Gates

The news has been filled with stories in the last four days about the July 16 arrest for disorderly conduct of distinguished Harvard U. African-American studies professor Henry Louis Gates, the subsequent dropping of charges against him and the still seething cauldron of discontent regarding the incident. It is not my purpose to suggest how to "resolve" the issue, as if a resolution really is possible. I think it probably will be to Gates' and the nation's advantage to keep the issue "alive" for some time. The purpose of this essay is to point out why I think that Gates is pretty much "on his own" on this one and that having an African-American President won't help him at all.

Obama's Dilemma

One would think that having an African-American President, a person who already addressed the issue of race in March 2008 during his presidential campaign, would assure that this incident would provide a "teachable moment" for the nation on race relations, on how far we have to go, on how we ought to go on from here. But it won't do so for two reasons. First, as I argued last March (pretty much in opposition to the dominant tone of those who covered Mr. Obama's "race" speech), Mr. Obama's race speech signaled his interest in not dealing with the issue of race, at least in the Presidential campaign. He wanted to portray himself as a candidate "beyond" race or, at least, one for whom racial issues didn't provide the lens through which he looked at America. The tone of his March 18, 2008 speech in Philadelphia was an inclusive one--all groups in America have suffered oppression and need to set aside differences to work together for the future.

This kind of approach doesn't give the President much wiggle room to enter into the Gates incident, other than to say that he might regret very much that it happened. So does the Cambridge (MA) police department. Perhaps the most he can do is to announce the appointment of a commission to 'look into' various ways that stigmatization by race still happens in our society. But he can't really get himself "bogged down" in the mucky and unpleasant details of the continued problems of racial fears, stereotyping and even hatred that is unleashed whenever the topic of race is broached in America today. Mr. Obama made his decision on race in 2008--he would rather not talk about it, even though he knows the oppression "narrative" well.

Thus, if he were to bring up the issue, he would risk reverting to a discussion on race that he tried to convince us was no longer the reality in America. He simply cannot do that at this point.

But there is also a second reason he cannot enter into the Gates issue with anything more than a perfunctory, "It should not have happened" or, if he is really trying to be sympathetic, "this is all too common in a land where we are committed to judging people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin." He can't do so because it would distract attention from his agenda. As we know, he has ben convinced by someone that unless he accomplishes most of his domestic agenda in the first year of his presidency, he will forever have lost his ability to get it accomplished. To that end, the President has devoted himself to credit card reform, securities regulation, defense department issues, speeches to Russia, the European Union, the Muslim World, Africa, health care and energy issues. He certainly is trying to give the impression that he is "saving" America if not the world, though I am not really convinced of that one. But what there isn't time for on his agenda is the story of Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Frankly, the story would be a "distraction" for him. He has his agenda he needs to accomplish, and the unfortunate incident with Professor Gates just may make us "go slow" on a difficult issue when we have a President who wants to "go fast" on everything. There is an old proverb which states: "One who begins too much accomplishes little." The Gates incident might be the thing that makes the President begin too much and then accomplish very little.

Conclusion

Will the President will be forced by circumstances to face the racial issue more squarely than he desires? Time will certainly tell, but at this point I am sure he is trying his best not to have to make a statement on the issue or, more likely, having his people craft a "balanced" statement that will take the issue off the front page of the newspapers. The Gates incident simply can't be good for health care reform...

NOTE: The day after I wrote this, the President addressed the Gates situation at his health care news conference. That is, he tried to do something. His words were largely measured, emphasizing three things: that everyone would have been offended with this type of arrest (at home after providing identification), that Cambridge police acted "stupidly" on this one, and that African-Americans and Hispanics have been stopped disproportionately more by law enforcement than others. The word "stupid," however, was not a "Presidential word..."

NOTE TWO 7/24/09: Since my last "note," the debate has gone further. The officer, a respected member of the Cambridge police force, has "pushed back." Others have rushed to his defense; others have entered into the situation, trying to claim that racism was not the issue; police procedure was. It is turning into a fascinating case study of professionalism, perception, race and police culture and action. My basic point--that President Obama could do nothing--is probably true. He tried to do something, and it has become a bigger distraction. He who wanted to sail into office without dealing with race, is now finding that dealing with it IN office issn't very easy. Lots more care is needed to wade into it the issue of race. The President probably regrets now that he made it a "distraction" for himself, but he had to do something. My thesis is that he hamstrung himself in the primary by setting a tone that really wasn't "him." Then, when he responded a frew days ago in the way that he did, he was really "himself." But, now is not the time for "himself" on this issue, unfortunately. As a result, he won't be enjoying August as much as many Senators and US Representatives...

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