If you missed last night's Republican debate
in which case you saved both brain cells and time, Charles M. Blow of the New York Times has a terrific piece on a key point of the debate which you should read. To encourage you to do so, allow me to offer just the final paragraph of Newt Gingrich and the Art of Racial Politics.
Gingrich seems to understand the historical weight of the view among some southern whites, many of whom have migrated to the Republican party, that blacks are lazy and addicted to handouts. He is able to give voice to those feelings without using those words. He is able to make people believe that a fundamentally flawed and prejudicial argument that demeans minorities is actually for their uplift. It is Gingrich’s gift: He is able to make ill will sound like good will.
Besides a right-on-target nailing of Gingrich by Blow, note also the audience response - and tell me that is not racist.
Oh, and if you have any doubt, the one time booing was directed towards Romney was not even remarks he made, but when as part of a question on immigration we heard the set-up including that his father was born in Mexico - that was strongly booed.
I don't know about elsewhere even in South Carolina, but the audience for that debate was hostile towards anyone who did not fit their idea of American - white, native-born, and Christia
