Obama's Betrayal of Thomas

When the question was put to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) by presidential candidate forum moderator Rev. Rick Warren, asking him which of the Supreme Court justices he would not have appointed, Sen. Obama, almost without hesitation, blurted out Clarence Thomas's name. Moreover, it was not the fact that Obama disagreed with his views that stood out, but his reasons for doing so. Obama stated that he felt Thomas lacked the qualifications for the job. Many conservatives who happen to be black know firsthand the pain and frustration of having their views dismissed without consideration because of the unstated premise that their skin color makes them incompetent.

This sad underbelly to liberalism, namely liberal racism, had gone largely unchallenged by the black political elite until they themselves felt the sting recently as the liberal icons the Clintons played on racial stereotypes to try and destroy Obama in the Democratic primaries.

This is why Sen. Obama's remarks are so unfortunate and counterproductive. On the one hand, by casting off Justice Thomas, who is widely revered in conservative circles for his principled and courageous stand in the face of popular opposition, Obama risks alienating what may be one of his most surprising allies — black conservatives. Many of these individuals have resisted going after Obama because they felt he represented a new paradigm in politics; he resisted victimization and racial polarization as a campaign strategy, and instead focused on competence and unity behind a message of change for all Americans. Many black conservatives will feel ultimately betrayed by Obama's remarks, and see them as pandering to a white liberal elitism and racism.

On the other hand, Obama has revealed a tendency in his character to bully those he views as weak or isolated. When he spoke of Justices Scalia and Roberts, he was careful to acknowledge their intellectual superiority, and distinguished himself from them merely on the basis of their philosophy. Obama showed, in doing this, a deference to those he thinks possess the power in this country (namely whites), and a total disrespect for the path that was paved by the likes of Thomas and other black conservatives in championing character, independence of thought, and merit over race as a prerequisite for leadership. This character flaw is going to make it virtually impossible for me to continue to hold out hope for Obama's presidential aspirations.

When it really boils down to it, what is the real difference between Sen. Obama and Justice Thomas? They share similar academic pedigrees. They have both championed race-neutral strategies for social and economic development. And, they are both essentially conservative on social issues: fatherhood, family values and same-sex marriage. So what is the difference? Perhaps it comes down to the fact that a puppet Master is pulling Obama's strings.