White Men Can’t Trump Sotomayor on Life Story: Albert R. Hunt

Commentary by Albert R. Hunt

July 20 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Lindsey Graham, the engaging South Carolina Republican, lectured Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor last week that if he had made a comment like hers that a “wise Latina woman” often reaches better conclusions, it would have a been a career-ender.

The cable-news commentators concurred, and the nominee, playing the create-no-waves confirmation game, expressed regret. Actually, her remark was rational and Graham’s analysis flawed.

Suppose, for example, he had said: “I would hope that a wise, white Southern male with the richness of growing up in South Carolina would more often than not be more sensitive on the issue of race relations than a white Northerner who hasn’t lived that life.”

While some might have disagreed, most of his constituents would have agreed, and his future would be as bright as ever.

(Continued here.)