From even a cursory reading of the opinion columnists this is indeed the case. The pundits are calling EVERY disagreement with Obama as being based in racism. Disagree with bailouts? Racist! Disagree with health care "reform"? Racist! Worried about never ending spending/debt? Racist! Its not only tiring, its quickly losing its value as a way of stopping public discussion and will soon lose the social stigma attached to it. The boy who cried wolf comes to mind. Cry about it too many times when its not true and soon the townsfolk will ignore you.
Actually, as painful as the process of hearing the same tired canard ad nauseum is, depowering the word "racist" will actually further the goals of freedom. The sooner these key "conversation enders" become worthless, the sooner public discourse can begin again. But until it does lose its kick, I personally plan to cry racist every time a black person disagrees with a white person. It won't be true, but its been shown that truth need not be considered when painting someone as racist.
Update: Michael Barone writes "American liberals, unused to hearing dissent, have an impulse to shut it down." These are the "conversation enders" I was writing about.
Update 2: Had to add this pic
