It is indeed a sign of progress in this country that "only" one-tenth of Americans openly admit to being racist in choosing a president. But it is far from a sign that racism is over. Obama was the perfect candidate to overcome racist views among voters, and 2008 (with an economic crisis and a failed Bush presidency) provided the perfect circumstances to do so.
If someone as highly qualified as Obama still faces this kind of racism, imagine what happens to African-Americans in this country who don't have sterling academic credentials, who are not among the most eloquent speakers in American history, who do not happen to be the greatest fundraiser and campaign organizer in the history of politics, who do not have the opportunity of massive media coverage for two years to enable racists to overcome their doubts.
Obama's election as president surpassed the hurdle of racism only because he was able to leap so high and because the racial barrier is lower than it once was. But the barrier of race is still there. Racism turned a double-digit Obama victory into a six-point margin. Racism turned a massive electoral vote landslide that could have exceeded Johnson's victory over Goldwater into a moderate landslide.
Racism still matters in America. Racism substantially affected the Nov. 4 elections, and severely hurt Obama's pursuit of the presidency. We need to recognize the continuing significance of race in America, not only in order to continue the fight for racial equality, but also to appreciate how truly amazing Obama's substantial victory was in the face of this racism.
1 | 2
