Monday, September 14, 2009
It Must Be Racism [Ramesh Ponnuru]
Jonathan Martin reports that there's a party-wide consensus among Democrats that racial animus is a significant force in the opposition to President Obama. (This sort of thing is, incidentally, one of the reasons I never thought that Obama's election would be all that helpful for American race relations: What if he failed, or even started to show signs of failing?)
I'll leave it to others to dissect the claim that Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst last week expressed racism, as I find the topic too stupid and depressing for words. I had to smile, though, at Martin's passage on Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.
Martin writes:
Johnson is a somewhat-reserved, nine-term member of Congress, more gracious southern lady than racial bomb-thrower. She enjoyed a warm personal relationship with fellow Texan George W. Bush when he was in the White House and fondly recalled their ability to get along, divergent politics aside.
But she said the disdain for this president, especially sharp in her home state, had reached a point where it had become necessary to speak out.
“It’s hurting the spirit of this country,” Johnson said, citing concerns about what the rest of the world may think about a powerful nation where a significant segment of the population does not accept their elected leader as legitimate.
Luckily, we didn't have this problem at any point in the eight years previous to the administration.
Or maybe Rep. Johnson spoke out then, too, in defense of her fellow Texan?
09/14 11:41 AM
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