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'Real' America's Not Racist

Image of rural whites distorted by McCain, media

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 26, 2008 10:27 AM CDT

(Newser) – The media focus on the “Bradley effect" and the notion of a divided nation—"real" vs. "elite"—hyped by the McCain campaign suggests that racism among small-town whites will prove a stumbling block for Barack Obama, Frank Rich writes. But the alleged racism is nowhere near as widespread as it’s been made out to be, Rich argues in the New York Times.

“The McCain campaign is so dumb that it bought into the press’s confirmation of its own prejudices” about small-town whites, Rich writes. But “there are not and have never been enough racists in 2008 to flip this election.” Meanwhile, it’s become clear that the GOP—which has driven away Hispanic, black, and gay Americans—has “no idea what ‘real America’ is," he notes.

[Images (2)]

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Sarah Palin poses for a photo with a supporter following a campaign appearance in Sioux City, Iowa, yesterday. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Barack Obama shakes hands as Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine looks on at John Tyler Community College in Chester, Va., earlier this year. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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The dirty little secret of such divisive politicians has always been that their rage toward the Others is exceeded only by their cynical conviction that Real Americans are a benighted bunch of easily manipulated bigots.
- Frank Rich

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'Real' America's Not Racist