Denis Hamill

It is no surprise the media is going full throttle on the racism issue in this final week of the campaign. There seems to be concern among liberals that usual democratic voters will pull the lever for John McCain. NY Daily News writer Denis Hamill wrote an article today illustrating his concern that his white liberal contemporaries were defecting to McCain. Hamill emphasizes in each example that these  Democrats are voting McCain because of Obama's race. (my emphasis added):

But we're nervous. We're Jewish and I spoke to my parents down in Florida today. They're voting for McCain."

"Because he's white," said the wife. "Same with my parents."

"They just won't vote for a black man," the guy said. "And they're Democrats! Never voted Republican before!"

If it were an isolated incident, I wouldn't mind.

But the woman at my table added that the only one of her three sons who was a registered Democrat was voting for McCain because he was white.

And I've been hearing stuff like that for the past few months. What I hear banging around Queens is not, of course, a scientific survey. It's anecdotal. But after a while you feel a disturbing vibe.

"Most of the guys at my law firm are voting for McCain," said a lawyer I know. "Not for any specific issue. Because he's white. No, make that because he's not black. It's scary because these are educated people."

He said his own wife was voting for McCain for the same reason. And she's a teacher.

Other educated white people have told me that "it's too soon" for a black man to be president. Or, "I thought it would happen in my kids' lifetimes, not mine."

And this is in Queens, the most ethnically, racially, and religiously diverse county in America, in "liberal" New York City.