Articulate

Eugene Robinson nails what was truly offensive about Biden's remarks about Barack Obama.

It's interesting that Obama's reaction dealt solely with the A-word. "I didn't take Senator Biden's comments personally, but obviously they were historically inaccurate," he said in a statement. "African-American presidential candidates like Jesse Jackson, Shirley Chisholm, Carol Moseley Braun and Al Sharpton gave a voice to many important issues through their campaigns, and no one would call them inarticulate."

Maybe he heard the screech on the blackboard, too.

Yes, I'm ranting a bit. But before you accuse me of being hypersensitive, try to think of the last time you heard a white public figure described as articulate. Acclaimed white orators such as Bill Clinton and John Edwards are more often described as eloquent.

When I was a television reporter, well-meaning people used to stop me in the supermarket and say, "you speak so well!" I wanted to respond, "this surprises you?" But I didn't want to be rude or ungracious. They clearly meant it as a compliment. They were unaware that I could hear the rest of the sentence even though they left it unsaid: "... for a black person."