Race, or simply -- ideology?

From NBC's Don Teague I’ve heard some things over the past few weeks that raise alarm bells in my head.  Among the most concerning, coming from members of the media and pundits, is that racism is the only way Barack Obama can lose the presidential election. As a person who’s worked in “red states” for much of my career, I feel compelled to offer an alternative view. Specifically, I want to give you the perspective of my neighbor, Dan.  Yes, you can call him “Dan the neighbor.” “Dan the neighbor” is not a racist.   For the record, I’ve known racists before.  Some of them are obvious.  Others drop hints about their views, hoping to find a like-minded person to share their fear or hatred with.    “Dan the neighbor” is not one of them. I know this because I’ve spent plenty of time with Dan over the three years that he’s lived next door.  We’ve tossed a football back and forth over the fence and talked politics.  We’ve had beers ... (link)