In a brilliant post on the Democratic Underground, David Zephyr articulates well what I had been thinking — if the recent issue about Barack Obama’s ex-pastor and a sermon this pastor gave last December is enough to get white voters not to consider him, they were likely looking for some excuse to exercise their bigotry. Zephyr doesn’t specifically reference this incident but, given the time of the posting, it had to be a consideration.

I have reprinted the post below in its entirety.

Barack Obama Isn’t Being Tested. White Americans Are Being Tested.

We have ourselves a real learning opportunity right now in this country. And the test is not about Barack Obama. The test is about white Americans. I don’t know if we (white Americans) are going to pass it. But it is almost divine, this test.

Barack Obama is only a man of his times. He can not change those white Americans’ hearts who will seek out excuses to rationalize their bigotry, their fear of people of color. He can not do that. As I said, he is a man of his times. And so we are about to learn a lot about these times, aren’t we?

If white Americans are looking for a reason — no matter how irrational or how great the double-standard may be — to justify their bigotry, then they will find their reason to justify their bigotry.

Barack is not the one being tested anymore. It’s white Americans who are being tested. Really tested.

How white Americans respond to this “clean” (Joe Biden’s curious term), brilliant African-American man — who has labored for those less fortunate because he so believed in this American dream, who has played by all the rules his entire life — how we respond will be revealing.

For as Barack Obama gets closer and closer to putting his hand the door of America’s big, boastful promise of equality, we will learn a lot about our fellow citizens and all about that promise of equality that we love to brag about.

Will my fellow white Americans judge this man on his character, his life’s work, his good soul? Or will we look for excuses to lock that door as he approaches? Will we grasp for any quick rationale, no matter how pathetic it may be, to grease our consciences?

How will we deal with this very good man, this faithful husband and father of two beautiful girls? You know, this decent and inspiring All-American family.

Will we concoct new standards at the last moment for him? Will we participate in ugly gossip with our neighbors about this man of color?

Yes, we have ourselves here a real learning opportunity now. It’s a test for the whole world to watch.

And the test is not about Barack Obama.

The test is all about white Americans.

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