I probably can’t add much to what Steve Benen said, but I feel compelled to comment on Byron York’s recent column on “the black-white divide in Obama’s popularity.”
York’s entire column is a laundry list of poll numbers showing that Obama is more popular among blacks than whites. His conclusion? “Black Americans will be a valuable pillar of support for the president.” Jesus, Byron, do you think?
But the blistering stupidity is not even the most offensive thing about York’s column. No, it’s the blatant racism. You see, Obama’s overwhelming support among black Americans makes “some of his positions appear a bit more popular overall than they actually are” (emphasis added). How exactly can poll numbers appear differently from what they actually are? Oh, that’s right, they can only do that if you think that some people don’t count.
Usually conservative pundits are a little subtler than this in suggesting that Democrats only win because of black people. I mean, usually when they make that point, they at least try not to say “and black people shouldn’t count.” You’ve gotta hand it to York for being so forthright. This column ought to be exhibit 1 for the intellectual bankruptcy of the political media. Not because York’s piece was published at all (I mean, it’s the Washington Examiner, so what do you expect?). But because Byron York will still be welcome on Meet the Press, will still be invited to all the right(‘s) cocktail parties, will still be a respected voice of modern conservatism.