So, Barak Obama's ancestors were slave owners. Most Americans agree that it is bad to own slaves, and therefore slave owners should not be elected President of the United States. But, should a candidate be held accountable for the repugnant beliefs and actions of his ancestors? Even if he clearly does not share those beliefs or perpetrate those actions?
If this seems like a simple "yes" or "no" proposition, that just goes to show how unsophiphisticated you are. What elite media types with nuanced understanding appreciate is that it would be unfair and un-American to judge a Liberal Democrat (and especially a Black Liberal Democrat) by the behavior of his slave-holding ancestors, but it is perfectly proper to judge a Conservative Republican candidate, (faithfully married to his first and only wife for three and a half decades) by the behavior of his polygamous ancestors.
Get it now?