Rupert Murdoch, Ben Carson, and the twisted white supremacist notion of 'the good blacks'

Really? A "real black President," huh?

The level of foolishness and aloofness in this tweet from Rupert Murdoch, the owner of Fox News, is maddening.

Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide? And much else.

— Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) October 8, 2015

1. What he really means is: Ben Carson is a negro that conservatives love, and that makes him real. For centuries, white folk have made it their business to define the humanity of black folk—from the 3/5ths clause until now. Rupert: You don't have the power to define what or who is real, and what or who is black.

2. A long-held view is being advanced here. That's the feeling that certain African Americans—"the good blacks"—who play by certain rules, are paid by particular people, and always color within the lines set by white supremacy are more valuable than others. When Rupert used the word "real" he was subscribing value and showing that he has a mental calculation of what makes an African American high on his chart or not. Paul Barrett, in his book entitled The Good Black, spells out what these rules are and how they can sometimes allow one to advance in a system not created with them in mind.

3. "Properly address"—what Rupert means here is that Uncle Ben will well-represent white needs to black folk. Because not a single word has come out of Ben's mouth that addresses the real root causes of the so-called racial divide that Rupert references.

4. Black folk, almost universally, reject Ben Carson—not because he's a Republican, but because he is not a spokesperson for issues that truly matter to black people. The same is true for you, Rupert. We reject you.