Race in the race

As promised, I am only writing when there is something to write about which, as the signal-to-noise ratio plummets in the final stage of the campaign, is less and less often. But I thought I’d comment on the right-wing reaction to Colin Powell’s endorsement of Barack Obama.

I suppose the neocons and theocons have good reason to scorn General Powell. Powell is a war hero who lead America’s most successful military operation since World War II and who gave his name to a military doctrine that required the use of overwhelming force only in the defense of America’s vital national security interests and always with an exit plan. They hate him for that alone. But they disdain him because they were able to twist him into presenting their trumped-up case against Iraq to the UN. You cannot trust anybody that you have lied to. They believed that they had housebroken General Powell, and imagine their surprise that he is standing-up to them at this moment. And so they have set about diminishing his credibility.

Today, Rush Limbaugh has said loudly (does he ever say anything any other way?) and often that Powell’s endorsement was “about nothing but race”. I don’t like to over-react to the provocations of buffoons, but it’s a disgraceful comment, one Powell and Obama are too dignified to respond to. And yet it deserves a response and it isn’t hard to provide one. Here it is:

So, Rush, are you supporting McCain just because he’s a white guy or are you opposing Obama just because he’s a black guy?

That’s the next stop on the tramline of logic Limbaugh is applying to Powell’s endorsement. The most generous interpretation is that any endorsement of a candidate by a person of the same race is racially motivated. Of course, nobody will ask Limbaugh that question. But if they did, I assume he would suggest that he is supporting McCain because of his myriad qualifications; it’s just Powell who is voting purely on race.

So, Rush, white folks are capable of weighing the issues but black folks just vote on race?

I know Limbaugh is just a clown who is paid millions to spew right wing jibberish. It seems silly to be outraged by his comments. But when you follow the logical thread of this one, it is so deeply racist that it cries out for response.

I don’t think every attack on Obama or his supporters is motivated by racism, but I know enough to call a spade a spade.