But it's likely more complicated. Many progressives probably sincerely believe that proponents of free market ideology, for instance, are inherently racist simply because their positions are (allegedly) damaging for minority communities. Surely, this is how someone rationalizes the disgusting act of character assassination.
Perhaps it's because institutional racism has been eradicated in this country that activists who see all policy through the prism of class and race are forced to try to reinvent what it means to be a racist. For instance, if you believe that the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution still should mean something, you're a "Tenther" and probably a fan of Jim Crow. If you're worried about the president's policies, you're actually a bigot.
Nothing is as it seems.
So the Sherrod incident should be a teachable moment for the left, as well. It illustrates how easily a reckless charge of racism can destroy someone. And why, perhaps, we should stop injecting race into every argument.