Right-Wing Bloggers Claim Racism No Longer Exists. Next Survey Will "Prove" Wall Street Financiers Aren't Greedy, No Doubt.

BILL BERKOWITZ FOR BUZZFLASH

If more than five dozen conservative bloggers overwhelmingly agree that racism no longer exists, does that make it so? John Hawkins, a conservative blogger and columnist, recently conducted an unscientific survey on race and racism, and then sent me an email about it after it was published on his website. He later told me in a follow-up email that judging from the results of the survey, “conservatives don't think racism is a major problem in America, they don't consider themselves to be racist, and they believe most complaints of racism in politics are made for extremely cynical reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with bigotry.”

I’m not going to present analysis about what you are about to read; no “refudiations.” No extrapolated conclusions. The survey’s results speak for themselves. It has always been, and continues to be, difficult to have a civil conversation about race in America (the post-survey comments attests to this).

Hawkins pointed out that his survey reflects only the views of the representatives of the blogs that chose to respond to his questions. He makes no claims to a scientific survey methodology.

260 “right-of-center bloggers” were asked to answer 11 questions about race. Representatives from 63 blogs responded: 101 Dead Armadillos, All That Is Necessary, The American Princess, And Rightly So, Argghhhh!, Bad Example, Basil's Blog, Bookworm Room, Bright & Early, Bull Moose Strikes Back, Cao's Blog, Melissa Clouthier, Conservative Compendium, Drumwaster's Rants, Election Projection, Dodgeblogium, Cara Ellison, Exurban League, Fausta's Blog, Cassy Fiano, Fingers Malloy, Fraters Libertas, GayPatriot, GraniteGrok, Guardian Watchblog, Hot Air, House of Eratosthenes, Freeman Hunt, IMAO, Infidels Are Cool, The Jawa Report, Moe Lane, Linkiest, Little Miss Attila, Mean Ol' Meany, JackLewis, Liz Mair, Moonbattery, Mount Virtus, Midnight Blue, Nice Deb, No Oil For Pacifists, mountaineer musings, No Runny Eggs, Pal2pal, Pundit Boy, JammieWearingFool, Pursuing Holiness.com, Russ. Just Russ, Shots Across The Bow, Sister Toldjah, The Smallest Minority, Snark and Boobs, Solomonia, This Ain't Hell, The Sundries Shack, QandO, Weapons of Mass Discussion, Weasel Zippers, WILLisms, Wintery knight, Wizbang! 

With the permission of Hawkins, here are the survey’s questions and responses:

1) How big a problem is racism in our society today? Is it a big problem, somewhat of a problem, a small problem or not a problem at all?

A) A big problem: 4.8% (3 votes)
B) Somewhat of a problem: 20.6% (13 votes)
C) A small problem: 60.3% (38 votes)
D) Not a problem at all: 14.3% (9 votes)

2) If you honestly assessed yourself, would you say that you're racially prejudice?

A) Yes: 1.6% (1 votes)
B) No: 98.4% (62 votes)

3) Do you think blacks have achieved racial equality, will soon achieve racial equality, will not achieve racial equality in your lifetime, or will never achieve racial equality?

A) Have achieved: 78.7% (48 votes)
B) Will soon achieve: 16.4% (10 votes)
C) Won't achieve in your lifetime: 4.9% (3 votes)

4) In general, do you approve or disapprove of giving preferences to blacks and other minorities in things like hirings, promotions, and college admissions?

A) Approve: 0% (0 votes)
B) Disapprove: 100% (63 votes)

5) Do you believe that the government discriminates against white Americans based on their skin color?

A) Yes: 79.4% (50 votes)
B) No: 20.6% (13 votes)

6) Do you believe that people who are opposed to illegal immigration could best be described as...

A) People who want to see the border secured, support law order, or believe illegal immigration is bad for America: 96.8% (61 votes)
B) People who don't like Hispanics: 0% (0 votes)
C) Not sure: 3.2% (2 votes)

7) In your opinion, have you or a group you're a part of ever been falsely accused of racism?

A) Yes: 86.9% (53 votes)
B) No: 13.1% (8 votes)

8) Do you think the majority of accusations of racism in politics today are false?

A) Yes: 100% (62 votes)
B) No: 0% (0 votes)

9) Do you think that NAACP would better be described as a group that...

A) Represents black Americans: 0% (0 votes)
B) Represents liberal black Americans: 100% (62 votes)

10) Which of the following do you think best describes Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton?

A) People are genuinely trying to fight against racism and injustice: 1.6% (1 votes)
B) People who make mostly false accusations of racism to get attention, make money, or for political gain: 93.7% (59 votes)
C) Not sure: 4.8% (3 votes)

11) Do you believe that the Democratic Party falsely tries to convince black and Hispanic Americans that Republicans hate them as a political strategy?

A) Yes, they do: 100% (63 votes)
B) No, they don't: 0% (0 votes)
C) Most Republicans do hate black & hispanic Americans: 0% (0 votes)

In response to a few of my follow-up questions, Hawkins told me that he “believe[s] false accusations of racism have become so prevalent that they're a bigger real world problem than actual racism, which is a relatively minor issue in America today.” He pointed out that “As Barack Obama's approval rating has dropped, literally millions of people are being falsely smeared as racists simply because they're getting in the way of the liberal agenda. Rather bizarrely, the mainstream media has studiously ignored this issue, even as the cries of ‘racism’ have risen to a hysterical pitch in the last couple of years. This isn't fair to the people being smeared, it's not good for race relations in this country, and it's not good for black Americans, many of whom are being falsely convinced that a large portion of the country hates them because of their skin color when that's absolutely, unconditionally not true.”

So there you have it: A snapshot on race from the conservative blogosphere at the dawn of the twenty-first century’s second decade. 

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