In a blog entry at the Washington Post, Jonathan Capehart excoriates Gov. Mitt Romney surrogate John Sununu for his recent racially inflammatory commentary about Gen. Colin Powell's endorsement of President Barack Obama. During an appearance on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, Sununu implied that Powell supports the president only because of his race.
Of course there is a pride among African Americans that a black man is president. More important, though, is that that man is competent and shares their values. That's why political preener Herman Cain was a non-starter for African Americans. But that mix of competence and shared values is what would have made Republican Powell a formidable challenger in 1996 to the man who was wildly popular with black voters then, Bill Clinton.
By Sununu's logic, Obama's eroding support among white voters is due to white people being proud that “somebody of your own race” is running for president. It's an ugly notion that Eugene Robinson forces us to confront in his terrific column today.
This isn't the first time Sununu has engaged in race-baiting banter. Earlier this month, he called the president “lazy.” In July, he charged, “I wish this president would learn how to be an American.” To be perfectly blunt, I wish Sununu would learn to shut up.
Read Jonathan Capehart's entire piece at the Washington Post.
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