Am I to understand that Jon Stewart, liberal in good standing, actually believes that Republican opposition to Obama nominee Loretta Lynch to succeed Attorney General Eric Holder is not animated by horrible hatred of black people? Because, um, that sounds like Stewart might at the very least be guilty of a microaggression for not conceding that every thought and feeling Charlie Rangel has on the subject of race is righteous.

I do occasionally dream that, as Stewart suggests here, Democrats will use the race card too often and it will therefore be rendered ineffective. Of course, I’ve been dreaming about that in earnest since 2009, and it seems to only have become more frequently used and more effective. But it is nice to see someone on the Left saying, even if for a brief moment, “Hey, maybe not everything is racist, and smearing one’s ideological opposition with the accusation is not terribly helpful to the country or to combating real racism. Hm?”

Like I said, Stewart is walking a dangerous line here, lest he be lumped in with the rest of the fake “racists” for not calling them racist with a throaty enough nationally televised yawp:

DURBIN (clip): “Loretta lynch, the first African-American woman nominated to be attorney general is asked to sit in the back of the bus when it comes to the Senate calendar.

STEWART” “Oh, for (bleep) Sake. No, she’s not being asked. She’s waiting on a confirmation vote tied to another bill. It’s not — you know my guess is there is not a Senate procedural motion you could subject a person to that would rise to the level of Jim Crow segregation. ‘Changing the amendment procedure makes me like a Cherokee on the paper trail of tears.’ No! (Laughter) Unless someone thinks they can outrace hyperbolized Senator Durbin — perhaps you, Representative Charlie Rangel?”

RANGEL (clip): “They just can’t stand the concept of another black attorney general. They come from states that used to have slaves and they’ve enjoyed the concept that if you’re white automatically you’re superior. They can’t help themselves.”

STEWART: “The same way I can’t help myself from saying very dumb things!

If Stewart would like to go YOLO in his last few months with more like this, it’d be nice. I’ve mostly stopped dreaming there’s actually a point at which the race card becomes less effective when doled out for nonsense, but I’d like to be convinced to dream again. Even if you’re not a fan of him, Stewart is at least a decent cultural barometer for people who tend to unquestioningly think of all conservatives as racist. Baby steps, people.

Update: While we’re on the subject of weak-sauce scoldings that probably mean nothing, check out this truly lame showing from Dan Balz, winner of the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting, who takes his chance at the mic with Hillary Clinton in the room to make a joke about how she doesn’t answer questions. Good stuff, Dan. Truth to power, buddy. It’s all so hilarious, this terrible breach of public trust, as Noah noted earlier today in a follow-up to my post about Hillary’s appearance at the Toner event.