A lot of noise can be created by a small number of people. The fact that Obama won when it would have been impossible for a black man to win a few decades ago shows racism in the USA is rapidly declining.
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People always find marketing gimmicks, and if they do not have a solid brand or a product that can be branded, they will throw someone else's brand on it if they could. I do not know the business relationship between some of these companies and Obama, yet I believe some (or even lots) people are using his name to market products without his approval, just because they believe they can, and they think they are making fun of a politician. Whether it's the president or anyone else, these companies who use another person's name to market a product without permission sometimes will not be getting the last laugh. The Obama administration can not possibly keep on top of all this, and although they may let some of it slide, they probably have certain rules about how someone can use the president's name to market a product. Just because Obama is on a waffle box, does that mean that Obama endorses these waffles? You better believe it does. The second anyone finds out that his name is used incorrectly or on a product he does not approve of, I'm sure his administration will be investigating it further. Yes, it will be a growing trend, until they step up and do something about it!

*Note: I am not an attorney
Source(s):
My Thoughts.

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I think it's the last throes of a dying contingency. Historically, things that we never saw as making a difference have made huge cultural differences. Even the movie "Jungle Fever" seemed to just be a movie about a black man and a white woman getting together and the controversy involved. But after that, the issue has become less controvercial not just in movies, but in our culture as well. I think Obama's assention to the presidency will be a mark in our culture that will remove weight from many racist statements and actions, deflating the racist movement and giving the anti-racist movement growth and momentum.

I just hope Obama, in an effort to be inclusive, doesn't make the mistake of lending any legitimacy to the people who popularize and attempt to mainstream racist opinions. If he does that, he might just eliminate the effect that the color of his skin (and his progressive politics) has on the movement towards the end of racism in this country.
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Personally, If I were Obama, I would be quite satisfied in the fact that my critics are reduced to such silly and merit-less attempts of attack. He's big enough to be above it and lead by example.

To answer your question, it will depend on how Obama handles things. If he does foolish things he'll be the subject of ridicule and much will be made of his race. Similarly I suspect that if Hillary Clinton acted foolishly she would be attacked for being a woman. And likewise if Bush should ever act foolishly.... er.. well, nevermind.

Really they compared him to a monkey?! That's low.
Next thing you know they'll compare him to a Muslim.
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Racism is an interesting thing. The way the reader instantly interpreted the cartoon of Obama as 'racist' was interesting. Obama has big ears, so for a cartoonist to draw big ears is not necessarily racist but part of the way cartoonists work.

I think its our interpretations of racism that are the interesting thing. Black people joke about the intricacies of what white people do and what makes us tick every day. When we suddenly make a joke that black people love fried chicken, that's racist. It's because white people are typically protectionist when making jokes about black people. They don't want to offend because they believe black people are more sensitive to racially based jokes. And black people who are easily offended perpetuate that theory.

It's not racist to suggest that black people like fried chicken or watermelon or kool aid or ribs or waffles. Frankly, most of them do. You could call that stereotyping, but I call it blunt observation. When a large piece of a population enjoys something common, generalizations will be made. But, as long as we keep stepping back and being afraid of making those generalizations, we are furthering the idea that just saying those things is racism. And it's not. The waffle box isn't offensive at all, it's funny. If it has an Islamic image on top, then it's satirical and I'd laugh. The dollar is offensive, and is making some obvious attempts to be racist, but I just don't see it that way. It's childish and stupid, but shouldn't really offend anyone.

The monkey is an entirely different story and I would understand anyone being angered by that one. But coming from Georgia, I'm not surprised.

The button is not offensive either. When people get so easily upset over silly things like that, it upsets me. It's a joke, it's meant for laughs. Lighten up a bit. Sure, if I saw it on a Ku Klux Klan member, I'd take its meaning another way. But most people who wear something like that, won't be wearing it to make a show of their racism. I heard a black comedian make that joke days before Obama won the election. And then another one after. America really needs to lighten up if this stuff is seen as racist, and not funny.

Not the monkey though. That's messed up.
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Racism will be with the nation for at least until 2-3 of the older Jim Crow generations (and their offspring) die off. No doubt the nation has progressed forward, by the fact Obama was elected by a non-black majority. That's one of the great things about America.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3196/2954281859_570ae4a34c.jpg

But the mere fact that Obama, a mixed culture person is referred to by much of white America as an "African American" speaks to the deep-rooted problem of race in America. (This designation was defined by white americans, not black americans.)

Everywhere else in the world, Obama (like many other mixed race persons) is seen as multi-racial-- not a black American. (Only in america is he labeled "black".) The idea that many white Americans can't divorce themselves from that LABEL bias, speaks to how ill prepared a lot of people (Americans) are on the topic of race.

Regarding the gross advantage race STILL has in the US, the fact that slavery legally ended years ago is irrelevant. Many white families and American companies created great wealth (and thus, were able to establish themselves for hundreds of years) by virtue that they DIRECTLY benefited from slavery. Historical documents prove this. How does a nation that claims to be "free" and free of racial bias, never have a non-white nor non-male president-- until now?

Let's say your family had a really expensive $2 mil dollar painting (or some other valuable commodity), and it was stolen by someone (a different family) 150 years ago. The person who stole it, used that item's value to leverage loans, used it as collateral, borrowed against its value etc., to create a new (but different) multi- million dollar business.
Now this new business (created solely from the stolen value of another family's item) now is generating income and more wealth in a different business. All the while, the family of the guy who stole the item brags to friends about how they got the collateral to start the business: i.e. from stolen goods.

Fast forward 150 years, and the family members whose ancestor had their family painting stolen, finds out about the now wealthy family who has been bragging about leveraging the stolen painting. Surely, the family of the stolen painting has the right to not only demand the painting back, but has the right to sue for all the potential earnings (lost) that they were deprived of by the thieving family.

Why didn't the family who knew about the stolen property return it to the family of the original owner-- instead of continuing to benefit from the collateral value it afforded? For some, there is no ethical gray area.
To others, they make all kinds of excuses as to why the stolen property should not be returned. And that is how and where we find ourselves now as a nation.

The misguided idea that slavery happened a long time ago, and that Black people should "just get over it", is exactly why divisions in the nation will continue to exist. If someone killed and used and abused your family members, why don't you just get over it?

http://racetraitor.org/
Tim Wise (journalist) on White Privilege - http://is.gd/3dEh

I really don't things will truly be better racially for a few more generations (in the US)-- until this warped racial bias has literally died off.

Some people still have a long way to go..
Source(s):
Racist McCain supporter in Florida - http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3196/2954281859_570ae4a34c.jpg
Race Traitor - http://racetraitor.org/
Journalist Time Wise on white privilege - http://is.gd/3dEh
Writer Tim Wise has some interesting essays on Race, Bias, class in America. (He's white.) If you haven't read his stuff, give it a try.
Slavery Reparations Info - http://www.nationalcenter.org/Reparations.html
Charles Ogletree- Harvard Professor on Reparations - http://is.gd/eeuO
Wiki Info on Reparations - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparations_for_slavery
Chicago SunTimes columnist - http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/2786/

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Obama won. He has the last laugh about any racist cartoons etc. If his administration turns out well it will definitely be the end of significant political racism. However, we still need to figure out how to integrate the country and the schools better. Otherwise cultural racism will drag on for further generations.
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Racism hasn't suddenly disappeared because we elected a black president, but it is an encouraging sign. First off, you want to separate out the people who are truly racist from those who are right-wing ideologues casting about for some way to try and make some political capitol and choosing their weapons very unwisely (it may be a fine distinction, but to me, the intent counts, and it's important to separate those who have a problem with the fact that he's a democrat and are willing to use racist imagery from those who really have a problem with the color of his skin). I think much of it is ill-chosen rhetoric from people who have become used to the sort of toxic, fearmongering, deceitful politics that have been in use these past 8 years especially.
The fact that we, as a country, could elect the superior candidate despite the fact the he belongs to a minority that has long been disenfranchised in this country is a significant milestone, we certainly do not live in the color-blind society I think most of us believe is the ideal, but we're getting closer, perhaps in another 50 years people will wonder why it was such a big deal that we elected a black man, the same way that we don't really see Kennedy's catholicism as a big deal now. When we no longer care or even really notice that Obama (or any candidate) is black, white, latino, or asian, that's when we're really in a post-racial America.
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Considering that the home or birthplace of the KKK, ie Indiana voted for Obama I would say no..
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It is mostly the end of America's racist history. But judging from other countries there will always be a part of america that is racist.

With the amount of freedom we have (Which is a good thing), you will always end up with a few bad apples doing things like this.
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