Race Injected Into Obama Vote

Created: October 06, 2008 08:49 | Last updated: July 31, 2020 00:00

Over the weekend, Sen. John McCain’s brother referred to the Northern Virginia suburbs of Arlington and Alexandria as “communist country,” presumably for their traditional Democratic-leaning ways.

I don’t cover politics at TWI, so I’m not going to comment on the campaign strategy behind the remarks. But I do live in Arlington, in a neighborhood called Clarendon. And I can tell you a little bit about what’s been going on here.

During the past few weeks, people who posted “Obama for President” signs in their yards in Clarendon and in the nearby neighborhood of Lyon Park received this letter. Addressed to “Dearest Neighbor,” the letter informed them, in a tone meant to be friendly and helpful, that they should consider the possibility that they are supporting Obama to cover up for their own, hidden racism.

Here’s the letter:

The neighborhood listserve lit up with people arguing over who could have been responsible for the letter, until the moderator shut the topic down. No one knows for sure. The letter itself has made it on to two anti-racism websites, and a site that chronicles voter suppression. The Institute for Healing Racism posted a statement on its site disavowing anything to do with it.

In the meantime, life goes on as usual, here in the communist suburbs of Northern Virginia.