Political racism

I read Harry Reid's words, by which he assessed during the primaries the chances Obama had of being elected by saying that they were good, because he was "light skinned" and "with no negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one", and for which he has been going around apologizing.

Apologizing to whom?

To those, I suppose, who being more or less dark or light skinned and with a more or less heavy negro dialect might be offended by the remark.

How about if we reverse the thing?

Nothing wrong with being more or less dark or light skinned and talking in a certain way. The real bias is to think that "white" voters of a certain part are not able to look beyond it. The slander is to them, treated without distinction as a bunch of racists.

Is there something like "political racism"? Well, the word racism is here used improperly, just by analogy. But the answer should be yes. And Harry Reid seems to be a good exemplar of it.

Staying with analogies, "political racism" seemed to blend nicely with "sexism" in occasion of Sarah Palin's vice-presidential campaign.

Such a womanly woman, and talking so funny!

Paraphrasing Reid, if she had been more lightly woman, and didn't talk funny unless she wanted, her chances would have been greater.

If, by saying so, I should appear to be falling into the trap of "political racism", I apologize. It is just to put a mirror in the face of those who indulge in it.

HP