...but the import of the question remains the same, Jeb

This term is seriously clouding the minds of all who use it (since it doesn't exist, as there is only one race.) But there very definitely is what has been called "ethno-nationalism". Those ideologues who ,from afar, despise the values of rednecks and blue collar workers, the real backbone of the country, are finding out that while you can outmaneuver people, and perhaps achieve a worthy goal, if you run it into the ground, people resent it. I'm referring to the worthy goal of "Civil Rights": to extend it to Blacks, once it became clear that there is really only one "Race". Running it into the ground is when forced social integration is demanded as a "Right", and enforced by laws and bayonets. The chickens are coming home to roost. The demand that we consider people of another culture just as "one of the family" is a doomed enterprise, here as well as in so many other places in the world . If "assimilation" is not voluntary, it won't work. The Libs are deluding themselves, because those who resent this whole scenario are quite often not eloquent enough to explain their feelings clearly, (even if they are conscious positions). Just because they don't talk about it doesn't mean they've changed their minds.The US is fracturing along "cultural "lines, and it is not PC to even discuss it. Our loss. disigny

This term is seriously clouding the minds of all who use it (since it doesn't exist, as there is only one race.) But there very definitely is what has been called "ethno-nationalism". Those ideologues who ,from afar, despise the values of rednecks and blue collar workers, the real backbone of the country, are finding out that while you can outmaneuver people, and perhaps achieve a worthy goal, if you run it into the ground, people resent it. I'm referring to the worthy goal of "Civil Rights": to extend it to Blacks, once it became clear that there is really only one "Race". Running it into the ground is when forced social integration is demanded as a "Right", and enforced by laws and bayonets. The chickens are coming home to roost. The demand that we consider people of another culture just as "one of the family" is a doomed enterprise, here as well as in so many other places in the world . If "assimilation" is not voluntary, it won't work. The Libs are deluding themselves, because those who resent this whole scenario are quite often not eloquent enough to explain their feelings clearly, (even if they are conscious positions). The US is fracturing along "cultural "lines, and it is not PC to even discuss it. disigny

Ahh yes, the good old rightwing counterpoint to people not wanting the environment shot to hell - lets destroy nature now so that we can get about one month's worth of oil for Japan from a previously unspoiled natural preserve. Yay! Brilliant idea.

Meanwhile those of us who have actually read up on the subject have figured out that drilling ANWAR isn't going to help. What is going to help is tightening America's fuel economy standards on its cars - thus boosting America's ability to sell those cars overseas, reducing the effects of high oil prices on the consumer and oh yeah, lowering demand for oil.

Plus being less hawkish when speaking to the world's major oil producer's couldn't hurt. Threatening nuclear war against the one and trying to return the west to a cold war with the other isn't exactly helping prices at the pump.

The solution is to move away from such high dependence on oil, not to screw up the environment in a bid to get more of it.

That anybody is still stupid enough to fall for Bush talking points on ANWAR after being slapped in the face with how wrong the rightwing has been on everything else does not speak well of America's education system.

Joan, You asked this question "how much will white racism hurt Obama?" To answer that question "NOT HAVE AS MUCH AS BLACK RACISM HAS HURT SENATOR CLINTON."

The exit polls show that many Clinton primary supporters would vote for McCain over Obama in November. What the pollsters didn't ask -- and it's a shame -- is how would those Clinton primary supporters vote in a race between McCain and Clinton? They'd likely vote McCain.

These are people who consistently vote Republican in presidential elections. Faced with a choice between Clinton and Obama on their primary ballot, some of them vote for Clinton because Obama is black and some vote for Clinton because she supported the war and McCain's ridiculous gas-tax holiday. (No doubt some potential McCain voters supported Obama because Clinton's a woman, or because they see Obama as a change agent, but that's a much smaller number in Appalachia.)

One question, though. How does the staff of a Kentucky politician not know that racism still exists? I mean, really.

I don’t think the Democrats could have chosen two worse candidates for president if they wanted to be competitive in the South. But since, we are talking about racial prejudice, I will I will reserve my remarks to the (any) black candidate. Rest assured racism is very much well and alive throughout the south. There are many white people here that would sooner cut off their arm before they would vote a nigger in as President. No amount of words can convey the revulsion that a southerner naturally feels when they think about a nigger leading the country. These are offspring of families that endured the “War of Yankee Aggression.” In the minds of many, the war was fought and lost but it is never forgotten. If Obama becomes president, I would not at all be surprised to hear from people in my state, a revival of a call to secede from the union. Racism is not a passion; it is a fervent belief. I know southern whites who intentionally voted for Obama in the primary just so they would have the pleasure of seeing him go down to defeat to a Republican candidate in the general election this fall. In the 20 years I have lived in the south, I have yet to see a southern bigot change their thinking. It is like part of their DNA. It also cuts across all socio-economic classes. There are of course exceptions but they are almost a statistical anomaly.

To truly understand the subtleties of a white southerner’s politics, sexism, racism and/or any other “ism” you would have to spend time living in the south. Most political reporting is surface level and does not capture the undertones and largely unspoken deep prejudices of white southerners. Here is one example that captures the level of racial prejudice that exists in everyday life here. There is a nice white lady in my neighborhood that has lived in the South her whole life (over 60 years.) She’s a registered Democrat and has run for office here locally as a Democrat but never won. As most everyone knows, most southern Democrats are black. If you are a white Democrat then one would assume you are not a racist. (Of course, I have yet to meet a racist that admits to being a racist.) Another neighbor of mine who is in his late 30’s and has a family, grew up in the neighborhood and was a playmate of this lady’s kids and he said to me a few years ago that the lady has nigger blood in her. Now, I don’t think he really believes this but I do think this is how he repudiates a person’s racial tolerance towards blacks. I know that there has been books written on race relations in the South but I believe unless you live here, you can’t fully appreciate the depth and conviction of racial prejudice. It is neither overt nor openly ugly.

The greatest population shift in history, the migration from the north to the south, has occurred over a single generation. Based on my experience, southerners have been far more effective in changing racial attitudes of transplanted Yankees than vice versa. If I had more time I would elaborate on this point. In any case, it comes as no surprise to me that the country has been moving away from the liberal left to slightly right of center as the result of the shifting demographics of the country. Despite the shifting demographics, I cannot imagine how any black candidate could win the white vote in the south. In the minds of some multi generational southerners, this election will be cast as a reengagement of the Civil War! But with blacks allowed to vote now, the outcome should be the same. Unfortunately, if Obama should win and I think he will, I anticipate racial prejudices to grow bitterer throughout the country. This would be played out in both subtle and obvious ways in the halls of Congress. So as a liberal white male living in this part of the world on this day, I must say that there could not be three worse candidates running for President assuming we want to make any meaningful improvements to our economy, health care system, social security, global warming, peace and security. For very different reasons, neither McCain, Obama, nor Clinton will be able to be an effective leader and bring the country together for the greater good. Maybe this time I will be wrong – I hope so!