One of the more frustrating aspects of mainstream reporting on black politics is that it's very shallow and relies very heavily on established narratives. Like Ta-Nehisi, I think these will be interesting times for the Congressional Black Caucus, and for the civil rights crowd in general. I generally don't refer to them as the "Civil Rights Industrial Complex" not just because I think it's kind of a lame pejorative, but also because even the most savvy hustlers in black politics aren't moving the kind of cash that our prison and military industrial complexes do. I realize the term is meant to be ironic, the suggestion that civil rights groups are motivated by money and profit is the relevant criticism. But something bugs me about it.
At any rate, this New York Times piece is hilarious. A sample:
Already, there have been signs of unease.As his first appointment, Mr. Obama selected Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois to be his chief of staff, opting for a white, Jewish centrist who has clashed at times with the more liberal members of the Black Caucus.
Because black people hate Jews, get it? I mean Emanuel is White House Chief of Staff, but when you're casting a media passion play in the genre of black politics, the only roles for Jews are "slumlord" and "shopkeeper." What does the Times think this is, Brownsville in 1968?
-- A. Serwer
