Racism Dressed Up As Concern

Chris Matthews questions the "birther" movement as well as Congressman John Campbell ( R - CA ) about proposed legislation that he is sponsoring that would require Presidential candidates to provide a birth certificate.



For all the allegedly relevant data that Campbell nervously attempts to put forward, it doesn't seem to fit with his thesis - that this isn't about Obama. If, in point of fact, it isn't, then why wasn't this sort of legislation crafted earlier? Why, if he indeed does believe that Obama was born in America, is he legitimizing the conspiratorial set in the conservative movement? Is he being honest here? I rather doubt it.

Then, there's Lynn Cheney.



Liz, while tip-toeing very carefully around the issue at hand, parsing her words as gently as she can muster, comes quite close to the real issue behind this.

What people are uncomfortable with ( people meaning ill-informed, right-wing, conservative, racists ) is having an African American holding the highest office in the land. That's it. Case closed. You can create all the subtle nuance that you want, it doesn't remove the very blatant thesis that the "birther" movement is promoting.

And, as was readily apparent, Cheney wouldn't even answer whether she thought these conspiracy theorists, which she seems to have no discomfort keeping them within the Republican party, have any grounds for concern. She refuses to denounce their very actions.

Does this mean that Liz Cheney is a racist? Who knows. One thing that is quite clear is that many that feel that discomfort with having an African American in the White House will validate their racial fears by raising concerns about a persons actions and how they relate to that persons safety. Whether it be a black person applying for a job, moving into the neighborhood, or simply a black person excelling in life where they aren't. These people may not consider themselves racists, they may not be full blown KKK lynching nut-cases, but they - for whatever reason - don't trust or even like people that aren't white.