Harry Reid: Racist?

The media has been buzzing with the story about Harry Reid unearthed in the latest political book, Game Change. In the book, Reid is recorded to have said about Obama that he was electable because he is 'light-skinned and with no Negro dialect unless he wants to have one.'

Reid immediately called up Obama, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton. All of which offered Reid absolution. One understands why Reid might call Obama since Obama was the one he supposedly slighted but why call Jackson and Sharpton? Because they represent all black people? What is Reid trying to imply here?

Kidding aside, the racial discussion in this country is a comedy of manners. Although we constantly berate ourselves for not talking more about race, whenever someone really does mention race they are excoriated. Reid's defenders say he was only saying a truth with some 'curious' terminology but what is so offensive about the term 'Negro'? Isn't there a United Negro College Fund? Negro is a race classification in the 2010 census.

Meanwhile, the media largely ignore the more obvious examples of racism on the left. For example, there was almost no media coverage of Robert Bryd, a Democratic Senator and ex-KKK member, when he used the term "white nigger."



Normally I'd have a laugh at Reid's expense and say that it is about time that the left start eating their own but the Reid example shows that now even the politically protected class cannot have a conversation about race. It is telling that even though we have abolished slavery, demolished Jim Crow and raised the standard of living for the average black (or African American or...) family, we still do not have an agreed-upon term to use in the discussion. Unfortunately those who seek to benefit from injustices or perceived injustices like Sharpton and Jackson need some ambiguity to further their careers. Reid should just be thankful that, in this case, they were quick to forgive.