Andrew Greeley at the Chicago Sun Times writes that if Obama doesn’t win, it’s because we’re all a bunch of dirty racist Klansmen. First, he asks a bunch of questions:

Moreover, is the voter a bigot who says — to himself or others — “He’s too young for it,” “I don’t know anything about him,” “He’s an elitist,” “He’s just a lot of fancy talk,” “The country isn’t ready for a man like that,” “He’s weak in his support of Israel,” “He’s Muslim, possibly the anti-Christ!” Are these hints of lurking prejudice? Are the voters of regular members of the Democratic coalition — Hispanics and union members — against Obama partly because of racism?

His answer (in the form of a question) is yes, because sometimes people in “men’s clubs” (really? men’s clubs?) make slurs.

How many of the male readers of this column who are habitues of bars, locker rooms, commuter train bull sessions, pool rooms and men’s clubs have not heard the indigenous racial slurs of such environments applied to Obama?

Apparently women are off the hook, but men are race-hating racists. And Obama will lose because he is black.

The point is that racism permeates American society and hides itself under many different disguises. The nomination of an African-American candidate was a near-miracle. Only the innocent and the naive think that the November election will not be about race.

The odds against the replication of the primary miracle in November, even against a disgraced and discredited Republic administration, are very high.

Race will silently trump the war, the economy, the cost of gasoline, the disgust with President Bush. One may wish that it will not be so, that if Obama loses it will not be because of the color of his skin but because the country genuinely wants another Republican administration.

Of course, one Newsbusters (Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias!) writer basically argues that its okay to hate black people, because they hate white people, too.

I’d suggest that he’d hear as many “racial slurs” in a certain Chicago Church that our Obamessiah recently ran from as if it were on fire. Only, the racial slurs you would hear would be aimed at “Whitey” not blacks. And, I’d dare say, we could find many, many places in this country where the racism expressed is against whites, Mexican, and Asians and would be being expressed by blacks.

I’m voting for Obamessiah precisely because I am a racist. I just can’t wait to see a black person fail where so many white men already have.

Fall Election Hinges on Race [Chicago Sun-Times]
Chgo Sun-Times: Now Greeley Says It’s Racist Not to Vote Obama [Newsbusters]