Obama gave the Americans the ability to see how racist a lot white people are

[gryphus]

Without all the comments, remarks and insults by racist whites, many (even African-Americans) wouldn't know just how seething with hatred many whites are toward black people. But thanks to President Obama's administration, many Americans who would not have believed it otherwise get to see how some white people really are below the facade.

Is the greatest gift that President Obama gave the American people the ability to see how racist a lot white people really are?

[Stirnerian]

A thought: for as generally useless as Obama is from the vantage point of concrete policy, his Presidency will at least inure future generations to the notion of a minority leadership. It will also, I hope, lessen the hold of liberal identity politics and help to position the economic question front and center. This is not to trivialize the struggle of African-Americans for political representation, but I hope it will have the effect of allowing them to engage in a more class-based, less ethnocentric politics.

He's still a capitalist tool, but a useful one when trying to imagine a world in the medium-term future. Symbolism is important.

[Mr. Piccolo]

A thought: for as generally useless as Obama is from the vantage point of concrete policy, his Presidency will at least inure future generations to the notion of a minority leadership. It will also, I hope, lessen the hold of liberal identity politics and help to position the economic question front and center. This is not to trivialize the struggle of African-Americans for political representation, but I hope it will have the effect of allowing them to engage in a more class-based, less ethnocentric politics.

He's still a capitalist tool, but a useful one when trying to imagine a world in the medium-term future. Symbolism is important.

Good points. In addition to revealing the extent to which racism still exists in the United States (one need only look at the number of totally absurd conspiracy theories about Obama to see that many white Americans consider him to be some malevolent, alien figure because of his race) the Obama presidency really does showcase the weakness of liberal identity politics.

Also, I think there is a growing feeling among many Americans that the American democracy is a joke and that elections really don't change anything substantial. The collapse of the Obama "hope" message has certainly added to the growing cynicism toward electoral solutions.