General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The "liberal elite" [View all]H2O Man
(75,679 posts)base causes of opposition to President Obama was, in my opinion, racism. Yet, that does not mean that within the Democratic Party, anyone who disagreed on any issue with him was racist. Indeed, President Obama encouraged citizens to let him know when they disagreed with him. I can't speak for him, of course, but I believe he meant he wanted to hear from those who disagreed with him on policy, rather than the racists.
Years ago, J. Edgar Hoover was convinced that the racism in America that fueled the Civil Rights movement was merely a "communist" construct, one that the dangerous commies were seeking to exploit. That sad fact did not change the absolute need for people to address the very real racism in America. Nor did it mandate that anyone not use the word "racism," simply because Hoover and/or communists used it.