Was Juan Williams Comment Racist?

Who is the racist?  Some say that black people can’t be racist because the whole concept of racism is built upon the hatred of people of color.  Some say that the now wildly popular movie 2016 is racist because it focuses on Barack Obama’s personal philosophy based in an African culture.  But the man who wrote the movie is a man of color.

Now POLITICO is turning up the heat.

All the talk of code words highlights one irony of 2012: Race is
proving more toxic as a subtext to the election than it did in 2008,
when Obama’s status as the first African-American major-party nominee
was usually celebrated, even by many Republicans, as a sign of racial
progress.

But in the hair-trigger politics of 2012, the debate in recent days
has prompted both parties to point fingers as if the ghost of George
Wallace were advising the opposition’s campaign.

Take last night’s speech by Ann Romney and the political commentary on FoxNews that followed it.  The first two people to offer an observation thought her speech was wonderful, did what it was supposed to do and would be a hit with women.  Juan Williams then threw out this comment: “Ann Romney …looked to me like a corporate wife”  When pressed on what he meant, he went on to say that she was a wealthy woman.

Now I’m going to just go ahead and say it.  Juan’s comment was bitter.  Whether it was “coded” or not I don’t know, but he certainly described Ann Romney in terms which were un-appealing to poor people.  In fact he said some things that sounded as if he was calling her a “kept” woman.  Racist?  You be the judge.

When are we going to talk about the details of the plans of the two candidates for how they will deal with the problems facing our nation?  If you think this will take place in the commercials wars, smoke another one.  Image building and image destruction will be all you will see.  An adult conversation about the details of either man’s plans will not fit into 30 second messages.

So will the advertising campaigns and the tactics of political warfare elevate this election above racism and the politics of personal destruction?  I doubt it.

That’s why Ann Romney didn’t deserve the Juan Williams comment.  She was describing her husband from her point of view and introducing another side of him to a nation which deserves to learn more about both men.  Juan sent the elevator to the basement.  No wonder he keeps getting fired.