Many liberals erroneously believe that the underlying reason anybody opposes President Barack Obama is simply because of his race. But they fail to acknowledge that the philosophical divisions in this country are only getting deeper. It's not about race.
Tragically, some racism exists in every group in America. But the overwhelming resistance to President Obama is due to his policies. Conservatives have always opposed over-taxation, over-regulation, and big government intrusion into the economy and every aspect of our lives. They oppose passing 2,000-page bills that no one reads, and a president who promises everyone they can keep their health plan and doctor, only to have it not be true. They oppose the Internal Revenue Service targeting groups to settle political scores, and the National Security Agency snooping into private phone calls and e-mails of law-abiding American citizens. They oppose the Justice Department cover-up of the "Fast and Furious" gun-running plan, and the State Department stifling a promised investigation of the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.
There are plenty of reasons why people oppose this president, least of which is race. If President Obama were white, conservative opposition to his policies would be just as fierce. Was it racism when liberals attacked African-American conservatives like Alan Keyes, Clarence Thomas, Condoleezza Rice, Herman Cain, or Allen West? For the liberals to use the race argument is an insult to the intelligence of the American people, and it only distracts us from where racism truly exists, as well as the conversation on how to stamp it out.
David Tassone
Albany