Some common sense on race from...the D&C?
I feel like the prospector who just found an actual gold nugget in a two-ton pile of fool's gold. The D&C's editorial page today has an editorial on race, sparked by the Supreme Court's recent ruling that Seattle schools can't divide up their schools using a tidy little race-recipe.
However, the editorial doesn't spend much time on that issue. Instead, it focuses on the importance of personal responsibility and how that issue is playing out in the Democratic presidential primary. Here's a quote I never expected to attribute to the D&C editorial page:
"Personal responsibility is key to the improvement of any group, and it's a concept that many politicians and black leaders avoid."This editorial even points out that Hillary Clinton is parroting the Democratic lines of the past: racism still exists and is responsible for the social ills of the black community. There's no surprise there. As the rich, white candidate, she can't afford to challenge the leaders of black America. Barack Obama, on the other hand, seems to be ready to start weaving in a pinch of the Bill Cosby treatment. Here's the Obama quote from the debate:
"It is absolutely critical for us to recognize that there are going to be responsibilities on the part of African Americans and other groups to take personal responsibility to rise up out of the problems that we face."Notice, of course, Obama's luxury in using the words "us" and "we." Will Obama really have the courage to attempt to inspire the black community rather than using the time-tested tactic of infuriating them about the persistence of racism in America? Moreover, could that actually work for a candidate? It could make for a primary with some actual substantive debate.
I must be daydreaming...
2 comments:
It's a shame, but you're right: even the discussion of race cannot be devoid of Race-Card Monty in this country. I don't think a white politician going into a black church during the election cycle is really able to make themselves heard unless they go out of their way to prove that they've understood the challenges the black community faces. The Republicans have never really been able to do much in this demographic precisely because their platform relies on personal responsibility. That, and they've not yet put up a black candidate for reasons I'll not speculate on here.
Meanwhile, I'm not entirely sure that Obama has as much lee-way with the black community as you might think. Certainly, he's able to discuss the problems facing black America in a much different way, perhaps one that could really spark something positive if it lasts that long. But of course, how far that goes once he really needs the cash for the campaign and starts laying on the butt-kissing routine remains to be seen.
On the bright side, they end up with Democratic entitlements and Republican bootstraps, which at least is no worse than the rest of us are getting.
You make a good point about the money catching up to Obama like everyone else. However, I'll be interested to see how he continues to talk while he's awash with cash early on.
As far as the republicans nominating a black candidate, I think we all know why that hasn't happened. I'll be the last conservative to pretend like prejudice no longer exists, especially south of the Mason Dixon Line. As for me, it's my dream to have a conservative black republican candidate who understands black America and can communicate with them effectively.
To be completely fair, I have to admit that personal responsibility is not exactly the flavor of the month in politics in general. That's not unique to the black community. Entitlements, however, seem to be more popular than ever. That scares me more than anything else, and it's why I'm encouraged to hear Obama talking the way he is, at least for now.
Post a Comment