03:27 pm
Burris and Kennedy
Ta-Nehesi this morning about the Blago/Burris/Rush mess:
Look, I say this as a black dude obviously concerned about race in this country. If you want a black senator go out and do the work to get yourself one. Build the organizations, build the fund-raising, do a black version of Emily’s List, if need be. At some point, you have to stop bitching about the track. You have to stop bitching about your hand-me-down spikes. At some point, you just have to go out and run. I have little tolerance for the racial grievances of upper-middle class blacks. Do for your damn self, and speak for your damn self. Keep my name out your mouth.
After reading this, something struck me: what’s the difference between what Bobby Rush is arguing and what some of Caroline Kennedy’s supporters are suggesting? The implicit argument for Kennedy is that she’s worthy because she’s a Kennedy. If we are to accept Rush’s statements at face value, then the argument for Burris is that Burris is worthy because he’s African American. In neither case does the discussion focus on whether either is the best person for the job.
I know this isn’t a perfect analogy. To begin with, Roland Burris is far more qualified than Caroline Kennedy. Conversely, Caroline Kennedy’s potential appointment is not tainted by scandal. In addition, there is a kernel of truth to Rush’s argument: it is outrageous that there aren’t more African Americans in the Senate. But I have a hard time making the leap from the reality of under-representation to agreeing with Rush that we should support Burris’s appointment because an African American should get the seat. That argument is as insulting to the people of Illinois (and for that matter, Burris) as Kennedy’s implicit argument — that she should get the NY seat because she’s a Kennedy — is to the people of Illinois.
Given the fact that the American people just elected Barack Obama to be President, Rush’s sense of timing is, at best, really, really bad. And as Ta-Nehesi points out, if this is so important to Rush, why did he support one of Obama’s primary opponents (one who is white) four years ago?
That brings me back to what I said yesterday: this has a lot less to do with race and a lot more to do with Bobby Rush’s anger and resentment over the success of Barack Obama.