Fallout Over Senator Reid's Comments: David Loftus

There are several levels of context to Reid’s remark. First and foremost, it was apparently made “privately,” according to the book and the numerous news stories based on it. I have not been able to discover what sort of private context that was, but surely that means it was not intended to express or guide public policy, and god knows, we have all made unpalatable comments -- including racist ones -- in private. Second, the remark seems to have been commenting on Obama’s electability: Reid was suggesting that a truly dark-skinned African-American who speaks black patois or just plain poor English would not receive a majority of votes for U.S. President. Who could argue with that?

That strikes me as the end of the story right there. Notice that it is GOP legislators -- that is, members of the party probably better known for racist faux pas and past opposition to civil rights legislation -- that are charging “racism” and calling for Reid’s head. This isn’t about racism; it’s about power, and trying to take it away from the current Senate Majority Leader. George Will, the longtime conservative columnist, is not someone I normally agree with very often, but he defended Reid on ABC by saying “there’s not a scintilla of racism in what Harry Reid said. At long last, Harry Reid has said something that no one can disagree with, and he gets in trouble for it.”

I wouldn’t go that far. Clearly, Reid was speaking from a race-conscious point of view. I think it’s debatable whether his remark could be termed racist or not. But either way, it’s not something that would require his resignation.