The delusion of an argument, Obama’s opposition has been labeled racist from the start

September 15, 6:51 PMNewark Independent ExaminerPhilip Rachlis

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AP photo/ Luis Magana

 While campaigning for his wife at a televised event in January 2008, former President Bill Clinton referred to Obama’s opposition to the Iraq War as a fairy tale. This remark drew criticism and prompted some in the media to propose that the comment was racially offensive.  For example, the former President’s comment caused an old aide of the ex-president, who is now a CNN analyst, Donna Brazile, to note that “as an African American” she found “his tone to be very depressive.” (Ziegler). 

Neither the context, content, nor the language used by former President Clinton directly or indirectly mentioned race, but he was hung out to dry anyway. The dilemma Clinton found himself in demonstrated disparity between the manner in which Obama could be discussed as opposed to other candidates. The news story strayed from the issue and became about Clinton’s apparent racism, and the relevant point that the former president was trying to make got buried. Obama voted against the withdrawal of troops from Iraq proposed by Senators Kerry and Feingold in June of 2006. Obama only proposed legislation to draw down troops after he started to run for president. Clinton was making a factual argument and found himself accused of racism.         

Today those who oppose President Barack Obama frequently find themselves subject to accusations of racism. The current arguments that racism is present in the political discourse carry more weight, as the case is stronger than that of the one leveled against Clinton. For example, the undertones of the use of the word fairy tale in a factual argument pale in comparison to the undertones of an entire movement of people who refuse to admit that Barack Obama is an American citizen despite all the facts that prove the contrary.

This brings me to my point; don’t cry wolf. By injecting race into a situation where it does not exist, like the remarks of President Clinton, you harm your credibility.  When there is a real argument to be made about racial overtones I don’t want to hear about it from the pundits who proved they to have a predisposition to see race in situations where it does not exist.