The Real Race Problem
Old-fashioned white racism is largely gone. That's old news.
What has replaced the old disgraceful kind is a new, sophisticated kind of racism. As Shelby Steele, Op-Ed columnist, described it today, "the sophistication for seeing what isn't there rather than what is." A la the parable of the Emperor's New Clothes.
Steele's column today, linked above, is a fascinating one for all to read.
In effect, the ascension of Barack Obama to the Presidency is the greatest indictment of this new kind racism. We the people saw an articulate part-black man who moved millions of people to action with his words. His speeches. And we got sucked right in. We couldn't resist it. We wanted to make history and elect a minority president. So we did. With no real regard to his true capability to handle the pressures and matters at hand. We could have made history and elected a Mormon president who, by the way, was far more capable at handling the economy than Mr. Obama will ever be. But, again, we were too sophisticated to see things as they really were.
The sophistication was to convince ourselves that we saw Mr. Obama clothed in royal colors -- i.e. a leader with the charisma, the vision, and the plan to move America -- but, along the way, we refused to acknowledge that he was naked. And that he had no material, realistic vision or plan.
Those leaning right are reading this, noses high, saying, "We saw it coming! We told you so!"
Those leaning left are reading this, noses high, saying, "Shut up, you racist!"
Obama is a talented, brilliant man. No doubt. You can't become the POTUS without being such. But, in reality, he is not who we, the people, thought he was. Frankly, that stark reality sucks. Even though I didn't vote for him and doubted him, I wanted to be wrong. I wish I were.
Nevertheless, rather than squabble about who saw this coming and who didn't, I would rather turn our focus to this variant of racism that is oh-so-prevalent. Will it someday go the way of the dinosaur as old-fashioned white racism has? Is it something that will simply require some generational turnover or is there something else that must happen along with that?
'Something else' probably needs to happen.
And unless Barack Obama comes to himself and, you know, puts on some clothes, as it were, then that 'something else' will have to include electing someone else in 2012.
Don't forget to check out the Steele column. Trust me.
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10 comments:
I will not cry Racist, but I do think the author should stick to academia.
"Obama is a talented, brilliant man. No doubt. You can't become the POTUS without being such. But, in reality, he is not who we, the people, thought he was. Frankly, that stark reality sucks. Even though I didn't vote for him and doubted him, I wanted to be wrong. I wish I were."
Name the last President that this was not the case? Not a defense, but a reality.
SB, I will speak only to the POTUSes (POTI?) in my lifetime.
Reagan - I think he was who we thought he was. And bettter.
Bush I - I think failed to live up to who we thought he was.
Clinton - I think he was who we thought he was. And we let him off the hook.
Bush II - same as Bush I. Surprise.
We were batting .500 leading up to Campaign '08.
Our average went down.
But, SB, 'irregardless' of our presidential batting avg, what think ye of the real race problem?
I am sure there are a large number of people who voted for Obama due to ancestral (is that the right word?) guilt, which could be considered racism, however to say that this is the reason every white person or even a majority of em voted for him is a bit much.
I have not said this on here, but this is what I believe, and it is NOT why I voted for him btw...
The fact that he is our President in 2009 will be looked at as a turning point in history, because of his race. It came 8 years before i ever believed it could, it came when my parents generation still has a large national political voice, It says something about us as a nation that I didn't trust, nor do I still, but again, historians will look upon this as a turning point in race relations.
When you think about the fact that anyone who gets put where he is is going to be that 'Capitulating Centrist' this legacy I speak of above will be lasting, I hope.
So yeah, that is my thoughts on race.
if you admit that half of our presidents don't live up to who we think they are, why is our failed idea of Barack Obama the result of his race? This doesn't make any sense to me.
The article was well-written, interesting. But I think people were more charmed by his charm and intellect - not that he was charming and intellectual black man.
The failure isn't due to his race. Race doesn't have anything to do with ability. (Except in sports, right?)
He is failing because he's inadequate for the job. But he was elected, in part, because his race was the X factor. We wanted to make history and we allowed ourselves to believe that this charismatic multi-ethnic man was a savior of sorts.
Let's say, for arguent's sake, that Mr. Obama is as equally charismatic and articulate as Bill Clinton. Let's also say that that their charisma and speaking ability was what won over the majority vote. Even if both premises are true, the fact that one was successful in office and the other is flopping is because one was prepared to lead while the other is/was not. Charisma can only take you so far.
Where race comes into the equation is that we thought we saw a man prepared to lead. We talked ourselves into it. We justified away the red flags, if we even saw them.
Oh, we saw them...
Bitner - I say first greetings dear friend. I just came across this blog on accident and this is your friend Petey from the grand days of 3form...and I miss you indeed.
To your post, well written and thought provoking. In the spirit of full disclosure, I am right leaning in my political sympathies, yet I want anyone who hold the office of President to be successful at leading our nation. Up until this point, Mr. Obama has been a miserable failure. Even if we take his economic policy decisions out of the discussion, he has failed from his appointments of secretaries, czars, etc. to his "shove this down the American throat approach to health care reform"
I think that there were a number of different reasons people voted for Obama - including the topic at hand...but I am not sure that it had to do with racism, I think it was a bit more selfish than that. People wanted to feel "open minded" etc. Then there were those who simply didn't want Bush, and surely weren't interested in another oldish white guy who had a background in the military. Obama was/is and extremely talented orator and for some reason that makes the peasant in us feel safe. Its just too bad that some of the most terrible dictators in history were also great orators.
Interesting post and some good food for thought.
Petey! Great to hear from you broham.
Welcome to TTKS.
I just want to reiterate/agree that I don't think it's racism in the traditional sense. I can't really word it better than Steele does in his op-ed, but it's a sense of sophistication that we are manufacturing history by electing him, when all we're really doing is fooling ourselves that Obama was ready. And it's setting us back.
Hope to hear more from you Petey.
To Adam -- touche. When I say 'we'...I really mean 'they'... :)
I think that this mostly took place in the primary election. Clinton ran strongly on Obama's inability to lead, but I guess people are more excited to have a black president than a woman president.
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