AP put out a poll which essentially says white Democrats are racists.
Well, it's a refreshing change from the "all Republicans are racists" canard.
The poll says at least 1/3 of white Dems agree with one or more negative adjective about black people (such as "lazy").
I'd be terrible taking these sorts of polls because I'd never be sure how to answer them. Newsbusters has a sample of the questions, and I was left scratching my head.
How often have you felt sympathy for blacks?
How often have you felt admiration for blacks?
How well does each of these words describe most blacks?
Friendly, Determined to succeed, Law abiding, Hard-working, Intelligent at
school, Smart at everyday things, Good neighbors, Dependable, Keep up their
property, Violent, Boastful, Complaining, Lazy, Irresponsible
Some people say that black leaders have been trying to push too fast. Others feel that they haven’t pushed fast enough. What do you think?
How much of the racial tension that exists in the United States today do you think blacks are responsible for creating?
How much discrimination against blacks do you feel there is in the United States today, limiting their chances to get ahead?
Although all of the things listed below are important for a child to have, which do you think is most important for a child to have?
Which is the next most important for a child to have?
Newsbusters argues that many of the questions above were posed to white voters but not black ones as a way to reinforce the notion that whites are racists (but blacks are not). I would agree with that assessment, since a recurring theme of this election is how racist whites are gonna prevent Obama's coronation.
My problem with some of this is that I've known people of all hues who could fit into any and all of these categories. And is it really less racist if the stereotypes you harbor are positive, rather than negative ones? True, such stereotypes might not hurt a group as much, but they are still racist. And if you are voting for Obama based on his race, isn't that still racism?
One has to come to the conclusion that it isn't racism per se that is causing the hand-wringing. It's that someone may use their racism in a way that doesn't benefit Obama.
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