After typing all that, I see this post on Gillard's blog. He exposes some veiled racism in right wing thought. While the racism is one sticking point for blacks in the republican party, another one is that if blacks in the republican party have stupid ideas, they usually aren't their own stupid ideas. One may disrespect the blacks in the democratic party, even ones that are a bit out there, like Al Sharpton- but they come up with their own stupid ideas.

Kissing up to and being servile to whites doesn't play well to many blacks. A lot of blacks want to see not just black faces, but people who are working to make things better for black people. What shores up white self esteem, and what is good for black people is often two very different things. Of course what shores up white self esteem and what is good for the whole country are often two very different things, too...