Justin Elliot points out that Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has a very serious "Google Problem," perhaps even more serious than that of former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, noting that "a whopping seven of the nine results center on race-related flaps that Barbour has been involved in over the years."
Unlike Santorum, whose anti-gay views are still a really important part of his political worldview, I tend to think the focus on Barbour's selective memories of segregation is a bit overblown (Medicaid Queens notwithstanding). I don't think he'd be a good president, but between his remarks on Afghanistan, defense spending, and immigration, he is, along with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, in the category of possible GOP nominees for president who wouldn't be a total catastrophe. Then again, the primary process may ultimately iron out whatever wrinkles of moderation persist in the likely nominee, no matter who it is.
Part of what bothers me with the way Barbour's race problem is discussed is that Barbour's past and his recollection of it is less evidence of active racial animus than the kind of ignorance that should be corrected rather than outright vilified. Few people born into societies built around a fundamental injustice actually have the wherewithal to challenge that injustice forthrightly. Most of us just get on with our lives like Barbour did, and I can't shake the feeling that some of the heat Barbour gets for this is on some level because we'd like to convince ourselves we would have acted differently.
