Notes From D.R. | Random Thoughts on the Passing Scene

        "Baby, there’s a brother on the radio - and he’s running for governor!"

That was the bizarre reaction of one Tiffany Dufu, a Simmons College fundraiser, upon hearing an interview with Deval Patrick, the former Clinton Administration hack who’s making a bid to become Massachusetts’ next governor. Her reaction was not bizarre because it was unique; surely there were a number of African-Americans in this state who had similar reactions upon learning that Patrick was making a bid for the state’s highest office. However, it was bizarre because it was so obviously predicated upon Mr. Patrick’s ultra-liberal politics.

Ms. Dufu, you may recall, was the subject of a lengthy Boston Globe profile back in June, in which she described her perception of lingering racial uneasiness in the city. Whatever you may think of Dufu personally, it seemed obvious from the profile that her views are fairly far to the left of the political spectrum. So it should come as no surprise that she would support someone as "progressive" as Patrick.

However, what if another "brother" decided to run for governor? Someone who wasn’t as stridently liberal as Patrick? Someone whose views were more moderate, or centrist, or even somewhat conservative? If a guy like, say, Michael Steele ran for governor in this state, would Dufu and others like her sing his praises?

Highly unlikely.

If a centrist or conservative African-American ran for governor instead of Patrick, it seems obvious that folks like Dufu would take a dim view of his candidacy, and liberal black politicians like State Senator Dianne Wilkerson would not be rushing to his side. In fact, they would be out there condemning his supposed insufficient loyalty to people of color, and denouncing him as a pawn of reactionary forces in this state. The local NAACP would pile on, as well as moonbat newspaper columnists like the Globe’s repulsive Derrick Jackson.

Dufu’s enthusiastic reaction to Patrick’s candidacy has less to do with the desire for diversity then it does with the idolization of ideology. Put an African-American less liberal than Patrick in his place, and the scorn coming from "progressives" would be off the charts. On the surface, it would appear that Dufu and others of her ilk are merely happy that a black person is running. In reality, they’re happy that a hard left black person is running.