Okay, DU. "It has been kind of hot in here around the topic of race/privilege ...

[Skip Intro]

78. Much honesty -

Nobody's going to love me here for writing this, but you asked and you said to be honest. So I'm answering and being honest.

Honestly, I suspect the party may try to create and inflame racial animosity in order to motivate the Black voting block. I think the strategy is being implemented now. Critics of Obama, even Democratic ones, have long been dismissed as racist, and I believe that a wider type of this tired political strategy will be minimally effective this November, but I believe it will be a major focus of Democrats nonetheless. I think the recent statement from Crist is an example. And I think you will see this play out in larger and larger scale as November approaches. To me, as the political observer I was when I first came to DU, it smacks of desperation.

In general, the constant trickle of threads bashing Whites and men (most commonly) here are, to varying degrees, usually hypocritically racist and sexist, imho. I think some here relish bashing Whites and men and Christians, etc. This doesn't apply to genuine discussion of race issues. But it does drown out those honest discussions.

I was a Dem when I came to DU, having voted Dem for decades, and wondering if anyone else saw the new president bush as the evil bastard I did. And they did. Here, at DU. I have called this place my online home ever since.

But much has made me hesitant to promise blind support to anyone at this point. The predictable cry of racism from Democrats in regard to anyone who criticizes Obama is one of those reasons. It obscures instances of real racism, and devalues the word toward being meaningless, as does the assumption on the part of a few that everything boils down to race. And it insults anyone with legitimate concerns and criticisms of a political leader. The intended chilling effect on free speech and political commentary alone is revolting.

Race is a tough issue from the outset. It isn't something to be used as a wedge or lure or distraction. People will call me racist for having written this I'm sure. I might be banned (I hope not, I look forward to being here for 2016 and beyond). I'm sure I'll be called a repub, troll, right winger, white winger (love that one), etc. for having written this. I won't answer. I will wonder, though, if we will ever have an election about issues and policy again.

Respectfully.