That there are still racists in America is an ugly truth, and it shouldn’t be ignored, but the timing, tone, and taking-off point of this front page piece in the Washington Post seem to emphasize one of the absolutely least newsworthy aspects of Obama’s campaign: Some people won’t vote for a black person — just because he’s black. Hey, Hillary’s been telling us that for months!
More seriously, you talk to enough people, you’re going to turn up a racist or two. Most reporters have probably come across at least one in this long campaign season — I have — the attitude is ugly and awful, but whether or not it’s representative is another matter. The sheer numbers voting for Obama would suggest it’s not. What’s more, giving these clowns (the racists, I mean) a front page story does a huge injustice to, you know, the non-racists non-Obama supporters. Yes, there are some! And whether Obama wins or loses the nomination, whether he wins or loses in November, many, many people will find reasons to not vote for him. Some of them will be stupid, some of them will be malicious, and some of them may simply prefer another candidate. That’s usually how democracy works.