Ruthie, Ruthie, Ruthie...

Attn: Ruth Ann Dailey, Columnist, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Dear Ms. Dailey,

The column you published yesterday on the supposed use of white liberal guilt to rally support for Obama has to be one of the most comical attempts at a right wing polemic I have ever seen. Never mind not living up to the standards of William F. Buckley or George Will; you aren't even in the same arena with Ann Coulter or Michelle Malkin.

First, the evidence you back your assertion with is at best weak. You cite the remarks of only three figures to support your claim. (Really only two when you consider that one at the end of the column, Colin Powell, seems to have been shoe-horned in at the last minute when his support for Obama was made public on Sunday.) Three people-Powell, Rep. John Murtha, and Gov. Ed Rendell-can hardly be said to represent the overall trend of Democratic rhetoric.

What is especially amusing is that one figure you quote was not supporting Sen. Obama, while you blatantly misrepresent another. As you admit in your column, Gov. Rendell was arguing for Sen. Hillary Clinton when he warned that many white Pennsylvanian voters would not support a black candidate. Although you try to portray this as liberal elitism, you have to wonder whether Gov. Rendell knows a bit more about Pennsylvania politics than you do, given that he has won two state-wide elections here. Furthermore, your own newspaper recently published an article featuring interviews with a number of these voters. Your co-workers are cutting you off at the knees.

Particularly galling is your misrepresentation of Powell's remarks. You make reference to a short passage in his interview with Meet the Press in which he referred to the election of Sen. Obama as offering a chance at a generational change. You treat this as the entirety of his remarks, when anyone who reads about them can see is not true. Powell cites a number of reasons for backing Sen. Obama, including his position on the economy and the inexperience of Gov. Palin. The latter issue has also been noted by a number of conservatives, including Peggy Noonan hardly people one would expect to associate with liberal guilt.

Face it, Ruthie, your candidate is unable to fight it out on the issues, so he and minions like you are trying to distract everyone with irrelevant side issues.

An Incident Observed at Shop-Rite

My mother observed this incident yesterday at a Shop-Rite in the Kensington neighborhood, where a police officer was recently killed during a bank robbery.

A woman was talking with her husband about the robbery, complaining that the bank should have an around the clock guard, and blaming the “goddamn n-----s.” All this was said in a loud voice, in a produce section full of people of all races.

This incident is a testament to the racism often found amid the white working class. This has relevance not only to race relations in Philadelphia, but also to the 2008 presidential campaign. The fact is, whether or not people want to talk about it, a certain portion of the working class is opposing Obama because he is African-American. This may not be all of the reason behind working class opposition to Obama, but it is certainly a part of it.

Losing Faith in Obama

Senator Obama's rejection of Rev. Jeremiah Wright comes as a great disappointment to me. I saw Rev. Wright on Bill Moyers Jounal recently, and found myself agreeing with much of what he said. I particularly agreed with his point that if America goes around using terroristic tactics against third world countries, it will inevitably provoke a brutal backlash. The only thing I saw as questionable was his idiotic belief that the US government created AIDS.

Not all Obama supporters agree, though. Andrew Sullivan applauds Sen. Obama's denunciation of Rev. Wright. In one particularly amusing line, he condemns Rev. Wright's attack on America's brutal treatment of Nicaragua during the 80s. I suppose the Contras were just fine, upstanding gentlemen then?

Obama, Religion, and Race

The clip posted below features the full speech Senator Barack Obama gave yesterday regarding the recent press frenzy over controversial remarks made by his pastor.
They offer many insights into the issue of race in America.

Sen. Obama rightly points out that his election will not solve all of our racial problems. At the same time, he notes that as people come together, we will form a more united people. An African-American president will mark a great step toward racial progress.

The Senator also notes that just because someone is his pastor does not mean that he endorses everything that person believes or says. He further points out the great racial divide in American religion, and the difference in black and white religious practices.

Beyond that, I'll let the Senator speak for himself. His words are far more eloquent than mine.

Will Blacks Back Barack?

Andrew Sullivan reports that Barack Obama may just stand a chance at gaining the support of black Americans. Although he cites no statistics, Sullivan points to reports that some African-Americans are tired of Hillary Clinton taking their support for granted. He uses this as evidence for his contention that an African-American would stand a chance at being elected President.

I am not totallly convinced one way or the other. I certainly hope that at this point people have gotten past prejudice enough to elect an African-American to the executive office. Nonetheless, I must take issue with Sullivan's certainty on the matter, especially when it comes to lower middle class and working class white people. My own experience tells it isn't the case.

Furthermore, we have to consider the experience of the African-Americans themselves, who are very doubtful about the matter. I just can't believe that a gay, Catholic Englishman is better position to just the racial situation than the African-Americans themselves. Sorry, Andy...