The Score

Like Democrats protecting Bill Clinton from rape charges, Ann Althouse, Glenn Reynolds, and the rest of their blogging crew can be 100% wrong - and they often are - but no one can reach them.

They, on the other hand, can - and do - cause harm to others: most of them have thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of followers - who act on their command like they're Oprah - to buy things, read things, assume certain political positions. Some have newspaper columns, or appear on TV, or are quoted by others. After years with them, online, I feel I can say with authority that any black person, outside of their orbit, has reason to be skeptical, or even fear them and what they're trying to accomplish, because it's not revealing any truth for us, or bettering our lives.

They're mostly racial gatekeepers, and there's no way to deal with them. They enjoy debating the most stupid racial arguments, ignoring anyone thoughtful who opposes them. The only blacks they give voice to are representing a sliver of us, and are usually considered Toms by the others. They shut down dialogues when THEY see fit - which is usually after admitting they're not winning the argument - NOT a good situation for a public professor, out to make a little cash from Google and Amazon sales, to be in. They can make sure debates don't happen, or determine the parameters of those that do. They'll read an issue wrong, then make that the issue they're debating. If they want to tune anyone out, deny their arguments a hearing, pretend a real answer isn't out there (after they declared a situation hopeless) so be it: they'll be unfair liars. No skin off their teeth. Their sales - and the ease with which they make them - continue. That's what's important. I have seen, experienced, and been told this, by them.

They are the political right's blogosphere, demanding blacks join them or - like Joe Biden said - we're not very bright, or not really black.