I noted that "liberal bias in the media" is a planted axiom of Steele's analysis.Bill Crosby and Oprah Winfrey are bargainers. Basically, bargainers give racial innocence (remove the stigmata of racism) to whites; hence, the whites are both relieved and grateful. Their gratitude is such that many talented, black bargainers receive not only white recognition but riches as well.This certainly exists, tho my preferred formulation of it is that conventional American political labels are actually advertising slogans conferred on Big Journalism's friends or imposed on Big Journalism's targets. My full analysis is in this thread.
Although Steele labels two black "masks," he actually describes a third way for blacks.
is correct as far as it goes - but Steele points out that Cosby has discarded his "bargainer mask" and has undertaken to be realistic about the fact that whites actually are less powerful than liberals simultaneously flatter and condemn them as being. White racism has little to do with black difficulties in the here and now, and blacks actually are able to prosper to the extent that they take responsiblity the way everyone else has to.In reality the correct response to a Barak Obama "bargainer" or a Al Sharpton "challenger" is the same. It is to promote black responsibility among blacks the way Obama's own white mother did in him. And that is by rejecting utterly the "soft bigotry of low expectations." And the way to do that would be for the Republican Party to nominate a Bill Cosby type as VP. Not the Bill Cosby who was a "bargainer", not the Bill Cosby who promoted the Twana Brawley hoax (and was to that extent a "challenger," but the Bill Cosby who now promotes black responsibility and family values.
One name I would float is JC Watts. Other names would be unconventional in that they would be less conventionally qualified even than former Congressman Watts. The dream candidate, were he younger, would of course be Thomas Sowell. But there were also some losing candidates in '06 who would fill the bill in a pinch. Even Shelby Steele himself.
It will be objected that naming a black VP would look weak and be criticized. My response is that the Republican nominee, presumptively McCain, has the authority to nominate whoever he wants to for VP, which office is actually political heir to the POTUS nominee. And the Constitutional incentive to have the VP be from a different state as the POTUS is nothing other than a mandate to use the VP nomination to unify the country. Were I the POTUS nominee, I might point out that America has a long way to go to actually act as a bridge for all Americans to enter the 21st Century. And that nominating a black VP who stands for having everyone who wants the middle class 21st Century lifestyle to stand up and march across that bridge instead of trying to game the system and expect someone else to carry them across it.
Excellent points and I think you’re spot on with JC Watts. I also think (and hope) we’ll one day see him there.
I also believe Dr. Sowell is a missed oppotunity for our country in the political field but doubt he would have consented to run for office even at a younger age.
If we each get a chance to create our own dream ticket allow me to float the name of the other Steele - Michael S Steele.
We not playing hopscotch here where every player ‘gets a turn.’