Liz Smith | 01/23/2009 7:00 am

Liz Smith: Conspiracies and Racism in the New Age of Obama: We Have Still Not Overcome

“A conspiracy! cried the delighted lady. ‘Of all things, I do like a conspiracy! It’s so interesting.’”

So wrote Lewis Carroll in Sylvie and Bruno.

Oh, yes indeed. Everybody loves a conspiracy, and rumors were flying so fast and furiously over Justice Roberts’s fumble during the Inauguration of Barack Obama. Not only were bloggers (and conservative newscasters) wondering if “Barack was really president,” it boiled to a pitch of nefarious plotting. The theory flying fastest was that the fumble had been “planned, because Obama was not really born in the U.S. and this was a way to avoid him actually taking the oath.” (The right-wing rumor during the campaign was that he’d really been born in Kenya, and was therefore not eligible to be president. Obama was born in Hawaii. Off the mainland, but very much a state of the United States.)

So as we know — even though he didn’t have to — President Barack Obama took the oath, again, on Wednesday. (Barack knows the power of the Internet. His election campaign was based on Internet pitches. The Internet can build and it can destroy, with horrible speed and efficiency.)

But taking the oath again was not enough. Because TV cameras weren’t invited in, a new controversy erupted. CNN’s Anderson Cooper knit his brow during his “Keeping Them Honest” segment, and promised to “get to the bottom of this.” Then he knit his brow again, indicating what a serious, high-minded journalist he is, and how suspicious was the exclusion of TV. Why would this nice guy — who is serious and fairly high-minded, essentially align himself with lunatics who are going to question everything Barack Obama says and does over the next four years?

Of course this is all part of CNN’s shift toward the right. I predict the “honeymoon phase” of Obama’s presidency will wear off at CNN faster than it will at Fox News.

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And I’d like to report that, even in this fever of Internet madness, subjects as benign as Michelle Obama’s clothes could be critiqued with some decency on right-wing websites. Wrong.

I don’t shock easily, but I am dismayed beyond belief at a sampling of the new “post-racial” U.S. of A, courtesy of the ordinary folk, Mr. and Mrs. Christian/Conservative/Patriotic America, invited to chime in on Michelle Obama’s Inauguration Day outfits. There were countless remarks that went beyond liking or disliking her fashion choices. The racist hate was staggering.

Conservative talking heads always make a big deal out of the “left-wing bomb throwers,” who foment irrational hate against Republicans. They fail to mention the gentle, rational souls on the right, who also clutter the web with bile.

Despite the incredibly moving film and photos of two million cheering souls in Washington, DC, we have not crossed the Rubicon of racism, just in case you’ve been swept away by the media’s insistence that this is a “new age.” Barack Obama’s election to the highest office in the land certainly indicates some change. But I fear it is not (not yet, anyway) the seismic shift in attitudes so many hope for.

“Racism is not born in you! It happens after you’re born …” That’s the prelude to the great song from "South Pacific," “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.”

This careful, terrible teaching continues. Can we ever be free of it? Maybe. Author/activist Anne Lamott once uttered the most hopeful scenario for the human condition: “A hundred years from now? All new people.”

196 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Well, Liz, I agree with you, Frank Langella should get the Oscar for his fantastic portrayal of Nixon. I was blown away by his acting. If anybody cares.

By Patrice Baldwin on 01/23/2009 9:03 pm

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Okay everyone. Here is it almost 9:30 in the evening and I am still waiting for someone to identify those Christian or Conservative websites where Michelle Obama’s clothes were ridiculed using racial slurs. Since Liz Smith wrote about it, maybe she can answer the question. To quote Liz, she said “the racist hate was staggering”. “Mr. & Mrs. Christian/Patriotic etc. invited to chime in about Michelle’s outfits went way beyond a simple …”. WHAT Conservative or Christian websites are we taling about???? This has been a fascinating discussion and, in my opinion, should be perhaps one of many. However, when I went to find those websites as described by Liz and found none….I was curious. Now I am skeptical. Not of hate websites … but of any Christian or Conservative website that had posters using racial slurs to describe Michelle’s Inaugural outfits. We need an ombudsman at this website.

By Bonnie Oliver on 01/23/2009 11:32 pm

Bonnie: …Christian or Conservative… I have a daughter-in-law who is a graduate of Baylor University, which is Christian and quite conservative, and I have never heard her make racist remarks — no at all. She holds views that I don’t agree with 100% concerning abortion and a few other things, but there is nothing radical about her or her family. She would never say anything as ugly as was quoted recently on this site… she is, in fact, too Christian. All this baloney of Gov. Palin, as a Christian, deliberately inciting people to shout, “Kill Obama”, is totally unbelievable to me. It’s petty nonsense. As for blogs, anyone can create a blog… freedom of speech you know. Liz should know that, and she should be careful of the labels. Christians don’t appreciate being seen in a bad light or stereotyped any more than Jewish people do.

By Marjorie C. on 01/24/2009 7:18 am

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By Marjorie C. on 01/24/2009 8:18 am Marjorie, Not everyone wants the same thing . The majority of the American people are good and wants what is best for everyone regardles of ethnic or religeous affilliation. People though tend to like and want to be with people who are most like themselves. Labels usually don’t describe the whole package. Christians can be racists but not all Chrisitians are racists. Do we have poor people in America ? Yes. Are all americans poor ? No. Some Americans Racist? Yes. All Americans Racist? NO. Life goes on and America is one of the best countries on earth . :ets all work toghether to keep it that way. Thanks Liz for the article.

By starry Nite on 01/24/2009 3:10 pm

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starry: …America is one of the best countries on earth :ets all work toghether to keep it that way. Yup. I agree with you 100%.

By Marjorie C. on 01/25/2009 5:50 am

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I think what we’re discussing here are extreme cases of racism that should be condemned…otherwise I agree with the Avenue Q song “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist”. Just listening to Eleanor Clift say that Obama’s election is not going to help the black man on the streets of New York at 2 am get a cab. Which stinks. How much racism are we willing to accept? Is there ever an acceptable level? What are the consequences of being color-blind? Personally I would love to be but I wonder about the feasibility of it. It’s much like wondering if conflict is the human condition…oh wait, same thing.

By Blue Lizard on 01/24/2009 9:37 pm

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Evenin’ Blue…How about giant bi-partisan effort to just say no to labels…?

By georgia fatwood on 01/24/2009 9:46 pm

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Blue Lizard: …Eleanor Clift say that Obama’s election is not going to help the black man on the streets of New York at 2 am get a cab. And I believe she’s right, and I also believe that it would be very unsafe for a white man (or God forbide a white woman) to be dropped off in the Bronx or Roxbury (in Massachusetts), at 2 am. Racism is alive and well. How much are we willing to accept? I don’t know if we are in charge of that. There are no consequences of being color-blind — I love the idea, but I agree with you about the feasibility of it. I do think we are hard wired to be tribal. Having said that, one of my granddaughters (6 yrs old) is being brought up with two Ethiopian cousins (adopted children) and she has two second cousins who are of mixed race (my nephew married a Nigerian). I have yet to hear her comment or wonder about her cousins’ skin. She’s quite happy to associate with all of them. Does not favor her white cousins more that her Ethiopian cousins. Now I remember a day when she was about 9 months old and the Nigerian women (who is very dark — Nigeria is near the equator and melanin is important for survival), reached out to her, and my granddaughter screamed bloody murder and wouldn’t shut up, nor face that black woman again. How embarrasing is that? We all knew what was going on. The above anecdote is what I base my tribal theory on.

By Marjorie C. on 01/25/2009 6:23 am

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Giant bi-partisan effort on anything would be welcome! Labels can be useful as descriptive terms…then of course so often they go negative. A society without labels…would that necessarily be a society without racism? Maybe a society without words. Hmm. You’re making me think here.

By Blue Lizard on 01/24/2009 9:54 pm

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Blue Lizard: A society without labels… Labels change everything, don’t they. When I meet a white person, I like to know their surname. Why? I’m seeking to find out what ethnic group they belong to, and I’m especially happy to meet someone of my own group. Sometimes the happiness is short lived, but that’s another story. I think we will always look to ‘peg’ people, our surnames are derivatives based on our group/tribe where a person came from or aspects of their personality or appearance. A surname like DuPont (from/at the bridge) tells you a little bit about that family if you’re living in the 15th century. And if your name is DuPont in the 15th century, you do not want to meet someone named Smith, because now you judge you have nothing in common except skin color, and that won’t be enough. And on and on it goes… human beings are a piece of work. I frankly don’t know what to do about them.

By Marjorie C. on 01/25/2009 7:04 am

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The whole tribal aspect was exactly EC’s point…and I mean, I agree with her. We just automatically feel more comfortable around people with whom we share common attributes and history. Even the tale about your grandchildren illustrates that—once the Nigerians were part of the family (which shares common attributes and history) there was no prejudice. And is there anything wrong with a comfort level? No. Not to say that we shouldn’t reach out and expand the comfort level, but it’s unrealistic to believe that a whole society of people with different comfort levels and different backgrounds can reach one benchmark of acceptance, especially when so many differences that we rightly celebrate exist. Thanks for your responses. ;)

By Blue Lizard on 01/25/2009 5:49 pm

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Giant bi-partisan effort on anything would be welcome! Labels By Blue Lizard on 01/24/2009 10:54 pm\ Blue, Amen to that. Labels come and go. We need to think about it. You are right everyone has their own spin.

By starry Nite on 01/24/2009 10:24 pm

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There should be nothing wrong with differentiations and diversity. Just judgements based upon it.

By Blue Lizard on 01/24/2009 11:56 pm

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Blue Lizard: Just judgements based upon it. That’s exactly so.

By Marjorie C. on 01/25/2009 7:06 am

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WE WON A SPECIAL HARD FOUGHT VICTORY ! We now have legistlation that needs to be signed by Obama allowing women time to discover unequal pay and then turn around and pursue legal correction when we are discriminated against ! We now have another Bush barrier removed that had been denying women access to our own courts. Mitch McConnelll voted against women being able to have a reasonable ltime span to discover unequal pay and file a lawsuit stating- we don’t need more lawsuits at this time. Is he saying it is okay to make it impossible for women to sue for unlawful discrimination levied against them because we have more important things to deal with in this country? Should we stop trials for bank robbers, murderers and other criminals and law breakers because we have a financial crisis? It is okay to break the law when it is against women is basically what he is saying because we don’t want to be bothered with their petty issues during this time of crisis. However, women are barely hanging on to the edge financially , being the poorest of the poor because of unequal pay and discrimination. If this country wants to stimulate the economy- let us enforce the laws that deny women equal and fair pay for their labor. The issue has been and still is the enforcement of equality laws for women - not that the laws do not exist. We have been denied access to trails when we are wronged. This fair pay law daling with the time statute FINALLY passed after being voted down several times! We all need to know our rights and when they are being denied to us and most importantly when we are being denied access to the courts, hence justice. Women are still treated as a separate distinct class of people forced to meet rediculously outlandish requirements even if we were allowed in court. We now can get into a court and have a trial. This is a time to celebrate because this is a step in the right direction. How this ever was upheld in the first place is mind boggling since it was so obviously impossible and rediculous and never should have occurred in the first place in a country that values all of its citizens. We are now becoming a country of equality for all. Women still have a long way to go. The courts are the only place these issues can be resolved and if women continued to be banned from suing for equality what other avenue would we have left to correct these wrongs? Women had been basically denied access to the courts to fight for their constiutional rights. The courst have now been opened back up to us. GREAT! Now 2 more things need to be done. The ludicrous standards to establish proof of unequal pay and glass ceilings and discrimination need to be revised by adults so enforcement of vilations can occur. For examply my CEO wrote a book stating his discriminatory views and the court denied it as evidence to depose him for questions since it was not a sworn document. So women need office memos and conversations and published books to be sworn under oath documents before they can be submitted as evidence ? How absurd and unreasonable is this! The second action needed is for the corporations to get some fear of having to play by the rules. If they paid women equally and trreated women fairly we wouldn’t need to sue. Let’s clean up and kick out these greedy, corrupt old boy network CEOs. that are behind so much of the law breaking destruction in this country and the world. Not one single prosecution has been moving forward in the banking thug CEOs - how do we explain that? More regulation needed? No the problem is with ENFORCEMENT - or lack of enforcement - of the existing laws and regulations we currently have to guide us. Celebrate, we have hope, now we must roll up our sleeves to make progress - the barriers have been removed and we need to take this opportunity to gain our equality on all fronts. .

By Kay Sara on 01/25/2009 5:33 am