A Post-Racial Society

Ok, I just have to jump into the first big racial debate in today's post-racial society. But before I begin let me just say how great it is to see that race doesn't matter anymore!!! Man, that racist period in America was tough. Glad it's over! Change is great!

I guess when we look back to see the bench marks of the birth of post-racial America many moments will come to mind. For instance the reaction that Bill Clinton got when he said that Obama's difference with Hillary on Iraq was a "fairytale." That was so racist!! Jeez, only a post-racial society could see how the word "fairytale" in relation to the Mideast was a secret code designed to trigger childhood memories of Ali Babba and the 40 thieves! Obviously the purpose of the Clinton statement was to associate the Obama campaign with thievery! When will the Clintons stop??? Only a post-racial society could see this horrible technique for what it was. We are the "we" we have been waiting for!

But I think my favorite benchmark will be the birth of our post-racial champions on race. Add to the top of the list Keith Olbermann. The cable news rising stars' statement on Geraldine Ferraro was great! Not only did Keith go for the jugular as only an Edward R. Murrow from a post-racial, pre-post-sexist society could do, but he is also set to begin a new era in media.

For decades Latinos, African Americans and other minorities have decried the lack of diversity on TV. The recent primary caucus coverage has been a glaring example. We have had non-Latinos on every broadcast and cable network pontificating on the Latino vote. In fact, only Anderson Cooper had a Latino commentator for the Texas primary and she was a GOP operative discussing what Latino Democrats wanted. The cable outlets provided only token representation of African American commentators mostly during primary coverage of states with significant African American voter bases. Pre-post-racial America was so frustrating! But now we have a champion for our cause. Olbermann, who is a cable news trendsetter is bound to use his increasing influence in cable news to insist that MSNBC hire more minority hosts and book more minority pundits as guest commentators. While he hasn't actually committed to that yet, I am sure it is to follow. Just look at how outraged he was at the clearly offensive Ferraro statements. If symbols and words anger the post racial-America champion on race then I sure the substance of discrimination must as well. As soon as Olbermann notices that his program has been devoid of.. lets say..."color" he is sure to correct it. Keith probably just hasn't noticed it yet. Some people just don't see color.

If an offensive comment from a years gone by politician sends KO into a tizzy just wait until he notices MSNBC's lineup! The news outlets are the factory of political perspective. Currently the factory only allows for a certain set of perspectives. I hate to be in the room when Keith realizes this. I foresee a 10-minute monologue with at least four different camera angles as soon as someone points this out to him. I am setting my TiVo now. Plus, just wait to see what happens when he finds out that he has been (obviously mistakenly) giving a regular platform to a guy, Pat Buchanan, who believes that Latino immigration to the U.S. is ruining "our culture." Hang on to your hats, hurricane Keith is sure to blow, and hard!!!

Yup, I am glad we have a new set of champions in post-racial America! But it just occurred to me: since we are post-racial do we really need the champions? Hmm, post-racial America is complicated.

Mario Solis-Marich is a post-Latino Latino who hosts a radio show that can be heard on www.GoToMario.com.

Comments

[TheOtherMaven]

A post-racial society? Yeah right. Maybe in another hundred years.

[darker]

As long as there are people of different races,
there is no such thing as post-racial.
It's a silly academic theory.

[Cathexis]

I disagree.

You assume that we'll all be prone to the same limited perspectives, self-involvement, and insecurities that plague too many of us, now. You assume we will never develop the individual and societal maturity to change our frameworks and biases.

Our opinions and beliefs are based on our perceptions. Perceptions can and do change, over time.

While we are definitely not there, yet, I refuse to stop trying with the cop-out that "things will never change."

[Manx]

Keith Olbermann is brilliant and his ratings continue to soar. Eat your heart out.

[mojomagic]

I was a Keith Olbermann fan, but not anymore. What I liked about him was he seemed to be objective in reporting the news. Oh, of course, his comments were biased against the administration, but the were presented as opinion pieces. It changed when he started to co-chair post debates and primary returns. It seems that Chris Matthews is so poisonous in his bias against the Clintons that it contaminates those who participate with him on TV shows. The totally disgusting biased opinions offered by Chris and Keith against the Clintons are offensive and verge on being liableous. I stopped watching the primary returns weeks ago. The last straw was the "opinion piece/special comment he gave last Thursday about Hillary Clinton and G. Ferraro. How presumptuous of him. How disgusting of him to malign the two ladies and call them out. He says he does not endorse Obama, but everything he says and does shows otherwise.

As for Chris Matthews, he has been biased against the Clintons for years. The negative mail to MSNBC caused him to have to offer an all air apology, but he phrased it as "I am just trying to do my best." Media Matters.com has listed the transcripts of many of his outrageous comments about Hillary and Bill.

You know it isn't just Keith Olbermann who has been poisoned by Matthews' venom. David Schuster, who is a young news reporter on MSNBC, and has been used to giving news analysis on the days political story. I remember his analysis during the Plame/Scooter Libby trial. I thought he was very good. He filled in a few times for Tucker, and was OK. Then the bombshell....he was talking about the Clinton campaign and made a reference to Chelsea helping her mother by calling super delegates. He was outraged that she was working in the campaign, but it didn't get much negative response. He brought it up again the next night, and not getting much of a negative response again, he added. "Well I think the Clintons are pimping their daughter." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It seemed so out of character for him. The next day before the show which had been hosting, he came on and read a statement of apology to the Clintons and Chelsea. Then he went off camera as he had been suspended for two weeks. I was disappointed with Schuster, but it seemed to me that another mind had been poisoned by Chris Mathews' venom

I say with all seriousness, if Hillary survives this media negative campaign, she will have no problem with the GOP slime ball machine.

[Manx]

As is apparent in your post, it depends on whose ox is gored.

[bayman]

Latinos on Countdown are clearly few and far between. However, the usual fill-in for KO is an African-American woman. What other cable news programs can say that?

[irishchicago]

"As soon as Olbermann notices that his program has been devoid of.. lets say..."color" he is sure to correct it. Keith probably just hasn't noticed it yet. Some people just don't see color."

I'm sure you're right. Keith has probably never noticed that his permanent guest host (Alison Stewart) is an African-American or that regular guest Eugene Robinson from the Washington Post is African-American or that regular guest Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is an African-American. And even if Keith did notice, it's probably best for you not to mention these people since doing so would undercut your argument.

And further undercutting your argument would be mentioning the constant ridicule Keith hands out to CNN's resident xenophobe Lou Dobbs or Hardball regular Patrick Buchanan. It's probably best not to mention these people either.

As long as you don't cite the almost constant examples of Keith awarding "Worst Person" bronze, silver or gold to FNC, CNN and Right Wing Hate Radio figures who espouse racist language and sentiments in their broadcasts. As long as you stay away from mentioning these numerous examples, what you've said in your post will stand up to scrutiny and can't be knocked down.

So "Well Done Mario" !!!!!!!!!!!!

[gmc940]

Great response Irish.

Come on Mario, that was a weak post. Have you ever watched Keith's show? You should know SOMETHING about a topic before you put pen to paper as it were. The people on this site are intelligent, you need to do better than that.

[Grulg]

Naw it was a GOOD post. You seem to equate just having Black and White people on a show is Diversity. Bullocks. Asian Americans anyone? Hispanics? C'mon Olbermann can do better than that. I think whut Mario done posted wuz good, myself.

[lgillooly]

I was a big fan of KO until he became an obvious Obamaphile. I like Obama also and am not sure yet whom I will vote for,but I am SICK AND TIRED of MSNBC taking everything that Clinton says and making it Racist.
Yesterday Hardball was trying to say the 3AM ad was racist...HELLO. It was a National Security Ad and Chris was saying it was secretly racist and depicted a white family afraid of a black intruder(i­nsane).... If your house is being invaded do you call the White House???? They keep making up stories that the Clinton Campaign is racist (when it is not) and discuss this 24/7.
Just come out and say it. You want Obama to be the nominee and will undermine the Clinton Campaign with false accusations.
The irony is they are making me lean towards Clinton becuase of their tactics.
Also, there is a lot of other things going on in this Country and world besides the Campaign. Why aren't you covering them? Iraq,FISA,Gen Fallon,economy etc. We are getting sick of the same old gossip.We want news!

[bayman]

KO recognized the racially-divisive, fear mongering campaign of Hillary and has repeatedly called her out on it. This doesn't make him an 'Obamaphile'. It makes him consistent. If you previously liked Olbermann, don't hate him now because he's found reprehensible flaws in your candidate.

[biglover]

Good post bayman. I liked it - I agree with it.

[VegasDem]

"Also, there is a lot of other things going on in this Country and world besides the Campaign. Why aren't you covering them? Iraq,FISA,Gen Fallon,economy etc. "

Olberman covers these things nearly daily and to a depth that most other programs do not.

And the only reason Olberman has become an "Obamaphile" is because he really doesn't have a choice. It appears that he values integrity and honesty above all other things. How could he be Pro Clinton? or even remain neutral? Though I'm pretty sure he has never endorsed a candidate, his show is not only about news but also his opinion, so i guess if you just don't like his opinion . . . .

[Purple Girl]

I was losing faith in Keith- even stopped watching in Protest to the Stacked Deck Democratic Debates on MSNBC. but the 'Sepcial Comments' have proven he is back on Track- now we need to work on MSNBC. Love even when Allison takes over- great fill in for keith!
Regardless if the Exec's get shit and cave to the pressure from their 'Corp' Sponsors- Keith will Always be heard- we'll be sure of It!

[milo9]

Marich, Olberman, as usual, has a woman of color substitute for him when he has other committments. Color, also, is well represented in their choice of guest panelists. If you'd watch his show before you gassed on it, you wouldn't appear so tonto.

[Sketchartist]

Mario is also forgetting about Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, who appears frequently on the program.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

Don't you think it is much more likely that he is talking about the recent replacement of Tucker with David Gregory. Replace ne white guy with another white guy. That leaves MSNBC with all white men anchoring all their shows.

[writeonbro]

Let see, post racist, does it means that racist left, died, changed ideas? Naw. That will never happen dude. Just ask the Jena 6 or David Duke they probably know practicing racist but post racist, naw.

As long as you have people who are ignorant and Godless, they'll find something to hate about their brother. Historians can trace the feud between Arabs and Israel back to the Bible. I'm sure racist will be around for a few more centuries too.

Look at it this way. God made man in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors and he obviously had a good reason. Even if it was because, a technicolor population would be far more interesting than monochrome man. If color mattered to God then who are we to exclude people based on color.

The idea that color shouldn't matter would be great if we could find some world where it exist. I heard that Utopia might have post racist. If it's for sell we could get Wal-mart to carry it. I'm sure they could import it pretty cheaply. Then we could finally have post racist, right there on the shelf, next to Post toasties.

[wasabi]

"As long as you have people who are ignorant and Godless, they'll find something to hate about their brother. "

What's God got to do with it? If you are ignorant, you are ignorant. Period. Plenty of God-fearing ignoramus' who hate.

[AnninCA]

Gag......a smear campaign against Hillary is setting a new standard?

[VegasDem]

Hillary smears herself. The media just reports it.

[AjicNYC]

This is a great post. WHO does KEith think he is?? That opening comment killed me..loll.. like a teenager turning his parents in to the nazis.... I love the clintons and all they did for me but I HAVE TO DO THIS .. OH...Please .... And the EMMY GOES to .............Chris Matthews ......Damn wasnt woth it keith ......can i have a media channel that gives the news ... JUST NEWS and not biased jaded news... and if this continues I think all media personel should the name of the candadite they support flashing on the bottom of the screen.

[gallonjug]

Keith Olbermann chose a black (perhaps latina, not sure based on looks) woman to fill in for him as guest host today. so either this column isn't meant to be read as sarcasm or else it became irrelevent within a couple hours of its posting. find another outlet for your faux indignation--and perhaps a more nuanced argument than to say racist comments from hillary supporters are overblown and irrelevant, while those who call out the racist tinge to her campaign are the true offenders.

[Egghead]

At first I was kind of annoyed by this blog, but then I thought: Yeah, I haven't seen a Latino commentator on Keith O's show. So instead of getting pissed off, why don't you write to him and the producers (if you haven't already) and say so and that it bugs you? Major TV channels need to be pushed on including shows and persons of color nearly all the time.

I think Keith did the right thing. Nearly everybody in TV needs to do more. So yeah. Again, why don't you challenge them directly? Why don't you ask a lot of people to write? I would.

[Tejano1]

dude, olbermann regularly has an african american sit in as his guest host, as he did tonight. he also regularly has eugene robinson from the washington post on, and to my knowledge, i've never seen him invite pat buchanan on the show. now, msnbc has buchanan on a lot, but not countdown. so why all the anger at keith olbermann? he had the decency to step up and criticize the racist b.s. that the clinton camp is instigating. i'm not sure where your essay is heading. it doesn't mean a thing. you might want to step back a bit from the sarcasm fountain because it's obfuscating what the hell you're talking about.

[AreYouFibbing]

Wow, you clearly missed the point.....

Now give us your diatribe on the racist b.s. from the member of Obama's campaign, Rev. Wright.

[MrJoyboy]

Fox News at least promotes diversity in its news lineup. All the women have different shades of blond hair and different shades of lip gloss.

[Susan Madrak - Huffpost Blogger]

Great line! LOL

[biglover]

Except for one characteristic - they are all stupid.