Post racial post

Very true. [Link]

When Barack Obama ran for president, he campaigned as America's first "post-racial" president. He said that his election would be a great step towards ending the great racial divide in America.

Well, it's working. But not in a way that he intended. Not in a way that benefits him.

In the year-plus since Obama took office, those who oppose his policies have made that opposition quite clear and boisterous. And it's been heavily focused on the policies themselves, and the overarching philosophy that seems to guide them all.

But that hasn't stopped his supporters from frantically proclaiming that it's all about race, The opponents are motivated by racism, it's all about race, they wouldn't be against those policies (or, at least, as vocal as they are) if Obama wasn't half-black.

Author's note: Any time President Obama and racial identity is brought up, I intend to mention that he is half black and half white. To call him "black" is to deny half his ethnic heritage, and as long as that is an issue, his mother's ethnicity should never be denied or concealed or omitted.

This has had a wonderful -- but more subtle -- effect on race relations. All these accusations of "racism" have utterly diluted the allegation. Through overuse, they have watered down the power of the "R-Word" to the point where it's embraced, in a mocking tone, as a sign of pride by Obama critics.