I was at a meeting last week and out of the blue a few of the more liberal democrats in the group went off on a rant about how racist the recent presidential election was.  Now I didn’t see it that way and I asked for some examples that showed racism.  The only two presented were lawn signs that said “Believe in America” and the slogan “The Makers versus The Takers.” To me these are no more racist slogans than “Forward,” the Obama campaign slogan, is a communist slogan.

I don’t really know what to make of this.  Charges of racism should never be made lightly and I took it personally because I supported Mitt Romney and so apparently in my liberal friends eyes I am in the same camp as racists.  Seeing other people as racist because they disagree with you does not increase the civility of the debate but it does allow you to dismiss the real arguments that the other side has without considering them.

Arguments like:

• The need for some fiscal sanity so we stop borrowing from the future.  The federal government can’t do everything for everybody.
• The need for reform in “entitlements.”  The situation has changed, people live longer and consume more healthcare.  Change the programs.  They are full of perverse incentives.
• The need to end the monopoly of the public employees unions so, for instance, poor people can have school choice like the rich people do.

On the Rational Immigration site I wrote some advise to the Republicans on what I thought that they should do to get back in the game.  It is unlikely that they can take it and keep their coalition together.  The Democrats have a similar problem.  Their coalition of public employees, well-to-do liberals and ethnic groups is frail at best.  The country is very divided on lots of issues but I don’t think that there are many racists on either side any more.  I still don’t know what to make of this.