Some of My Best Friends...

As I've been watching the analysis- as it were- of the Oregon and Kentucky primaries I am struck by the earnestness of some of the punditry that suggests some explanation or another of the difference in the voting behaviors of what we are calling "ethnic whites" in these states. What is particularly striking about their sincerity is that they speak as if the various explanations they offer are credible, though none include the fact necessary for credibility: of these two states only one sits on the side of the Ohio river that was slave territory.

Oh right, I forgot to mention Barack Obama is a black guy and black people used to be slaves in the United States. I think that might matter.

Back to the pundits.

None want to think that this has anything to do with Barack Obama's performance in Kentucky, specifically with those "ethnic whites". It's strange to see all manner of explanations offered while the obvious issue of racism is overlooked. Of course, it may be difficult to broach that subject because none of the exit polls ask; "Did you not vote for Obama because you are racist?" or more pointedly, and likely to get at the issue: "Did you not vote for Obama because he's a [N-word]?" (Sorry, I can't even bring myself to type it- it is not merely impolite but meant to kill. I am a baby about some things.) And if you don't have the hard data that prove ethnic whites didn't vote for Obama because they think, "I don't hate black people, white people are just somehow better," then you can't say it. This seems to me similar to the non-treatment John McCain's pursuit and subsequent rejection of Hagee's and Parsley's endorsements has received.

They are the kind of things we'd rather not talk about because we would have to confront that there is a good deal of ugly inside us as a people. Sure, few Americans are hood-wearing, mouth-breathing racists, still, some of those that run forces, are the same that burn crosses.

Oh that doesn't make the point. The point being that our racism is subtle and pervasive.

It is the racism of this:
The Qweenbean: I don't think I've ever seen this many black people on the news (commenting on the recent surge in the number of commentators that have to be black in order to be allowed to say things about Barack)
skybalon: Sure you have
The Qweenbaen: When?
skybalon: Remember Katrina?

To be clear, I don't think The Qweenbean's racist in noticing more black people on the news though the way know and weigh some of the physical differences in people is part of a racist world. Rather the subtle racism is in the construction and performance of the need for black people that are present to make comments particular comments about Obama.

What? Forget it. The point is we don't want the language and resources to properly confront it because then we would either have to properly confront it or concede that we are very sympathetic to the racism that currently exists as the status quo. We have a way of being that is dependent upon thinking of difference as not entirely a matter of negative "otherness" but a "less than" kind of difference. We may not use pejorative, humanity-killing words to describe people different from us, but we know that the difference is not merely difference but is a matter that carries a measure of worth.