A Public Service Announcement from Slate ... Blacks are Different!

Slate's William Saletan, who appears to depart further and further from reality with each passing year, has written an article today that would be laughable if it wasn't so tone deaf (Slate). In it he argues that .... wait, you better sit down for this one ... not all Blacks in America think alike. I don't believe it! Is he serious! It can't be! Aren't Blacks one monolithic group with similar views on everything? And gays too, right? Of course Mormons are all the same, though (psst, they can marry more than one women, wink wink)?

He is, of course, discussing the surprising rise of Herman Cain to consideration as a viable candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination. Articles have appeared arguing that this proves the Tea Party is not racist, that Cain is the future face of the GOP (hmm, me thinks the media doth protest BS too little) and from angry Black intellectuals arguing that he is "callous to the poor" and "the perfect racist" (those both sound about right based on what I've heard). The most troubling aspect of Cain's run, to me, is his connection to the cynical Koch brothers and their relentless plan to take down Obama, and maybe the entire progressive movement while they're at it (Slate) -- a connection the mainstream media finally appears willing to address. Cain is a self-made man and like many self-made Americans, has little sympathy for the poor, downtrodden or annoying liberals trying to mess with his bottom line. But in typical fashion, the media will put a huge focus on his race and ignore the class dimensions of his personality, which are probably substantially more relevant here (as they were with O.J. Simpson, one might add, though potentially murdering the future prospects of 99% of 300 million is a little more serious).

Back to Saletan. He is providing important advice that I really should heed when planning future menus for visiting Black friends (maybe they don't all like fried chicken and catfish? Say it ain't so). Of course, one could ask the more serious question of whether a reporter who writes this tripe is actually figuring this out for the first time. But, no, I'm sure he just realizes how nearsighted the rest of the public is and figures he can help. So stereotypes aren't always true. Hmm, a real eye-opener. Thanks, Will!