Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Towards a politically correct conservatism...

given all this, still obama was elected. racism is there, was there, but doesn't account for everyone.
ken

On 6/22/12 7:46 PM, Ikhide wrote:

Folks,

 

Ta-Nehisi Coates is a senior editor for The Atlantic, where he writes about culture, politics, and social issues for TheAtlantic.com and the magazine. He is the author of the memoir The Beautiful Struggle. I have enjoyed reading his two part series with the above title starting with this and ending with his thoughts on what he views as the single most important force against Barack Obama here.

 

Hear him on Obama:

 

"But over the course of the Obama presidency I have become convinced that no single force exerts a greater pull on his presidency than white racism. Not white resentment. Not white populism. White racism. I don't know how else to explain a health care denounced as reparations, the rather continuous disrespect, the sense that he is a Kenyan illegitimate or all of the attendant theories. I do not know how else to explain a state like West Virginia, arguably the most racist in the country, where delegates are now refusing to endorse the president.

There will be more on this in the coming months. I don't want to scoop myself. But my point is I can only stop talking about racism, when it ceases to be a significant force in our politics. When the mere act of being white gives Obama's opponent "a home-state advantage nationally," I can't stop. It would be deeply wrong to stop."

 

Fighting words. But we must stand by President Obama, despite himself and our anxieties. It is counter-intuitive I know, but the alternative will not help us one bit.

- Ikhide

 

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--   kenneth w. harrow   distinguished professor of english  michigan state university  department of english  east lansing, mi 48824-1036  ph. 517 803 8839  harrow@msu.edu