On Race, Obama Gets An “F”

Barack Obama was elected to be our First Black President. That was, really, his only claim to fame; he was unqualified for the office by experience, ability and work ethic. Electing Obama was supposed to put a capstone on two generations of racial progress. That was the main reason millions of people voted for him.

Somehow, though, it hasn’t worked out that way. Rasmussen Reports recaps its recent findings: only 17% of Americans rate race relations as good or excellent, a drastic drop from numbers in prior years. Only 8% think race relations have gotten better since Obama was elected, and those 8% are trying to fool the pollster.

Why are race relations so bad? Obama’s actions are an important culprit in the eyes of a strong plurality of Americans. Forty-seven percent say that Obama’s actions have driven the races apart, while only 20% say he has brought them together. It is hard to think of a more damning indictment of Obama’s six and one-half years in office. And I can’t imagine that many of those who think Obama has driven the races apart could nevertheless approve, overall, of his administration.

It is noteworthy that poll respondents express a great degree of skepticism about politicians’ use of racial issues. Only 17% believe that “most politicians raise racial issues to address real problems.” A whopping 70% say they “talk race just to get elected.” So Obama isn’t getting any credit for good intentions gone awry.

How better to close than with Jon Gabriel’s famous tweet?

Every president makes mistakes. Mistakes can be forgiven. But Barack Obama’s policy of stimulating racial division in order to help his own electoral prospects isn’t a mistake. It is a disgrace.

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