Dreams From Racism

In all of the discussion of the Ayers issue, little has been said regarding the fact that terrorist bomber Bill Ayers donated money in 2001 to Barack Obama's State Senate campaign, nor has it seemingly occurred to anyone to ask Obama why he didn't give the money back. It is standard practice in politics to return donations given by unseemly figures and sources, for not to do so implies endorsement of the donor. It logically follows that Obama approves of terrorist bomber Bill Ayers. Why has he not been called to account?

Sure, Obama condemns Ayers now, after he's been confronted with him in a presidential election campaign, but he never returned the campaign donation and it hasn't prevented him, to use his campaign aide David Axelrod's words, from being "friendly" with terrorist bomber Bill Ayers. That a friend of a terrorist could be elected president is troublesome enough in itself, but in an era characterized by an existential struggle with jihadist terrorism, it sends a dangerous message to our enemies - that a weakling if not a closet sympathizer resides in the Oval Office. It is no surprise that Obama has a history of collusion with elements tied to Palestinian terrorism and that an official of Hamas said his group hopes he wins. What do these people know that we don't?

In discussions of race the onus is inevitably put on whites. The presumption is that whites who do not support Obama are possible closet racists thus somehow making their votes illegitimate. The fact that Obama will almost certainly receive over 40% of the white vote is overlooked as is the fact that well over 90% of the black community will vote for Obama. What accounts for this massive black support of Obama? What has John McCain done that makes him deserving of such a miniscule percentage of the black vote? Could it just possibly be racial? Could it be that the overwhelming black recoil against John McCain (one recent poll had him garnering all of 2% of the black vote) is due at least in part to racism? Answer: of course, but don't expect in depth investigative reports on CNN probing the psyche of American blacks uncovering their real motives. That sort of scrutiny is reserved for elderly white people, a demographic which will certainly vote in much heavier numbers for Obama than any black demographic will vote for McCain.

Perhaps more importantly, Obama himself is very much the racist, so it is particularly infuriating to watch liberals in the media ascribe racism to whites who vote against him. Essentially liberal media elites have put white America on notice: either vote for their anointed black racist or be suspected of racism. Such cockeyed logic is what passes for journalism nowadays.

2. Obama named his second book, The Audacity of Hope, after a sermon by Wright of the same name where Wright states that "white folks' greed runs a world in need." Obama quotes this without the slightest criticism. (Dreams, p. 293) We are all familiar with Obama's election year condemnation of Rev. Wright's similarly charged remarks regarding whites, America, etc., making the improbable claim that he wasn't in church those days. Yet what is "white folks' greed runs a world in need" if not vitriol of a similar strain, vitriol included in a sermon that Obama heard by his own admission and the title of which he used for his second book?

3. Dreams contains two revealing instances which offer a peek into the mind of Obama. In one instance while in Kenya, he notes with derision the pale, skinny legs of white tourists he saw while living in Hawaii. (p. 312) Just a page earlier (p. 311) he rhapsodizes about the liberating effect of seeing so many black faces in visiting Africa. This may seem petty, until one is reminded that the media and 'anti-racist' groups like the Southern Poverty Law Center take seriously such 'prejudice tests' which gauge the visual reactions of people to various racial types. Obama would no doubt score poorly on such a test.

4. Obama has shown strong affinity for Malcolm X, particularly resonating with Malcolm's ranting diatribe wishing he could kill his white forebear, thus removing the 'stain' of white blood. (Dreams, p. 86) Obama of course is half white. His mother was white.

6. In discussing his father Obama relates how he employed racial rhetoric. At one point, his father, in criticizing him for not helping in his 'people's struggle', demands that he 'wake up black man!' Needless to say, Obama does not criticize this racially charged broadside. Quite the contrary. It clearly has a strong effect on him. In fact, he uses similarly charged language himself referring to blacks as a 'mighty race'. Of course, if the roles were reversed, and a white politician related his favorable response to an exhortation to 'wake up white man!', we all know what the reaction would be. So much for the 'post-racial' candidate.

We are witnessing a highly sophisticated snakeoil campaign using the cutting edge of slick marketing. Whether it will be successful is unknown. But Lincoln's old line that you can fool some of the people all of the time is true, and is certainly true in this instance.