I am writing this not as a supporter of any presidential candidate, but as a concerned citizen.

Charges of “playing the race card” are out-of-control and causing great damage to our social fabric. I would like a clear definition of “racism” and “racist” from the accusers. Self-serving individuals may lodge complaints of “bias” in order to advance their own ends. Some citizens of goodwill make claims of racism that strike others as blatantly wrongheaded. “Playing the race card” and, indeed, charging that one has played the race card typically involves jumping to a conclusion that is not always compelled by the facts.

Do we, or do we not, care about the larger social injustices in our country? As politicians, the candidates’ behavior may not be exemplary, but they are politicians, and they should be able to deal with grievances on the campaign trail without turning them into a *federal* case. These constant slings and arrows, fueled by the ratings-hungry media mongers, are a sideshow, one that should be largely disregarded in a campaign. But, no. The media (KO included) loves to stir up the petty to juice the bottom line.

I realize I’m in the minority here, but I think these charges of racism (and genderism, for that matter) are designed to draw attention to the trivial, so that less attention is focused on the pressing need to talk about substance, and moving forward an agenda of social and racial justice.

Analysts of racial controversies are usually either identifiable as liberal or conservative. And liberals are the bigger knee-jerks on the topic. I thought, before this campaign cycle, that we were further along on race but obviously we still have a great distance to go. Younger people are generally quite comfortable in a diverse society -- some older people, not so much, it seems. When John Edwards was still in the Democratic race, Americans had a good story to tell -- we were finding it difficult to choose between Edwards, Obama and Clinton, with issues mattering more than race or gender.

As we know a sacred cow is often unreasonably immune from criticism. I think we’re headed for a world of upset and possibly explosive events, if we continue to yell “racism” at the slightest...well, slight. We’re 50 years into Martin Luther King, Jr’s civil rights movement -- it would be a shame if we now fail on delivering on our promise of social and racial justice, and continue to lose ground.

Oh...and Alex, thanks for your article. I believe you put a lot of heart and soul into it.

Because no matter what my accomplishments are, what kind of education I have or what kind of person I AM, the color of my skin informs what people immediately think of me--that I'm slow, can't think, that I somehow coasted to where I am because of handouts.

Gee, stop turning yourself into a doormat. Maybe people don't think you're slow, can't think, or coasted...maybe it's your imagination. Maybe you think people are thinking that, so that's your preconceived notion if you don't get the job.

Hey, TRenee, if you didn't think so negatively, you'd probably do swell in any job interview. Try it.

How is it that Geraldine Ferraro's comments are more contemptible than Barack Obama's pastor's comments? Obama's pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, is an advisor to his campaign, just as Ferraro is said to be an advisor to Clinton.

I realize it's not apples to apples, but really....why hasn't Obama been challenged to ask his pastor of over 20 years to refrain from this kind of rhetoric:

An ABC News review of dozens of Rev. Wright's sermons, offered for sale by the church, found repeated denunciations of the U.S. based on what he described as his reading of the Gospels and the treatment of black Americans.

"The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing 'God Bless America.' No, no, no, God damn America, that's in the Bible for killing innocent people," he said. "God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme."

Anyone who thinks s/he has the answer to the outcome of the general election is, to put it bluntly, playing with himself/herself.

Fewer than 30 million people have voted in the 2008 Democratic caucuses and primaries. In the 2004 general election 122+ million votes were cast.

Anyone who believes one can extrapolate voting blocs (except perhaps the almost monolithic black vote if Obama is the Dem candidate) from the primary results is on a fool's errand.

However, if Obama is the Dem candidate, I predict that he won't be elected, because the Rethuglican machine will use, to their advantage, a long list of "scary" things to frighten the masses into submission -- and it will be an easy task, given the available fodder. Not saying I agree with it, but's that's the reality.

Oh...McCain will stay above the fray? Sure. LOL. His "surrogates" sure won't.

hahaha

Based on previous observations, experience and reason, I made a "prediction" which is not the same as "knowing" the outcome.

I based my prediction on the tactics that will undoubtedly be used against him.

If those tactics aren't used, he might win.

Where's your hand in this?

http://obama.senate.gov/news/050626-when_it_comes_to_race_obama_ma/

Obama acknowledges, with no small irony, that he benefits from his race.

If he were white, he once bluntly noted, he would simply be one of nine freshmen senators, almost certainly without a multimillion-dollar book deal and a shred of celebrity. Or would he have been elected at all?

Dick Cheney's main reason for his Middle East trip is to mobilize support for attacking Iran. All the other stuff is just cover.