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<p>Look, I don’t think what GF said ipso facto was particularly racist. But the way she said it, as you said was awful – and it’s particularly damning to learn that she said the same thing about Jesse Jackson because it starts to reek of her denying any legitimacy to black candidates systematically. </p>
<p>To make a perhaps telling comparison, a lot of people felt that there was absolutely no way George W. Bush would have had the advantages in running for office that he did without the Bush name.</p>
<p>The difference is this: Obama, partly because he is black, has been recognized for what he is – charismatic, brilliant, well-spoken, and capable --and essentially fast-tracked in life because of it. Our society does want black folks to succeed especially when they are succeeding because of innate talent (and in that sense there is a lot of “counter-racism” that exists). And he has that – innate talent. His being black has arguably been a necessary but insufficient condition to his success at the explosive level he’s enjoyed, or at least a condition that rendered it much more likely. His talent provided the sufficiency. If he were a white man, no one would doubt his talent though he might not have the same electoral appeal.</p>
<p>Bush, on the other hand, was fast-tracked along the lines of a completely different presumption; he was in fact promoted beyond his abilities. He went to Yale as a legacy and got into Harvard through connections (I am guessing at Harvard, but Yale’s a known fact). He didn’t really distinguish himself in anything he did prior to being governor and was essentially groomed as an heir apparent. We all know how this story ends; he’s been really deficient, and most people agree with that. His being a Bush was a sine qua non to his being propelled as he has been, and his talents have not proven up to image that was projected or the expectations set by his name. All he had to do was show up and act a part in order to get elected – and in fact he failed to do even that for many years. Even his brother didn’t have quite his advantages; I don’t know the story of how Jeb Bush didn’t make it to Yale, but given the apparent relative intelligence of the two and their ages I would wager highly that involved the end of pure legacy admits before younger brother Jeb came along. If they were a normal family today, Jeb would have been in Yale and George would have been at UT.</p>
<p>Obama, on the other other hand, was seen as having all the right stuff to be Harvard Law Review, Senator, etc. He may had his trajectory enhanced by being black, but he got into Harvard Law and made Law Review because he merited it.</p>
<p>These distinctions may simply be too subtle for our impoverished political discourse. And GF didn’t help matters in that she really seemed to be dismissing his candidacy as being kind of illegitimate for this very reason. One didn’t see her noting that HRC was only in her position 'cause of her last name.</p>
<p>I do agree broadly with Mini that being black is a tangible obstacle for him as well. I don’t think that’s a contradictory statement: he may be able to inspire young people because of his personality, his image, and because his candidacy would symbolize a great turn in this country’s history. However, in the general election, it might not be as much a boon. We’ll see, perhaps.</p>