Holy shit...what is with half the blog not posting? The rest is here:

As a white woman, mother to a biracial son, and staunch Obama supporter I was stunned by the simplistic ignorance of Shelby Steels viewpoint. In the Time article “The Identity Card” the author separates all black Americans into two groups- the “bargainers” and the “challengers”. Bargainers are those who bend and offer compromise. Challengers question motive and intent and trust only when proof is offered.
The bargainer is a thinly veiled Uncle Tom who kowtows to white America. While the challenger is lauded almost to hero statues, able to fight racism with a single press conference. What Mr. Steele fails to realize is that these are indeed not racial traits- but human characteristics. They are acted out in every society without regard to racial makeup. From the beginning of time we have separated ourselves into “us” and “them”. It is not a racist trait- it is an innate desire to survive. "Can I trust you" is a legitimate question until you know someone’s motives. Does that make it ok? No, in fact a rush to judgment can be dangerous. By stating that these are the only behaviors available and espoused by one race is so simplistic and, uh racist.
For instance I am a bargainer and my sister is a challenger. We are both white. I would like to believe these are not our only traits. The author doesn’t give that same benefit to black America. He quickly classifies every black person into one of those two categories and then goes on to explain how bargainers like Obama and Oprah serve to allow white America to pat themselves on the shoulder for not being racist.
I believe that the reason white people are drawn to Obama has nothing to do with our desire to forget our racist past. True there are those in our society, both black and white, who subscribe to the let sleeping dogs lie philosophy. I don’t believe this is a desire to closet our racist feeling. It is a belief based on fear. They truly believe that the wound of racism has been stitched closed and to drag up the past would rip out those stitches. What they fail to realize is that you can’t just close an infected wound. It will only fester, creating a poison which threatens the body as a whole.
The author implies that the bargainers suffer from a lack of self identity. He offers up as evidence Obama’s attendance at a predominantly black church in Chicago which “his own mother could never have felt comfortable in.” This view smacks of narrow mindedness and illuminates the shadow of a rather large chip on the shoulder of the author. Has he found his own people to be so petty and small? I haven’t. We find family where it makes itself available. Obama found acceptance in his church and it is very likely his mother would have felt the same pull.
If Obama is indeed a bargainer, it is because of his assuredness of who he is, not lack of identity. People who are comfortable in their own skin can take the time to evaluate another’s position. It is the person desperately gathering ideals around them who are blind to the opportunity reasoning provides.
Has Obama questioned who he is as a person? God I hope so! Right now we are dealing with the effects of having a president who considers “Self Reflection” what you do when you shave in the morning.
Is racism alive in America? Yes... But the day when a majority of white Americans can look at a black President and not only see themselves but who they wish their children to be, the weights of justice shift.