The NY Times' flattering profile of the very professionally accomplished Dr. Ben Carson is part of a concerted effort to make a compelling news story out of the Republican Party's search for a viable black presidential candidate.
The Republican Party's quest is more of a comedic tragedy than a drama. It is a rerun of bad serialized television. Carson today; Herman Cain yesterday; Allen West before then; Colin Powell years ago. The story always ends the same way, with the masters of the Tea Party GOP going onto the next one in search of a black political messiah who can successfully package and sell a set of policies that are hostile to people of color, and which no black or brown folks with any self-respect or common sense, would support.
The Tea Party GOP is a racially chauvinistic political organization, one that is quite literally trying to put a black face on its policies and proposals. The union of racism and conservatism in the post-civil rights era deems that these efforts will likely fail. Nevertheless, they will still persist.
Instead of a bad serialized drama or sitcom, the Republican quest for a black leader who can be a salve for charges of racism--a human deflector shield--and win over non-white voters to the Tea Party GOP, is more akin to the world of XXX film.
In the United States, there is an underground culture where white men seek out black men to have sex with the former's wives and partners. These white men are cuckolded. They sit watching as these walking stereotypes of super endowed "impenetrable blackness" ravage the "gift" of white flesh given to them by these "magnanimous" and "generous" white men. All is not as it seems however. The white men who are supposedly submissive are actually enjoying the proceedings. They have power to "surrender" and find bliss and pleasure in watching the socially taboo, the Other, take what is in this sexual context, their white female marital "property."
The "Mandingos" at these events feel special and proud. They sell themselves as articulate, smart, professionally accomplished and atypical black men. These men are "exceptional" and "articulate." The white couples who seek out Mandingo parties are also seeking out the exceptional negro, that "special" one, who can fulfill a fantasy. Ultimately, the personhood of these black men is irrelevant: none of the people involved are really interested in talking. What does matter is that they are black men of a particular type.
The Republican Party's search for a Great Black (or even non-white) Hope is driven by the same logic. The "right type" of "accomplished" black guy who can be sold to the White Right in a play of political fantasy is preferable. But, any black person who is a "conservative" will serve their purposes.
Black conservative Ben Carson is a human prop for the GOP's 10 million dollar political Mandingo outreach party. As we saw with Herman Cain, the visual of a black man, standing central before a sea of Right-wing Whiteness brings waves of political joy and healing paroxysms to Republicans. Ben Carson should be cautious however, as the Republican Party has a fickle relationship with their political Mandingos. The curiosity is satisfied quite quickly before they return to their old lovers and even older ways. At the Mandingo party/political orgy that are events such as CPAC, Black conservatives can be used for sport or pleasure. But, they are rarely allowed to spend the night.
Ben Carson is the new best black friend of the Republican Party. But, will they call him the morning after?
