2. Anonymous12/11/08

    thoughful piece, thank you. america is facing a profound challenge and opportunity. i wish more of the black republicans and independents would be visible in radio and television. that way, people could see that there are different points of view and that mccain/palin supporters included very perceptive, intelligent, articulate black people.

    this bloodless coup is of grave concern. and the hardest part is what you described: any appropriate criticism will be deflected with inane accusations. look at the court jews he's trying to put in already. we know what that means: when it gets rough, who gets blamed? uh huh, yup, you guessed it.

    i think part of the challenge is to be steadfast in presenting the truth and not be deterred by these accusations. hopefully, more and more people will see the clarity.

    i don't count on that happening soon, but one must have some kind of faith.

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  3. more so if colin powell himself had run, the same media lionizing him would have torn him to shreds

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  4. "i wish more of the black republicans and independents would be visible in radio and television."

    there's a reason, they're not visible, the media doesn't want them to be

    their hysterical reactions to thomas and palin are symptom enough of how liberals react to conservative minorities

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  5. True on both counts, Sultan. If Powell had run for president they would have ripped him to pieces.

    Sadly, one of the more high profile media personalities to buck the system by not endorsing Obama and actually cautioning black voters from supporting a relative unknown--Tavist Smiley--was condemned by Oprah Winfrey and her followers.

    Smiley's PBS candidate night interview was rejected by most of the Republican candidates.

    It's a real pity. I'd rather have him conduct a debate than Dan Rather.

    I've watched Tavist Smiley daily for a couple of years now. He's quite respected and an excellent interviewer.

    The Republicans should have given him more credence. He's well respected in both white and black communities and if they were familiar with his interview style and the range of topics and people he's had as guests on his show they'd know that he and others like him are people to tap into.

    Whenever the media wants a black opinion on an issue they run to the Sharptons and Jacksons, not people like Tavist Smiley or Julian Brown (PBS Show Julia Brown's Journal.)

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  6. oops. I meant Tony Brown's Journal.

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