On Rational Actors, Kevin and David delve into the debate over race and conservatism sparked by Jonathan Chait’s blog post on 12 Years a Slave. Kevin says the distinction between structural and overt racism blinds conservatives, and David notes the trouble of disentangling racially and politically motivated attacks on Obama. How does the whiteness of the elected GOP affect this debate? Have conservatives gone backwards on race in the Obama era? Next, they consider Martin Bashir’s resignation from MSNBC and whether liberals have been sexist toward Sarah Palin. Plus: The real reason Alec Baldwin was fired from the network.