From Pine View Farm

Figuring Out the Lie of the Land 2

Jason Johnson tries to understand the appeal of Ben “Baron Munchhausen” Carson. Here’s an itty-bitty bit:

One explanation for Carson’s success might be that he is, in a sense, a protest vote. That he represents an anti-Obama temper tantrum for subconscious racists.

“He does serve that purpose,” said Carter, “and it does insulate those voters from certain charges of racism. Like when George Bush picked Clarence Thomas to replace Thurgood Marshall. He was kind of thumbing his nose at Marshall’s legacy.”

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2 comments

  1. George Smith

    November 7, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    Maybe. He’s describing tokenism without using the word. My belief is that whatever falsehoods, distortions and pure ignorance that come out of Carson’s mouth don’t matter, anymore than the same stuff from all the rest in the pack. The base is just as full of the same. Pointing it out is invigorating to them. It is ratification. To put it another way, they’re a national crop of nuts that can’t be cracked.

     
  2. Frank

    November 7, 2015 at 11:10 pm

    I don’t think I could call it tokenism. I see tokenism as the authority’s (whoever that authority may be–a company, a government, a school system) using a member of a minority to fend of claims that they are discriminating against a group. In this case, the author is arguing that the constituency, not the authority, is using a member of a minority for a similar purpose, but I don’t think the dynamic is the same.

    The constituency is deluding themselves into thinking that they are not, somehow, discriminatory. It’s the “one of my best friends is black” argument writ large.

    Whether or not I agree fully with Professor Johnson is a separate issue. I don’t think it’s the whole story, but I do think he’s made a valid argument.