Something to think about before getting racial

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

This post is not about the validity of any invocation of racism in the Democratic primaries. The righteousness of such allegations is utterly irrelevant to the political realities in play.

Any public perception of an air of racial grievance is the end of the Obama candidacy. Period. Fair, unfair, right, wrong, just, unjust... it doesn't matter. The Obama candidacy is built on politics without racial grievance. The promise to move past the politics of yesterday is an overt promise of bi-partisanship, and an implicit and designed promise to white voters of politics devoid of racial grievance.

In terms of practical politics, Hillary can exploit the gender grievance angle to good effect because women are the MAJORITY of the electorate. (In fact, women are the majority of the black population.) That's not a matter of fair or unfair, it's just a demographic reality.

Appeals to racial solidarity and overt grievance politics could win the battle for SC, but it would lose the war. It would be seen by everyday white voters as the embrace of a particularly painful and corrosive aspect of the old politics. Obama's national candidacy would be dead going into super Tuesday. (And, if not, his campaign would be DOA in the GE.)

So, even if you feel that identifying racism in our current political battles is righteous, please recognize that it represents the undoing of the entire predicate of the Obama candidacy.

I have accepted that either Hillary or Barack will be the nominee, so I am now 50% invested in Obama and I want us to win the Presidency. I do not want to see the Obama movement go in directions that would make winning the GE impossible. (America is ready for a candidate who is black, but America is not ready for someone perceived as a "black candidate." It's a vital distinction.)

[AX10]

1. K/R

What you are saying is a hard reality. It is ugly, but it is true.

"Any public perception of an air of racial grievance is the end of the Obama candidacy"

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. The hope of moving past racial division is profound to white voters

And anything that is racially divisive undercuts the hope.

It may well be unfair, but it's the reality.

[Bitwit1234]

2. I personally wish they would stop Jackson Jr knows better

and the people in NH know the same. I think it is reprehensible to start it.

I have this to say. If they try to pull the race card to help Obama it is going to back fire. It will make those racist people and those on the border dig in. And it will also make the blacks who would want to vote for Obama stop and think. Why are they using the race card. Do they think we are so stupid as to vote for a man IF we don't find him qualified just because he is black. We as a race are smarter than that.

Look at the men and the jealous type women who won't vote for Hillary because she is a woman. I think black people, because they have been repressed for so long, really do look at who they think can GET THE MOST DONE FOR THEM.

[Essene]

4. yes, hillary and rove understand this which is why they are making race an issue

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

If true, that makes declining the bait all that more important

[Joe the Revelator]

5. So Hillary can continue to attack him softly on his race....and he can't call that out?

That a tough row to ask anyone to hoe.

[IndianaJones]

6. spot on. nt.

[Bullet1987]

8. At the end of the day...unless Obama himself

or someone within his campaign race baits...something Jackson Jr. says (some people might not know he even supports Obama) is going to be irrelevant.

[IndianaJones]

9. I don't like to use the term race baiting. The second that Obama's white support...

begins to think of him as an African American, his candidacy is dead.

[BootinUp]

7. That makes sense to this

middle aged white man.

[Barack_America]

10. So we get to choose whether or not racism exists?

Sweet! I choose no more racism.

C'mon, "getting racial" is not a choice. Racism exists in this country. We're already "racial" whether we like it or not. And, I don't know about you, but I prefer to confront these issues rather than burying my head in the sand.

I'm not saying that it's in Obama's best interests to dwell on these incidents. But, for the rest of us, it is our duty to speak out against them when they happen. The issue of racism in this country goes beyond this election. It would be wrong to let these incidents go unnoticed so that we can walk on eggshells with covertly racist white voters.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

11. Nothing anyone says on DU matters one way or the other in the real world

Including my post.

I should not have conflated DU supporters with the Obama campaign itself. My advice is more pertinent to the real campaign.

You are right that there's no particular impact to anyone on DU's personal analysis.

I am very worried about this election... I fear Obama and Clinton damaging each other. So it's on my mind.

[Barack_America]

12. If I were Obama, my response to the Cuomo comment would be...

"Andrew Cuomo chose an unfortunate phrase to describe his feelings regarding these primaries. Though he has campaigned for Hillary, I'm sure that she would not support the usage of such a phrase"

A statement like this:
-Recognizes the incident (and encourages others to investigate and, perhaps, be motivated by it)
-Does not dwell or blame
-Forces Hillary to acknowledge possible racism in her campaign, address and deal with it.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

13. Agreed. If a response is needed, that would be a good one.

But no response is probably better.

Ironically, tarring the Clinton campaign as racist might cost more votes than it gains. A lot of Democratic primary voters know the Clintons are about as un-racist as any white retirement age couple is likely to get, and would view such allegations as over the top and divisive, whatever the underlying truth. Lot's of mainline Dems don't support Hillary, but would rebel against implications of racism toward her.