It's Not Racism, It's Poor Leadership, Inexperience, and Bad Ideas

James Taranto looks at the argument frequently made by the left that Obama's failures are caused by racism:

For the purpose of argument, let’s stipulate that the assertion is true: that racism is the reason Barack Obama is unable to govern effectively. What are the implications?

Obviously it lets Obama off the hook by framing his presidency as a failure not of leadership but of followership. In this view, Obama is an adequate leader, maybe even a great one, but American racism is too strong a force to overcome.

The trouble with this for the president’s supporters is that one cannot assert Obama is unable to govern effectively because of racism without conceding that he is unable to govern effectively. To put it mildly, that is not a strong argument in favor of re-electing him.

One could, we suppose, take the position that a racist country doesn’t deserve to be governed effectively. That, however, is an electorally self-defeating exercise in guilt by association. Since Obama was elected in 2008 with 53% of the vote, no one can credibly claim that the racists who are ruining his presidency constitute a majority of Americans. Thus this argument asks concededly nonracist swing voters to sacrifice their own interests and the country’s interests in order to punish the racist minority.

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Let us be clear: We do not think that racism is the primary reason, or even a significant factor, in the failures of Obama’s presidency. Obama is failing because of his inexperience, poor political skills, and rigid adherence to bad ideas. America is ready to be led by a black president; the problem is that the particular man we elected president turned out not to be, and still is not, ready to lead.

To blame Obama’s failures on racism is to hold him to an unreasonably low standard. It is also to give in to a false sense of despair about racial progress in America.

Obama's presidency was doomed from the start. He'd never run anything and had been ushered through life like some kind of golden child. He was mentored by die-hard leftists, outright communists, domestic terrorists, and crazy racist preachers. He was basically raised to hate this country.  His expressed desire to "fundamentally change America" should have been a warning to all of us, but unfortunately 53% of voters fell for the whole rainbow and unicorns vibe and the thought they could be part of history by electing a black president.

Well, congrats 53%, you are a part of history.  You voted for the first American president to preside over a lowering of our nation's credit rating.