Obama's problems are due to...racism

  James Taranto writes Best of the Web and is possessed of a biting sense of humor and sharp wit and sharper intellect, albeit his lack of college education. (Ha.)
  In today's BOTW, he notes that Democrats are blaming racism for Obama's floundering (some might say failing) presidency.
  First there's outrage that Boehner waited a few hours to call Obama back, notwithstanding that Boehner represents an equal branch of government. Then there's outrage that Eric Cantor dare question that Obama left the room in the middle of an argument (stormed out, some said). Great behavior for anyone, particularly a leader.
  All this adds up to racism, according to several Democrat writers, including Michael Lind:

 "In the House of Representatives," he writes, "the Tea Party faction that has used the debt ceiling issue to plunge the nation into crisis is overwhelmingly Southern in its origins"

The South sought to block the federal civil rights revolution by a policy of "massive resistance" to court orders ordering racial integration. Some Southern states went so far as to try to abolish their public school systems rather than integrate them.

    Southern? Does Mr. Lind forget that those were Southern DEMOCRATS? Taranto writes:
    Taranto writes:

So let's try a different tack. For the purpose of argument, let's stipulate that the assertion is true: that racism is the reason Barack Obama is unable to govern effectively. What are the implications? 

Obviously it lets Obama off the hook by framing his presidency as a failure not of leadership but of followership. In this view, Obama is an adequate leader, maybe even a great one, but American racism is too strong a force to overcome.

The trouble with this for the president's supporters is that one cannot assert Obama is unable to govern effectively because of racism without conceding that he is unable to govern effectively. To put it mildly, that is not a strong argument in favor of re-electing him. 

    What Taranto doesn't mention, and what is so maddening about this administration, is that they themselves are the dividers. Obama has built his presidency on dividing left from right, white from black, Republican from Democrats, tea partiers from the rest of the world, rich from poor.
  It was a dream, perhaps, that someone could govern this great country and not see color or social status. 
  What a wonder it would be if people could see themselves as just...Americans.