In defense of Obama on Race

Recap:
So...I grew up in California.  I'm properly socially dense for a geek, so I didn't see any racism going on.  Then I moved to Houston...and saw racial mixing of a kind that California just doesn't have (outside of colleges).  Going back to California...the lack of racial mix, and the unpreparedness of some folks to interact with other colors was surprising.  But not horrible...just noticeable and surprisingly different from the nonchalance of Houston.  Austin, a bit later, was better, but not as good as Houston.  And visits to North Carolina and Atlanta have been marvelous like Houston.

And then I moved to Chicago.  In Chicago, my experience is that you can't meet 3 people of different race than you without encountering a situation that is racially tinged.  Indeed, the racial tint is so standard here that it becomes next to impossible, even when the situation is not racially tinged (rare -- usually interacting with a white person from elsewhere), to not see racial forces at work.  This from every black person I've talked to about the topic in Chicago as well as my new personal awareness.

So...In addition to electing a politician who comes from the most crooked city in the country...we also elected a politician from the place with (according to others I talk to) worst racial tensions in the country. 

All Obama's (proxy) charges of racism?  In America, they're mostly false.  In Chicago, he'd be right, significantly, on all counts.  As an aside, by all accounts, Hawaii is impressively racist (Native Islander) as well.  So maybe we can give him a little break on intentions.  Hawaii race-relations + Chicago race-relations would mess up Ghandi.