Olbermann Tackles Fear and Racism in Special Comment

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In his President’s Day special comment on Monday’s “Countdown,” Keith Olbermann eloquently tackles our national albatross: racism. Apologists for the Tea Partiers always discount the racist undercurrent that pervades this movement. But as Olbermann points out, fear and an uneasy inherited racism fuels the anger and paranoia. He says what I always say: not everyone who disagrees with Obama is racist. But recognize the racist backlash of Obama’s election, and ask some important questions. Who are you listening to? Who are your leaders? Why are there so few black faces at the Tea Party rallies?

Olberman, who can be shrill and self-righteous during some of his other special comments, finds the right balance here. He’s less strident, less accusatory, more reflective. He wants all of us–regardless of party or race–to ask some hard questions about racism and race relations in this country. Before you simply swat it away as a pesky liberal diatribe, give the comment a listen. Think about it. You may find yourself asking some tough questions of yourself and the leaders you respect.

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