From our DEAR, SWEET, "The Rude Pundit"

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Any Lead Romney Has Is Because White People Are Comfortable Again With Their Racism:
Drunk on good beer and stuffed with shitty bangers at an EPCOT-worthy fake Irish pub in deepest, suburbanest New Jersey this past weekend, one of the people at the Rude Pundit's table decided to start talking politics. "I talk to people, union guys, who say they're not going to vote for Obama," the man said, asserting that while he wasn't necessarily an Obama voter, he found this odd. Or, more precisely, "It's fucked up. I tell them, 'Look, you should be voting for him. Obama has done more for unions than any president since FDR.'" It was a major overstatement, but there was much beer involved, with Irish coffees on the way, so one can let such things slide. "For instance, you know Scott, right? He's a cop, in the union. When I asked him, he just said, 'Oh, Obama's the worst. I can't vote for him.' That makes no sense for someone like him."

The answer was obvious, of course, and the Rude Pundit stated it: "It's because they're racist."

"No, no," he insisted. "They're not. They'd have said the same thing about Clinton. Well, Clinton back before he was president." Ah, the hedge. Always look for the hedge.

"Sorry, man," the Rude Pundit said. "But it's because they're racist. Scott is racist. There is no other reason."

The virtual disappearance of the race factor from mainstream media coverage of this election belies the obvious stench of it floating just below the surface. There's a large number of whites in this nation who voted for Obama last time, drawn in by the high of being part of a movement, who are relieved that Obama hasn't been too great a president so that they have an excuse to not vote again for the black guy. Resurgent racist impulses don't get polled, but shifts in voting trends in states like North Carolina have to have some reason other than Romney's charm and grasp of the issues and desire to do exactly what George W. Bush did to the economy.

What's the evidence of this? Let's get into implications rather than demographics. There's no need to go through the litany of what Obama has accomplished (you know it: ending the Iraq war, saving the economy, that shit). Instead, ask yourself, dear, dear doubtful reader, and ask it honestly: Why would anyone who isn't rich and greedy vote for Mitt Romney?

As The Daily Show, among many others, pointed out, at the final debate (aka "The Debate That Didn't Matter Because Romney Had His Ass Handed to Him on a Paper Plate"), Romney blatantly contradicted virtually every position he had held on foreign policy, and he did so in a way that had him agreeing with Obama on nearly everything the current administration has done, despite beating his chest for months prior to that debate. Now, say what you want about the importance of the economy and jobs, but a big part of what a president does is dealing with other nations and Commander-in-Chief type of shit. If you take that out of the equation, then what's left is hoping Congress will work with you on the domestic front.

When we get to the domestic front, we're talking about just a couple of differences beyond social issues (so calm down, rabid anti-abortion nuts who wouldn't have voted for Obama anyways): repeal of Obamacare and the small hike in the tax rate for income over $250,000. There's a few other tax issues, but these are the ones that affects the vast majority of Americans. In other words, Obama did or wants to do more or less what he campaigned on the first time. When it comes to Romney, the only thing that he seems to have a clear, consistent opinion on is tax cuts, especially cutting corporate and capital gains taxes (aka "Those Things That Will Make Me Richer").

This ain't about people who voted for McCain who now support Romney. It ain't about Americans who aren't voting for Obama who have a principled disagreement over Obama's use of drones to execute people without charge or trial, as well as his extension of Bush's surveillance program. This is specifically about Obama voters who have turned to Romney. How could you do so?

For, truly, is Mitt Romney a man you could see yourself entrusting the nation to for any reason other than he looks white and successful? Has he really convinced you that Obama doing most of what he said he was going to do when you voted for him before is that much of a threat that you'd shift your vote to the shifty candidate? C'mon. There's no logic there. You just can't bring yourself to vote for the black man again. You tried it. It didn't magically change the world, so now you can comfort yourself by giving into your prejudices.

Either that or you just really hate gays.