| Liberal, Racist Media |
10 March 2003
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Braun's Presidential Bid Doomed by Bigotry
A recent Quinnipiac University poll of presidential preferences placed former Senator Carol Moseley Braun ahead of Mr. Al Sharpton, the only other black face in the race. Her 7% showing is nothing to crow about, but what has her miffed is the media's presumption that her chief rival is not Senators Kerry, Lieberman or Edwards, but the uptown preacher who, himself, hasn't a shot in hell at the nomination. And she's right. What she hasn't said is that this highlights the racism of the American media and of the Democratic party -- so Kensington will say it for her.
The white folks who say they like black folks still expect a single voice to come from those neighborhoods where Whitey fears to tread. They still expect all of "those people" to think alike and to have similar "black" concerns. It is more benign, perhaps, than Bull Connor and his dogs, but its still racism and it still harms America.
If Ms. Braun or Mr. Sharpton somehow manage to win the nomination, any opposition from this corner will come not from their message but from the fact that they themselves are damaged messengers who, by virtue of their past follies, are unelectable. Yet in a debate, that makes them better candidates that Senator Lieberman, who is in the wrong party, or Senator Edwards, who is too inexperienced in government.
This is, of course, where the black media can actually do the white media a favor. Get the two of them to debate the issues head-to-head. Let all of America see that there are differences in approach, in personality, in beliefs. Open a door for Dan Rather or Tom Brokaw to ask a tough question without fearing the racist label. That would be a victory, letting a politician win in 2008 who happened to be black, not a black politician.