The idea of a post-racial America in the wake of Obama's first election has been derided and discredited. But in light of the 2012 election, I see the seeds of true post-racialness being planted.
Follow me below the orange squiggly..
Now that the GOP will have to forgo overtly racist appeals to a shrinking white electorate, we could see the last election in which dogwhistles are blown. Conservatives can't win over the "new" Americans by insulting them, so they will have to resort to other appeals based on economics or other issues.
To me that says that the days of Willie Horton ads are over. Conservatives will have to speak to a broad range of voters that include low-income whites, Latinos, Asians, and blacks. They'll have to figure out some other way of dividing and conquering because there are not enough disillusioned whites to win elections anymore.
We might see affirmative action give way to preferences based entirely on economic class or educational background, but that also means that race will have less importance - for good or for bad.
We'll see more conservatives of color -- more Condaleezas, and Mia Loves and Marco Rubios. They will differ from liberal/progressive counterparts not on racial lines but on purely political and ideological differences, as well as socio economic class.
This is a good thing, I believe. While it doesn't mean we'll see less divisiveness or polarization in politics, it could mean that divisiveness will take a different form.
It's not a black-white world anymore.
8:45 AM PT: I understand the pessimism of commenters. But I do think class will be the new dividing line over time.