Does Paul Ryan’s Black Ex-Girlfriend Matter?

By Kelly Goff, The Root

So here is the million-dollar question: Is the fact that Ryan has dated interracially a noteworthy detail to consider when analyzing his politics and policies?

Here’s a well-known phrase that has virtually become a punch line: When someone finds himself on the ropes facing an allegation of racism, the go-to reflex defense is usually something along the lines of “But some of my best friends are black!” Translation: “I can’t possibly be racist or racially insensitive because there are black people I like and they like me. So there.” Many of us are so used to hearing this — and, frankly, dismissing it (remember George Zimmerman’s media-friendly pal Joe Oliver?) — that we long ago stopped asking, What if it’s actually true?

Read more of this analysis here.

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