THOMAS SOWELL: The danger of choosing a symbol to be president.

People who are disappointed with Mr. Obama have no right to be. It is they whom others have a right to be disappointed with. Instead of taking their role as citizens seriously, they chose to vote on the basis of racial symbolism, glib rhetoric and wishful thinking.

Moreover, many are already talking about choosing the next president of the United States on the basis of demographic symbolism — to have “the first female president.” If she is elected on that basis, will any criticism of what she does in the White House be denounced as based on anti-woman bias, as criticisms of Mr. Obama have been repeatedly denounced as racism?

What if we have the first Hispanic president and then the first Jewish president? Will any criticism of their actions in the White House be silenced by accusations of prejudice?

We may yet become the first nation to die from a terminal case of frivolity. Other great nations in history have been threatened by barbarians at the gates. We may be the first to be threatened by self-indulgent silliness inside the gates.

What really worries me is this:

Many wise and decent people assume automatically that Mr. Obama was trying to serve the interests of America. From that standpoint, he has failed abysmally, both at home and abroad. That should legitimately call his competence into question.

What if his vision of the world is one in which the wealth and power of those at the top, whether at home or internationally, are deeply resented, and have been throughout his life, under the tutelage of a whole series of resenters? And what if his goal is to redress that imbalance?

I believe Mr. Obama is merely incompetent, but what I fear is that mere incompetence may be sufficient to succeed at his larger goal.