Dems 2008: Protest is Patriotic / Dems 2009: Protest is Racist

From Politico (h/t Don Surber):

Eight months into Barack Obama’s presidency, as criticism of his administration seems to reach new levels of volume and intensity each week, the whispers among some of his allies are growing louder: That those who loathe the nation’s first African-American president, and especially those who would deny his citizenship, are driven at least in part by racism.

It’s a feeling that’s acutely felt among those supporters of Obama who are themselves minorities. Conversations with Democrats at an otherwise upbeat Democratic National Committee fall gathering here, an event largely devoted to party housekeeping, reflected a growing anger at what many see as a troubling effort to delegitimize Obama’s hold on the office.

“As far as African-Americans are concerned, we think most of it is,” said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), when asked in an interview in between sessions how much of the more extreme anger at Obama is based upon his race. “And we think it’s very unfortunate. We as African-American people of course are very sensitive to it.”

I know a lot of people who are opposed to Obama. I read blogs and articles by a lot of folks opposed to Obama. I don't know a single person among that group that is opposed to Obama because of his race. His race is irrelevant. It's his policies that are turning people against him.

In order to believe that race is the issue you'd have to believe that these same people would have opposed Condi Rice, Michael Steele or Colin Powell had they been candidates. To be fair, I would have opposed Colin Powell, but on his policies, not his skin color.

False accusations always have unintended consequences, and in this case they are cheapening the term "racist" to the point where it will have no real meaning. It's the "Boy Who Cried Wolf" syndrome written in real life. If everyone's a racist, no one's a racist and when real racism shows up, no one will pay attention to the charge.

I get called a racist three or four times a day by Obama syncophants. There was a time when that might have bothered me. It doesn't anymore.