Sad But True – Most people who don’t like Obama aren’t racist but are called that anyway

Photo from Patterico.

Liberty Scott pulls no punches.

So it is, naturally, more complicated than Carter says. I’ve been strongly opposed to Obama, not because of race – indeed his election was a positive sign about the state of racism in the US – but because of his policies. Discussion about his policies and philosophy have long been shrouded by the over enthusiasm for his ability to speak. The content of what he says has been secondary. He campaigned on change, but rarely mentioned what that was, with his own Senate record being one of following almost every leftwing Democrat to vote. None of that showed independent thinking or a willingness to be open minded, rather a basic level of partisanship.

The Obama hype has produced a backlash, from some it is a genuine opposition to a President who believes more government is good, for others it may shroud wider xenophobic and racial suspicions, but I suspect a good part of the opposition represents the dividing line in US politics between the liberal coasts and the conservative centre and south. A dividing line that those who benefit from it seek to emphasise, which exacerbates it. Attacks on George W. Bush and Sarah Palin have long been venal, sometimes I have agreed, but for those who peddle such attacks to claim attacks on Obama are racist is somewhat disingenuous. It is also unwise.

I agree that Obama’s election was a wonderful thing from the point of view that it could no longer be said that a “white male” had to be president.

Unfortunately, it didn’t prove that america ignored skin colour and looked at a man’s character. People might prefer Obama over Bush, but the fact is that Bush ran for president from a successful governorship of a very large state, while Obama came to power with almost nothing to commend him but the ability to speak well.

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