Obama name-checks Israeli comedy show in speech. Funny stuff.
I had a funny experience yesterday, one that taught me on a whole new level the barriers on the way to any significant dimunition of the role of race and racialized politicking in our country. It came from the response to this post I wrote on the zero sum dynamics of race and American politics. Read More
Chris Christie isn’t saying whether he’ll sign a bill banning ‘gay conversion’ therapy for minors.
House Tea Partiers pledge loyalty and support to Rand Paul on immigration reform.
TPM Reader V just can’t handle the nonsense …
I think Mr. Higgins does have a (semi-minor) point: Democrats love to say that Obama-haters and even Republicans in general hate Obama because they cannot stand the idea of a black man in the White House.
But that’s clearly not entirely true. If the black man happened to be Herman Cain, they’d be fine with that. Even Colin Powell might get a pass from them though he is poisonously moderate for today’s GOP (not to mention that little episode at the UN which thoroughly soiled his credibility and judgement forever).
I’ll be doing a Live Chat at TPMPrime today at 5:15 PM eastern. Get your questions in now and join me then.
TPM Reader LF wonders about what’s going on in that bubble …
Your post begins with the basic absurdity that Republicans have been looking for ways to add the black vote to the white racist vote, which suggests the absurdity of a party whose policy prescriptions hat appeal to white racists AND minorities. But, Higgins could read it the way he suggests, either through willful misreading or, possibly more likely, a complete misunderstanding of the term that you use to anchor your original post–“racial politics.” You never say that “policy” which attracts minorities would out off white racists–but rather say that “racial politics” would do that.