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OBAMA'S RACIAL CATCH-22.
My colleague Adam Serwer has written the most thoughtful analysis I've read of the complex, subtle, but central role race is playing in this campaign:
The rapturous coverage of the Obama campaign during the primary was less about Obama himself than it was America congratulating itself for being willing to consider a black man for president, with the subtext being that the United States had finally liberated itself from its racist past. It established an unspoken contract that Obama's success was proof that racism is no longer a serious problem, thus preempting any further discussion on the subject. But even as the mainstream media all but trumpeted his nomination as the end of racism in the United States, Obama continues to face a series of arbitrary and shifting public tests merely because he is black. His dilemma remains that the only way to succeed is to pretend that this double standard does not exist. He has to extricate himself from an ongoing racial competition between blacks and whites, where the prosperity of one is seen as detrimental to the other.[...]This is one of those "read the whole thing" sort of articles.In a dispute about race, the McCain campaign knows it will end up with the larger half. For the most part, most white people's experience with race isn't one of racial discrimination. They can only relate to racial discrimination in the abstract. What white people can relate to is the fear of being unjustly accused of racism. This is the larger half. This is why allegations of racism often provoke more outrage than actual racism, because most of the country can relate to one (the accusation of racism) easier than the other (actual racism). For this reason, in a political conflict over race, the McCain campaign has the advantage, because saying the race card has been played is actually the ultimate race card.
This is another reason why Barack Obama's unsolicited remarks about how Republicans might use race against him were so ill-advised and a troubling departure from his standard approach to race. Perhaps the endless stereotypes and double standards he faces as a black candidate -- accusations of being a Muslim, of being a black separatist, of being arrogant -- have taken their toll. Directly acknowledging these stereotypes and double standards would be even more dangerous for Obama, because many white people see his campaign as proof that these types of racism no longer exist, which is unfortunately part of his emotional appeal as a candidate. This is why the campaign needs to avoid dealing with race in the context of his rivalry with McCain whenever possible.
COMMENTS (8)
Digby had an evocative name for this dilemma Obama is in. He has to play by "Jackie Robinson rules."
Let's also remember that the people who would be "leading" this discourse are our media, who aren't equipped to deal sensitively and with anything other than the death of Tim Russert--that hagiography session was their idea of sensitivity.
We were just subjected to ten days or so endlessly "debating" presumption, based on the comments of Republican operatives.
It's going to be a long campaign.
Posted by: riffle | August 4, 2008 12:21 PM
There have always been Americans who would vote for a black candidate. There will always be Americans who would never vote for a black candidate. The emotional appeal is not that the second group has disappeared. It is that the first group just might now be large enough so that the voices heard are not saying "Is America ready?" but saying "I'm an American. I've always been ready. You got a problem with that?"
Posted by: apm | August 4, 2008 12:23 PM
What white people can relate to is the fear of being unjustly accused of racism. This is the larger half. This is why allegations of racism often provoke more outrage than actual racism, because most of the country can relate to one (the accusation of racism) easier than the other (actual racism).
Lessee.....the accusation of racism is a larger problem than racism itself. And, praytell, how did we get here?
Well, it was the liberals who have been obsessed with race and has used it as a weapon until everyone cringes, even when there is none.
Liberals have created this system and now, they must deal with it.
Tough Noogie
Posted by: El Viajero | August 4, 2008 12:23 PM
LIBERALS created using racism as a weapon in politics?!? are you kidding?
Posted by: john b | August 4, 2008 1:09 PM
"[T]he accusation of racism is a larger problem than racism itself."
Er -- no. Being falsely accused of racism is, for the vast majority of people, an annoyance or an embarrassment (and sometimes a learning experience into where people draw the bounds of offensiveness WRT their own identities). However, being on the receiving end of racism makes one vulnerable to violence (extrajudicial and legally-sanctioned), economic dislocation, unemployment, and much more.
Basically, you're saying that having one's feelings hurt ("Racist? But I've got Reasonable Doubt on my iPod!") is equal to the experiences of African-Americans in, say, Jena, or Vidor, or Jasper -- not to mention the experiences of South and East Asians, Arabs and Hispanics. Me, I don't buy that.
Posted by: tWB | August 4, 2008 2:30 PM
Serwer's latest post, on the growing movement against another surge in Afghanistan, is also a great read. Check it out!
Posted by: Taylor | August 4, 2008 3:19 PM
I've had many, many more experiences of having to deal with some racist asshole (who usually follows up with "but I'm not a racist") than I have had experiences of being falsely accused of racism.
Cue Jeff Foxworthy imitation: If you are more often confronted for racism than confronted by racism ... then you might be a racist!
Posted by: MikeT | August 4, 2008 4:08 PM
I saw a bumper sticker the other day:
"Barrack Hussein Obama for President... are you f...ing kidding me!"
For every one that's willing to put this out in public, there will be thousands, maybe tens of thousands who only think it, and maybe millions who don't consciously think it, but who would never vote for a black man.
I'm proud of the Democrats for taking this risk... but it nonetheless IS a great risk.
Posted by: Jim G | August 5, 2008 10:25 AM