More evidence that the right-wing can't stand the idea that More evidence that the right-wing can't stand the idea that Barack Obama may actually feel some kind of connection to his identity as an African American man. The National Review is irate over Obama's attendance, in March 1995, at the Million Man March on Washington, D.C., as well as his direction of Chicago's Project Vote in 1992, which is credited with helping to elect former Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun by adding 125,000 people to the voter rolls, most of them African American. The slogan for that campaign was "It's a power thing" -- as in white men have most of the power, let's change that.
Of course, the idea that Obama would imply such a simple truth enrages those who'd like to see him as nothing more than a pretty face saying pretty words. Check out this old Chicago Reader profile of Obama to learn about his ties to the progressive activist community there. In his rapid national ascent, Obama has already pushed away some of the more activist-y elements of his past. That's pragmatic, considering the size of his ambitions. But it won't stop conservatives from attacking him for being, well, just too connected, too recently ago, to real grassroots progressivism around issues of race and class.
--Dana Goldstein
