Racism in America is alive and well in 2008

Two articles in today's Washington Post address hate and racism in American politics. Interestingly, the Post never relates the articles, but they are intertwined -- and underscore the reality that hate could play in the 2008 elections. We can't address these issues if we don't admit they exist.

First, Hate groups are using the Obama candidacy as a recruiting tool:

Sen. Barack Obama's historic victory in the Democratic primaries, celebrated in America and across much of the world as a symbol of racial progress and cultural unity, has also sparked an increase in racist and white supremacist activity, mainly on the Internet, according to leaders of hate groups and the organizations that track them.

Neo-Nazi, skinhead and segregationist groups have reported gains in numbers of visitors to their Web sites and in membership since the senator from Illinois secured the Democratic nomination June 3. His success has aroused a community of racists, experts said, concerned by the possibility of the country's first black president.

"I haven't seen this much anger in a long, long time," said Billy Roper, a 36-year-old who runs a group called White Revolution in Russellville, Ark. "Nothing has awakened normally complacent white Americans more than the prospect of America having an overtly nonwhite president."

Then, the latest Washington Post/ABC News polls shows that race is an issue for plenty of Americans:

As Sen. Barack Obama opens his campaign as the first African American on a major party presidential ticket, nearly half of all Americans say race relations in the country are in bad shape and three in 10 acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Lingering racial bias affects the public's assessments of the Democrat from Illinois, but offsetting advantages and Sen. John McCain's age could be bigger factors in determining the next occupant of the White House.

This is disturbing. Not surprising, but disturbing. How many of those Americans with "feelings of racial prejudice" have strong enough feelings to foster the hate movement? And, how many other Americans have those feelings but won't admit it?

The other question is how closely the GOP are willing to be allied with the racist/hate group crowd in America. We've already seen the GOP leaders in North Carolina and Tennessee are more than willing to go there -- with no ramifications from McCain or the RNC. The GOP does have a "win at any cost" mentality. Since Nixon's "Southern Strategy," they've played the race card.

John McCain and his campaign can reject racism -- or embrace it. And, without a complete rejection of the ugly racial politics every time it rears its head, McCain is embracing it.