Honestly, Pat, I don't quite see what's behind the uproar over Reid's remarks. It seems to me that he was commenting on how other people might see Obama's "blackness" or lack thereof. It really had nothing to do with his own feelings, and it wasn't explicitly prejudicial on his part. I'd add that the word Negro (different from the other "n" word) is not generally considered racist although it is out of fashion.

Reid's comment about how other might perceive Obama is a far cry from Trent Lott's words a few years ago when he seemed to indicate that the country would be a better place if segregation had been allowed to continue. Now THAT'S a racist statement.

Further, I'll say that I think there was some truth to what Reid said. If Obama was much darker and/or if he spoke like (for example) Jesse Jackson, I'm not sure how he would have done. It was correct to mock George W. Bush for his inability to pronounce the word "nuclear," and I would likewise have some degree of suspicion of a Presidential candidate who had not been able to learn proper English.

Reid may lose the next election, but it won't be because of this. It would be because people are frustrated (on both sides) about how he has handled the health care reform debacle.