Reply #34: While certainly a very cynical piece...

[MellowDem]

I don't see the evidence that their opinion of blacks is any different from their opinion of the electorate as a whole. Rather, I see a very cynical strategy in identity politics, namely trying to undermine a traditional stronghold of the Democratic Party through Cornel West. I could see where it could be interpreted that only blacks need education, but it definitely just seems like a strategy of going after Obama's strength to undermine him.

Regardless, given the racial history of the US, the piece definitely would come across as paternalistic, but it is no different from many of the anti-Obama progressive screeds against the "enablers" and moderates, which all seem quite "elitist" and condescending enough in some respects, if not a bit naive and idealistic.

So, chalk it up to a rather poorly written, cynical article that tries to dabble in identity politics. It's why I hate identity politics.

If you are a progressive that finds Obama to be a conservative, then you should try to educate everyone about that, not single out certain groups as part of a very cynical strategy to draw more attention and focus to an issue. But that's just me. Unfortunately, this is not unheard of in politics, and both parties do it. We saw plenty of it in the last Democratic primaries (if I ever hear the words "working-class whites" again while standing around a pickup truck I just may puke), and we will see it again.