He was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a “light-skinned” African American “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,” as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama’s race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination.
Reid has since apologized for his “poor choice of words” Kinsley gaffe.
President Barack Obama was quick to issue a statement accepting Reid’s apology:
Harry Reid called me today and apologized for an unfortunate comment reported today. I accepted Harry’s apology without question because I’ve known him for years, I’ve seen the passionate leadership he’s shown on issues of social justice and I know what’s in his heart. As far as I am concerned, the book is closed.
While Obama has closed the book, Reid’s racially offensive comments open a new chapter in racial politics. I will have more on Reid in the coming days. But I’m not going to let him steal my joy.
Tonight, PBS’ “American Masters” presents “Sam Cooke: Crossing Over.” Interestingly, Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” was the soundtrack to Election Night celebrations in 2008.
The one-hour documentary is narrated by Danny Glover. Parenthetically, Obama recently brushed off Glover’s criticism about his trickle-down approach to issues of importance to African Americans.
Cooke’s story features interviews with other music legends, including James Brown, Smokey Robinson and Billy Preston. To check your local listing, go here.
