David E. Weisberg: Are all Obama critics racists?

I have noticed a very disturbing theme in recent letters to the editor. In the March 1 letter “Land of possibilities,” the writer speculated that Rudy Giuliani made a foolish remark about President Obama simply because he (Giuliani) is a racist. He then went on to express the obviously disingenuous hope that at least “some Republicans” are above racism and xenophobia, implying that some not insignificant percentage of Republicans are guilty of such bigotry. That latter implication was supported by no evidence.

In the March 12 letter “GOP warmongers,” the writer asserted that the 47 Republican senators who signed an open letter to Iran’s government were expressing, among other things, “their resentment that a black man managed to get elected to the presidency twice.” Nothing in the senators’ letter remotely suggested any such motive; the allegation is conjured up out of the thinnest of air.

The question must be asked: Is everyone who criticizes or disagrees with Obama necessarily a racist? Do supporters of Obama take that as a given? If the answer is “yes,” civil political debate is no longer possible, and we all – Republicans, Democrats and Independents – are the losers.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 12:36 PM with the headline "David E. Weisberg: Are all Obama critics racists?."