See no evil

One of the nice polite republicans on NPR this morning was interviewing Ta Nehisi Coates regarding his recent article in The Atlantic.   Coates theory of the 2016 presidential election is racism played a large part in the eventual election of Cheeto Jesus.   Of course, I have held that theory since before the election occurred.  That a manifestly unqualified mountebank, racist and misogynist could prevail over a qualified albeit flawed woman candidate is a triumph of prejudice over sober judgment.  The interviewer on NPR kept insisting that the common sense wisdom that tRump is the result of white working class resentment at being left behind in a globalized society.  Coates agreed that was part of the answer, but pointed out the GOP nominee was supported overwhelmingly by whites of all socio economic classes.  That they knew he was a disaster of a candidate and likely to remain one as president or in the words of one supporter, "he's an asshole, but he's our asshole", pretty much clinches Coates' argument.  The inability or more likely the plain refusal of many whites to admit they wanted a white man as president to cleanse the republic of 8 years of blackness is a stain that will mark our democracy for decades.