Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Oh Boy

Some people have lately been featuring a video from 2008 of Jimmy Carter--the scourge of imaginary racists--referring to Barack Obama as a "black boy."

There's obviously no racist intent in what he's saying. (Obvious to me, anyway.) It's his underlying message I find disturbing. He was making the fairly common argument back then that just nominating or electing a black man would have positive effects in America and, indeed, the world.

This kind of racially based thinking is troubling. Perhaps it's nice to note another racial barrier coming down (it's the last major political one I can think of), but after that ten seconds of pleasure, what counts are the programs and policies the politician supports. Concentrating on his race rather than his ideas moves us in the wrong direction.

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