Tea Party Rage? No, Crazy White People

How do you explain the past two years of utterly unhinged conservative rhetoric? Steven Thrasher of the Village Voice has a theory: “White people have simply gone sheer f---ing insane.” In a lengthy cover story, Thrasher recounts all the insanity of the Obama era—from Dr. Laura’s meltdown, to the "Ground Zero mosque" craziness, to the Arizona immigration law, to the Tea Party, to the persecution of ACORN—and ties it all back to race.

“In the end, it goes beyond Obama, and the current economy, and is really about the inevitable demographic future of America,” Thrasher argues. The Baby Boomers, who are 80% white, are getting older, and becoming more politically active. But they’re “running into the growing, and less white, younger generations.” This young, 40% non-white generation scored a major victory in electing Obama, and it drove the old guys positively nuts. (For proof, check out this poll. Or this one. Or, dear God help us, this one.) The thing is, they're going to have to get over it, concludes Thrasher: "Who but the hordes of young browns will be around to (fund the grays') Medicare and Social Security?" (More race relations stories.)