Does Barack agree with James Watson that there are differences between the races?
If the reasoning of Harvard educator Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is to be accepted then, yes, we must necessarily conclude that, like James Watson, Barack Obama is a "racialist" and a believer in differences between the races. According to Gates, Watson, the father of DNA, spoke the unspeakable, saying that blacks are intellectually inferior.
No one is suggesting that Barack thinks Blacks are inferior in any way, but he very well may be predisposed to ascribing other traits as unique to Blacks. If true, the question begs to be asked: what are those other traits and what other groups does Barack feel have characteristics in which their members display dominant or inferior characteristics? More importantly, how would this belief system effect public policy decisions if he becomes president?
Here is what Gates wrote in an article entitled "The Science of Racism" in the online journal theRoot.com, of which he is editor-in-chief (see: http://tinyurl.com/... ):
"Watson's error is that he associates individual genetic differences (which, of course, do in fact exist) with ethnic variation (which is sociocultural and highly malleable). Character traits—abilities and behaviors, such as intelligence or BASKETBALL SKILLS, that are popularly attributed to groups and are defined as 'genetic'—will, in fact, continue to delimit the freedom of choice and expression of individuals who fall into those 'racial' categories, regardless of our individual attainments and achievements. In the end, visions that are racialist may end up doing the same work of those that are racist. This is a lesson Watson has lived, and it is one from which we all might learn."(my emphasis)
What has this got to do with Obama? Well, in almost the same week (May 25, 2008) as the Gates article appeared, Barack said this to Bryant Gumble during a broadcast of HBO's Real Sports (episode #133. See: http://tinyurl.com/...
Bryant Gumble: "So I guess the question becomes -- and I’m not trying to put you on a couch here -- was it basketball you took to right away or was it a chance to identify racially or was it a chance to bond with your father in some fashion, what was the driving force?"
Barack Obama: "I would suspect all of the above and the fact that growing up in Hawaii without a father with not a large African-American population that HERE WAS A PLACE WHERE BEING BLACK WAS NOT A DISADVANTAGE, HERE WAS A SPORT IN WHICH WE WERE DOMINANT, all those things I think contributed to the idea that there’s something special (about basketball)." [my emphasis]
It isn't unknown for public figures to get into trouble for making remarks about the alleged prowess of Blacks in sports, as Jimmy the Greek Snyder experienced. But is it fair to conclude that Barack Obama is a "racialist", as defined by Professor Gates, on the basis of this one innocent comment made to a sportscaster a la Jimmy the Greek? There is no question that in declaring Blacks as dominant in basketball that Barack attributed a character trait -- some might label it a racial stereotype -- to Blacks. The question begs to be asked: how dangerous was this racialist comment and is this a worldview that he will bring to the presidency? An important question if, as Gates suggests, racialist visions "end up doing the same work of those that are racist."
Here's the thing: despite two autobiographies and a profile that now rivals Elvis and Mickey Mouse in terms of recognition and rock-star status at home and abroad, no one seems to know what makes Obama tick; what his core beliefs are. His stance on virtually every issue of importance to America today have changed so much since he surpassed the delegate nomination threshold that we're left scratching our heads as to what he's all about. So a throw-away remark to Bryant Gumble during a piece on his love of basketball may very well prove, in our desperation to get to know him, a valuable glimpse inside his soul.
In the same vein, I can't help thinking of Barack's resume listing as "community organizer". Aside from being elected Illinois state and U.S. senator and his academic achievements, there is little else -- including legislation proposed or that has become law -- there to examine. Therefore, "community organizer" stands out like a sore thumb begging to be examined for want of any other lifetime achievement. But for the life of me I'm not really sure what a community organizer is and what the standard is on which to measure a claim to being one. For lack of other yardsticks, we can certainly look to the most well-known community organizer in recent memory and make our comparisons on that basis (see: http://tinyurl.com/... And yes, admittedly, comparing him to the Gold Standard may be unfair. But maybe not; after all, the man is running for the most important job on the planet.
Spike Lee has also made observations about certain identifiable groups, the most famous being that Jews run Hollywood and "that's a fact" (see: http://tinyurl.com/... ). Is Lee a racialist for stating what he is convinced is a demonstrably verifiable "fact" (indeed, Caryn James of the New York Times may think he is guilty of worse)? Is Barack a racialist for observing a group trait he claims is characteristic of African-Americans?
Many of Obama's supporters accused Bill Clinton of playing the race card for saying this in South Carolina: "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here" (see: http://tinyurl.com/... ). As of this writing, Bill is still smarting from the accusation (see: http://tinyurl.com/... ).
How was what Bill Clinton said worse than Barack assigning a stereotype to African-Americans' abilities on the basketball court?
Geraldine Ferraro resigned from Hillary's campaign because of the pressure put against her as a result of what she said about Obama (see: http://tinyurl.com/... ). Compare her comments to Barack's: "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept".
I want to know what other groups Obama believes dominate other areas of American life. Conversely, are there any groups that he feels are inferior in certain areas and, if so, which ones are they? Does he agree with Spike Lee about members of the Jewish community? What about Italians and Greeks for their inordinate and seemingly innate ability to toss pizzas?
More importantly, if Barack does ascribe characteristics to other racial or ethnic groups, how will this affect his thinking on important public policy issues such as Affirmative Action? To his credit, Senator Obama hasn't been insensitive towards those that feel that they have not been privileged by race. Although he didn't get specific about what he'd do about it, Barack demonstrated great promise as a bridge-builder between the races when he said (see: http://tinyurl.com/... ):
"In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don't feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience - as far as they're concerned, no one's handed them anything, they've built it from scratch. They've worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they're told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time."
And that's why it's so surprising that, in an unguarded moment, he let slip the remark about Blacks and basketball.