Well, I'm sure they'll handle it with class.

I don't think Hillary had to play it that careful...you can probably hit up the same stereotypes and race-baiting she did.

Granted it won't work, again, but you might as well give it a try. As long as Hillary is helping you attack Obama you'll have time to figure your attack plan out.

Thanks Hillary!

McCain/Clinton 08

The Clintons did not play any race card.

You know the media has a sensationalism addiction, a sensationalism bias. It has for a long time. Not a conservative bias. Not a liberal one. A sensational bias. They cast that net at every opportunity. Why? Because Americans consistently, adolescently want it, vote for it, with their dollars. And so the media cast that net, and do it very publicly. They veritably set off tornado horns, "He-ey! We - are - casting - our - net - because - something - is - going - on - here - we - think!" They do it with leading questions, with clips taken out of context. They do it with debates of competing clips which they themselves selected and sequenced to create the appearance of a dispute (say, between two candidates) or a scandal which doesn't exist. Most salacious, titillating and ruinous to their journalistic will-power are the opportunities to find (literally, like panning for gold), to unearth, racism, sexism or just plain sex.

So they cast their net and you all swam right into it. Do you really think Bill Clinton is racist? Or Hillary? That they meant, intended to say or charge something either specifically because they harbor a racial bias against African-Americans, or hoped to tickle and invigorate the racial bias of those listening to them on the campaign trail and around the country?

People. Just stop. It doesn't make any sense. And that's how the net is defeated. Those are your scissors.

For any African-American politician, back in 2000, who expressed concern over George Bush's admitted irresponsible use of alcohol in the past, was that racist? Of course not. It's a personal failing worth considering as to anything it possible foretells about an individual's judgment and fitness to be president, including whether the alcohol abuse had any permanent physical impacts. If Barack Obama was an admitted drug user then it's worth asking about and assessing in the present time though it happened in a past time. For goodness sakes, it's not racism. But Tim Russert, Chris Wallace (and I don't even have to mention Rush), or any of 'em, and who work for a news bureau preoccupied with ratings, as they all very much seem to be, will ask their questions and organize their clips - they will cast their net - to where, if you are not careful, who will believe they are casting it where there are honestly fish, when there are none. Just an empty net, waiting and hoping to catch you.

That net "waiting to catch you" is not the media's addiction to sensationalism, although that is sad enough. That net is in the nature of racism in our culture. Whether the Clinton's deliberately tried to play some kind of race card or not, their comments along those lines, Bill's comparing Obama to Jesse Jackson, the black supporter wondering aloud what Obama was doing back in the hood in Chicago, and others, opened them up to the charge. And this so much so that leaders within the party were concerned enough to prevail on Bill to tone it down. He did, and even went on to apologize. That alone indicates to me that there was something to the charge, more than media sensationalism. The Republicans looked on and witnessed the quicksand of racial politics, and are now seeking a way to exploit it again without sinking themselves in the muck. That, my friends, should tell you that it ain't just media sensationalism fanning those flames.