So, this whole "Obama is a socialist" meme seems to have a little traction, which means it's fortunate that we have only one week to go before the election. It is absolutely astonishing to watch people at Palin/McCain rallies solemnly nod their heads, shout, boo, and hiss when Palin says in her squeaky voice: "He actually said he wants to spread the wealth...Now is not the time to be experimenting with socialism!" And the whole crowd goes, "Oh noes! Not spreading the wealth! I definitely don't want me any of that!"
It...BOGGLES...the...mind. These are Real Americans, which means their real wages have been declining since the 1970s. Their money is worth less than it ever has been, their retirement accounts--should they be fortunate enough to have a retirement account--are in the toilet, and they are one cancer treatment or emergency room visit away from bankruptcy. But there they are, nodding right along, as if they can't imagine anything more horrifying than the redistribution of wealth, like it's going to be really really inconvenient to not have their yachts anymore.
Finally--I'm a little slow these days, apparently--it dawns on me. Here is a pretty White Christian Lady telling them that there is Black Man who wants to take their money (and probably their daughters!) and give it all to Other Not-White People. The Cadillac Welfare Queen rides again!
At some deep level, white Americans can't actually believe that a black man might have their best interests at heart. They are suspicious, because they are projecting. They've never had the best interests of the Not-Whites at heart, so how could it possibly be that a Not White person might help them? That would make the Not-Whites morally superior. And then the Whites might have to feel ashamed. Palin, with cheerleader glee, has tapped into this hidden shame and this unspoken fear: that there is some kind of righteous come-uppance long overdue for our past in this country, and that it is white people who will pay the price.
