Obama and racism

Do you think that the Obama presidency means that race is no longer a problem in America?

Back in November of last year, a large number of pundits claimed that America had finally crossed a threshold, that the scar of racial division and hatred had been healed by the historic election of its first ever black President.

In recent weeks and months you may have noticed that the debate on healthcare reform (Obama’s key domestic pledge) has moved from intricate and arcane analysis of the finer details of a complex system and seemingly unfathomable and even more complex proposals, to public displays of anger and outrage.

Michael Crowley, writing in this weekend’s Observer, argues that this turn in the healthcare debate represents the revival of the angry white male. And, therefore, we can infer from this that discussions of a post racial age in America are immature.

I have to say that I’m not entirely convinced by Crowley’s drawing together of three separate factors, Joe the plumber as the posterboy of the Republican campaign, focus by GOP Senators on Sonia Sotomayor’s “wise Latina” theme, and the ongoing firece criticism of Obama’s healthcare plans. But it is important to note that it is a persepctive. And in terms of essay technique for the new edexcel A2 American course, different themes or perspectives and critical anaylsis and evaluation of their validity counts as synopticity. I have to say that I have had synopticity on my mind recently as more of my time is being spent on preparing for the new term, and I’m not entirely sure what synopticity looks like within the context of a question that focuses on one area of the course. I know what a good essay containing lots of critique, explanation and supporting argument and if this is synopticity then we are ok. I am hoping that we get a bit more direction from this from the exam board, in the shape, say, of a sample essay and comment by one of the people that will decide how this marked. Well I should say that I know it will come, but hope it comes sooner rather than later.

Crowley’s article, well worth a read, is here.