President Barack Obama's victory at the polls Nov. 6 is a definitive line of demarcation and departure, not just in American politics, but in the deeply entrenched racist narrative that governs practically all aspects of life in the United States. "Experts" wax philosophic and scientific about why he won, but won't go so far as to unmask the real reason. In a no-nonsense analysis Utrice Leid deconstructs the magic political moment we're experiencing as a nation, and precisely frames Obama's victory within the context of America's age-old -- and all-too-familiar -- construct of race. Obama's first-term run and second-term victory, she contends, are "trial balloons" for beneficiaries -- especially white women and white "ethnics" -- who in the heat of battle steered comfortably clear of helping to build the political base he established nationwide, but, as with the civil-rights struggle and others before it, are eager to reap their unearned reward.
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