Not This Time

The editorial board of The Texas Observer claims that it is non- partisan, but it espouses liberal causes. This is clearly evident from the editorials in the most recent edition, which deal with the local reactions to the national election in Houston, Dallas, and the South in general in all its lead articles. For example, the titles are “Turning Houston Blue,” “Blue Day Rising,” and “Not This Time.” It seems that the national campaign is taking up all the oxygen and local and state news not being covered. I did not even know that there was a Senate raise going on until last week when the ad campaign of Senator Cornyn was analyzed on NPR. He is so confident that he will win that he has a cowboy ad that says nothing. His race has only been mentioned two times since, but every stumps speech of McCain and Obama is aired on NPR. They make the same talking points again and again ad nauseam. So for all practical purposes there is no state and local news until after the election.

But to get back to the point. Let me say that the Texas Observer is an echo chamber for the few liberal democrats, its audience, in a “red hot state.” According to the most recent demographic statistics, there are a hundred thirty-five liberals in the state, most of whom reside in Austin.

I have chosen to review “Not This Time” because it deals with southern racism. George Ripps interviews Gerald Britt in this article. Ripps and Britt claim that McCain and Palin are appealing to latent Southern racism. The only “proof” or evidence for this argument is that Palin said that Barack Obama does not “see America like you and I.” In other words, he sees America as a black man and exotic academe. Britt thinks, and presents no evidence for it, that the polls are higher for Obama because of the “Bradley Effect.” Those polled say they will vote for Obama because they do not want to appear racist. Ripps and Britt make two other points. Obama has not discussed racial issue because it would appear to the general public that he had an Afro-American agenda. Obama is inhibited because he can never appear as black as Hillary and Palin can appear female.

Lastly, Britt and Ripps comment on Obama’s passed-white mother and grandmother/black father, Indonesian primary education, and Harvard Law Degree. This clearly proves that Obama is dangerous and exotic. In brief, Britt, the president of public policy at Central Dallas Ministries, is expressing his opinions from his personal observation and his knowledge about how PR works. Many commentators have made these points. The article shows little use of evidence and logic and the opinions are based on the authority of Britt and Ripps. However, they do reflect the feelings of the local ministry in Dallas about racist biases. Britt and Ripps conclude that the public will not be fooled. “Not This Time.”