Yesss...Race matters

Honest Americans must confess to hearing the awful jangling chains of the ghost of America past even during the loudest chorus of "God bless America" or "Yes We Can" chants. Yes..most of us still let racial insults fly in a heated moment; or at the very least tolerate our racist friends and family. So let's get it out here once and for all- race like money rules everything around us.

Race is never an afterthought in anything we do. It would not be an exaggeration to say that most of us have a racist reflex. Of course, this is constrained by education, social IQ, and spiritual growth. But race affects where we sit when we are in public, how we talk when we are among friends as opposed to a "mixed" crowd, who we choose to "flip the bird" in rush hour traffic, where we live (for those of us who can choose) eat, shop, educate our children, play, and even worship.

Yessss....Race matters

For so long- the race card could get you something for nothing. It really is going to be a new day for our country when that card is no longer honored. Imagine a sign on the door of American opportunity saying "only content of character and genuine qualifications honored here". Wouldn't that be something?

Obama's courageous and lofty effort to steer clear of race failed for obvious reasons. Politics is about winning. The high-minded promises to fight fair was fine when Hillary was 30 points in front of him. However, when he began to show that he was a real contender -he had to be neutralized. And of course, the race card is the mother of all neutralizers.

Two generations ago Nixon's call to arms for his legions of true believers was the code phrase "Silent Majority". This time around it was the "hard working white Americans". Every clever politician will coin a "special phrase" when their back is against the wall. They all know they can trigger a Pavlovian response because race has always mattered for the wrong reasons in America. The Reverend Wright loop almost made this tactic a slam dunk for Hillary and her handlers. But then Obama had to go and give one of his soul steering speeches. His authenticity and expansive summation of America's troubled past resonated with Americans who truly want to turn the page.

Remarkably, this tidal wave of change began on the Internet. Seems that information freely and efficiently disseminated is good for democracy. The media could not limit, control or orchestrate the rise of the people's candidate.

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