I've decided that the only people in this county suffering from "white guilt"...

...are those who are constantly accusing others of possessing it.

Speaking as an Obama supporter since January, I don't even understand the concept. To me, at least, Barack Obama doesn't represent the black population of this country--he represents himself, and quite well at that. Obama's race is pretty damn self-evident to anyone with eyes, but it's really not the first thing I think of when I listen to him speak. I think--damn, we've got a really strong, well-spoken dynamo of a candidate this year. Guilt is a negative emotion, and I feel nothing but positive feelings when I imagine the phrase "President Obama arrived in Washington today..."

Furthermore, as a youngish middle-class liberal, I honestly don't feel particularly guilty when it comes to race. Not NEARLY as guilty as I would feel if I had been on the wrong side of every racial issue in this country since Eisenhower left office. Sure, Liberals could always have done more to help minorities over the last few decades, but they sure as shit did more than the pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstrap Conservatives. Let's be honest, it's the dyed-in-the-wool Reaganites who are the most likely to view this young black candidate as representative of all the ways they've screwed over minorities over the last 30 years, and they attempt to absolve themselves of this guilt by publicly assuming that all white people feel the same way. Well, we don't.

Unlike, say, Pat Buchanan, we don't look at Barack's skin color and visualize the faces of those we've wronged floating up at us. On the other hand, it's becoming increasingly clear that the common Conservative attitude towards minorities is a combination of fear, paranoia, and somewhere deep down, a very strong sense of guilt. I can't speak for all Liberals, but I sleep just fine at night knowing that, among other things, Republicans would never, could never nominate a black, latino, or female candidate for president in a million years. Too much hand-wringing. Too much psychological cost. And yes, too much racism, sexism, and xenaphobia for it to ever happen. On the other hand, we voted for all three this year and thought nothing of it...

So let me reiterate: "White guilt" is a conservative buzz-word aimed at Liberals, but describing Conservatives themselves. It's projection at it's finest.

I don't know if I read that somewhere or if it's a personal theory.

But as a general theme, people often suspect others of doing things based partly on the fact that they might themselves do that same thing, though they'd never admit as much and might not even recognize that emotional relationship.

Weird.

The thought process goes like this.

1. I am normal.
2. If I felt I was in any way abnormal, I couldn't live with myself.
3. These strange thoughts I have about (gays? black people? etc) CANNOT be abnormal. Everyone must have them. So--
4. Instead of coping with the aforementioned strange thoughts, and thus recognizing myself as abnormal, I will publicly assume that they are UNIVERSAL, but I am the only normal person brave enough to admit I have them.

What I can't understand is why these tendencies seem the MOST pronounced in people who are given their own talk shows.

The self loathing thing, especially for homophobes.

1. I hate that part of myself.
2. That person is an expression of that part of myself that I hate (and worse, is proud of it).
3. I'll destroy or harm that person and in so doing (by projection) destroy or harm that part of myself that I hate.
4. Oh Oh, that didn't work.
5. Repeat, but try harder.

and questioned myself. I'm young enough not to feel it and to be happy with my candidate regardless of his color. His message spoke volumes to me. I will confess that I'm happy a bi-racial man is doing so well, and this bodes well for our perception in the rest of the world.

Now my dad, who is/was very liberal, has never liked Obama, loved the Clintons (Bill in particular), is 80 and has some racism going on. He might not vote this year. There's no 'white guilt' going on with him, but 'white guilt' isn't just a conservative buzz word; it's been prevalent around here for awhile.

Your dad's age is telling--I'd be more surprised if you said he was 50 and and had "some racism going on." The younger you are, the longer you've been living in a relatively de-segregated society. (Relative to the 1950's, I mean.)