Talk About Race Returns To The Campaign

Politico: It's The Discussion Obama Didn't Want, And Not One McCain Wants Either

(The Politico)  This column was written by Avi Zenilman and Ben Smith.

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When the Democratic primary descended into a charged debate about black and white and Sen. Barack Obama's racially polarizing pastor last spring, Obama took the stage to address the question of race head-on.

"Race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now," Obama told those assembled at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center and a nationally televised audience in March.

His campaign, though, didn’t follow his lead.

Instead, his aides have steered clear of any explicit discussion of racial inequality or of his pioneering campaign as they try to woo swing voters, some of whom may be discomfited by the notion of the first black president.

"The best time for a national conversation on race is when he's president," Bill Perkins, a New York state senator from Harlem and early Obama supporter, said Saturday, expressing a widely held view among Democrats.

But the national conversation appears to have arrived. Racial considerations that have long been palpable in southern Ohio and other crucial regions are again in the foreground. A new poll that accompanied a much buzzed-about Associated Press article on Saturday appears to starkly quantify the cost of racism to Obama: 6 percentage points in the polls.

And Friday's debate will bring the campaign to the Deep South and offer the symbolism of an integrated debate at Ole Miss, the scene of a brutal battle over integration a generation ago. That conversation creates a moment with risks for both candidates - though perhaps greater risks for Obama.

Many Democrats see the explicit discussion of race and politics as almost unambiguously negative for Obama, a reminder to voters of fraught questions of identity and a distraction from the economic troubles that have dominated the headlines in recent days and could bury Obama's rival, Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee.

"From [former Los Angeles mayor] Tom Bradley to [L.A. Mayor] Antonio Villaraigosa to [Massachusetts Gov.] Deval Patrick, non-white candidates have historically been successful reaching broader electorates when they've steered clear of identity politics," said Sean Clegg, who until recently was the top political adviser to Villaraigosa.

That's exactly the model followed by Obama's chief strategist, David Axelrod, who has made a career of electing executives of color. The campaigns he has run for mayor in Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, and for governor of Massachusetts have, like Obama's, relied on combining a group's quiet pride in its favorite son with a determinedly post-racial message of hope and unity.

Axelrod’s outlook was manifest at the Democratic National Convention, where Martin Luther King Jr.’s son addressed the crowd, but Obama's speech accepting his party’s nomination, delivered on the 45th anniversary of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech, never mentioned the slain civil rights icon by name.

A Republican strategist, Todd Harris, also suggested the country's economic woes could intensify racial tensions in key states. "The tragic irony is that the more the economic crisis helps Obama among some voters, it could cost him as much as it helps in some key states because of heightened racism sparked by tough times," he said.

But if Democrats hope to muffle a discussion of race, which polling and reporting have long suggested is a crucial factor in swing states, discussion of it also carries risks for the Republican nominee. McCain has largely steered clear of anything that could be interpreted as race-baiting, and the Republican Party earlier this year warned its officials to stay on message on the sensitive topic. "They're going to face an avalanche of criticism if they touch the race issue with a 1,000-foot pole," said Clegg.

More subtly, the recent survey findings carry the risk that McCain’ candidacy could be cast as relying on racism. His supporters have objected vociferously to lines of analysis like that of a recent Slate article headlined, "Racism is the only reason McCain might beat [Obama]."

Even the suggestion that McCain's campaign is reliant on racism could alienate some voters.

"There are a lot of suburban moderates who want to turn the page in the biggest possible way from [President] Bush, and voting for Obama gives them a chance to not only make history, but to prove something to themselves about their own evolved feelings on race," said Harris.

Aides to Obama and McCain declined to discuss the impact of the race conversation Saturday, a mark of its sensitivity. And virtually everyone involved recognizes that the impact of race is difficult to predict.

"Some Americans out there will vote for Barack Obama, even though they disagree with him, because they would like to see America move beyond this," said veteran Republican strategist Alex Castellanos. "And there are some Americans who have not moved beyond this."

The campaigns came closest to an open debate over race in late July after Obama predicted the GOP's attack plan would use it. "What they're going to try to do is make you scared of me," he told a crowd in Missouri. "You know, he doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."

The McCain campaign swiftly rejected any suggestion that it was mining racial resentment and blamed Obama for bringing up the topic.

"Barack Obama has played the race card, and he played it from the bottom of the deck," campaign manager Rick Davis said in a statement. "It's divisive, negative, shameful and wrong."

Obama may have stated his feelings, or at least his intentions, most plainly last year in New Hampshire, in the placid waters of the Democratic primary. Then, Time magazine reported, an "aging hippie" asked Obama if he would launch another "national conversation about race."

Obama responded in the negative.

"I'm less interested in a conversation about race in the abstract," he said. "All the self-flagellation, it's not useful. African-Americans get all riled up, and whites get defensive."

Jonathan Martin contributed to this story.

[thatoneogirl]

If you don''t think America is still a racist nation, just read the CBS Politics Blog under the story "NRA Begins Push to Tarnish Obama on Guns" those guys come right out and say what their great grand pappy has been saying now for generations. BTW, I''m white in America, and as that I get to hear everything that''s really being said by all those old white guys (& their wives) hiding under the Republican Flag. Geez, can''t wait ''til that generation stops Rockin'' the Vote.

[actornaught]

... other demographic groups concerning ''''racist'''' feelings- why are they not included here?...
Posted by bellavida369 at 12:36 PM : Sep 23, 2008

Because it''s not the same thing, rush. Blacks have been voting for whites all along. They''re not measurable voting against whites, as your talking point racist apologist rational tries to lead people.

Voting for someone for such reasons is discrimination. Voting against someone for race is racist.

Blacks have been voting for whites since the beginning. Bear down on that concept.

[caldwellptr]

I just saw in the check out line the cover of the National Examiner. They said they had evidence inside of Senator Obama being a Muslim!

Next thing you know there will be a story how Senator McCain was brainwashed by the Communists in Vietnam, just like in the movie the Manchurian Candidate!

[sanfelz]

Every recent Republican national campaign, except that of Sen. Dole, has been based on racist code words designed to win certain regions of the country. Campaign McCain is no different. Of course a black man, even a half-white one, is never experienced enough. At another time, minorities were not ready to vote, to attend school with whites.
Campaign McCain says Obama is "aloof", meaning uppity.
And of course, a black never shows "respect" for a white woman (Palin).
The ever elusive "real" McCain tolerates a racist campaign because he is desparate for a victory. This is last chance. McCain/Palin= the dimwit duo. Both are puppets of Bush apologists and they themselves lack any academic achievement.

[bellavida369]

Here''s a headline:
''Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks.''

Here is another detail though, mentioned in passing:
''On the other side of the racial question, the Illinois Democrat is drawing almost unanimous support from blacks, the poll shows, though that probably wouldn''t be enough to counter the negative effect of some whites'' views.''

The focus of this story is the attitudes within one demographic group, being described as racist- but this attitude is not described as racist when applied towards another. Why not? It seems obvious that there is a problem of uniting certain voters for Obama. There is nothing new about this story, except it is no longer an abstract idea that a black candidate is now in Obama''s position. This though is a familiar mantra of a media trying to force Democratic voters to get back into line, by rather crudely implying that a sign of ''racist'' should hang on anyone who doesn''t vote for this candidate. It is more than interesting how no statistics are stated for other demographic groups concerning ''racist'' feelings- why are they not included here? Probably because this is being tailored to the demographic group that needs to be used in this case.
Enough with the racial bias, media.

[pbishop9]

Yeah Politico. Your organization, recently incorporated, for the Republican purpose, spread this story repeatedly, along with FOX news and Yahoo. When Obama wins this election, you and yours will be left jobless.

[mediaspy_nv]

It''s no coincidence that mainstream media is bombarding the public with the race card just as early voting begins. It''s a cheap ploy to steer the election to McCain. Since the majority of voters see the media for the political puppet it has become, I doubt this race card tactic will have much influence on voters.

Besides, MSM already saturated us with the race card earlier on and most of us have become desensitized.

Nice try MSM, but this year your influence is meager and will continue to weaken over time. Your heyday is over. Long live alternate news!

[dante805]

The corrupt media will keep bringing up Race and McCains Age and temperment in story after story in an attempt to sway voters in the next 30 plus days. The NYT and Wash Post, newsweek, Time, LA Times are corrupt media organizations that need to file bankruptucy. Dont invest in any of these rags.

[biasedpress]

A word of advice to CBS,, stop playing on white guilt to get a man with vitually no credentials elected. We refuse to be manipulated by the daily bombardment of pro-Obama prooaganda.Yea ,we can tell blacks are tracking this election by their 94% support for Obama throughout the primaries, and in the general. Unfortunately for blacks and Obama, whites will not feel obligated to vote for him simply because blacks are tracking this election. Obama is simply not worthy no matter what his ethnicity, race, religion etc. . PS I have already decided boycott all advertisers on your website because of your unfair biased , pro Obama reporting. STOP PLAYING THE RACE CARD CBS

[jmurrieta11]

Not long ago a fair number of "good conservative Christian White Americans" were just fine with the idea that Black people should not be able to use the same public facilities as White people.

Not long ago a fair number of "good conservative Christian White Americans" were just fine with the idea that it was right for White law enforcement to ignore or even assist crimes of violence against Black people.

Not long ago a fair number of "good conservative Christian White Americans" told us that Black people couldn''t talk straight because they had thick lips.

A lot of those people are now Republicans. The party of Lincoln turned into the party of the KKK. The Dems renounced that connection, and the Repugs embraced it.

And they still dare to talk about "freedom for all."

[kesac4650]

Obama''s excuses have begun.

[alphaa10-2009]

yodaxl7 asks, "... does that means that Black Americans will vote for color? ? Since only 10 percent voted for hillary..."
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A preference for a candidate who is 50 percent white could be considered a new level of color-blindness among black voters.

Not to forget, of course, Bill Clinton got the same vote with consistency.

The color of skin does not appear to correlate very well with voting patterns. It does correlate closely with political platform, because this bloc always votes for its economic and political interests.

Is that different from any other American voter group?

[alphaa10-2009]

StormyTexan said, "Seems like McCain and Glenn were not found complicit with the Keating 5. However the democraps with them were... Please post the facts, correctly if you''''re going to talk about this krap."
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Please lead by example, it works best.

McBush was one of the Keating Five, and was formally rebuked by the Senate Ethics Committee for running interference to stop or delay federal investigators hot on Keating''s trail of misdeeds. These misdeeds included using S&L depositors'' money as his personal acount, giving money to friends as "loans" never to be repaid, and ultimately costing American taxpayers $3.4 billion.

The other four senators ended their political careers either immediately or within one term, but not McCain. In the style of the New Nixon, McCain reinvented himself, doing talk show and press forum circuits to cast the image of the "almost-innocent", penitant neophyte senator-- and former POW, we must not forget.

Yet, the stench of the scandal was such even Bush used the Keating affair to attack McBush in his SC primary bid in 2000.

This was not to say Bush was entirely clear, himself on where the blame lay. His father was president during the wave of S&L failures that cost taxpayers $126 billion, a failure of due diligence, if there ever were one, under the mantra of "deregulation".

But $126 billion from taxpayers on the watch of Bush, Sr., is mere small change, compared to the $700 billion bailout his son is pitching to American taxpayers.

[yodaxl7]

Ninety percent of the black americans voted for Obama during the primary against Hiliary clinton. Ninety percent of black americans are expected to vote for Obama in the election against McCain. So, does that means that Black Americans will vote for color? ? Since only 10 percent voted for hillary.

[alphaa10-2009]

MCBUSH-- PACT WITH THE DAMNED?

To most of his supporters, McBush is a "holding-pattern" candidate, whose appeal lies in
promising less of the future, more of the past, more of the same eight-year ordeal of the Bush years.

That is absolutely wonderful for the minority which has benefitted financially from Bush tax cuts,
and for the wealthy minority whose income has risen under Bush and for the shrinking WASP
demographic which shudders to think those barbarians at the gate might be Americans, too.

But times have changed without permission, once again. America cannot survive as a politically-gated community, and we must learn to live together-- not merely deliver lip service to biblical
teachings about our neighbors.

(See "McBush-- Pact with the Damned?"--2)

[alphaa10-2009]

MCBUSH-- PACT WITH THE DAMNED?--2

Apparently, that applies to even Wall Street. Even if ethical considerations are somehow not
paramount to a dwindling circle of GOP holdouts, Wall Street is a parable of immense power.

Its debacle of greed and deceit affects rich and poor, both wealthy neighborhoods, and those
with crack houses on every block.

Those whose lives and fortunes are invested in corporate power must bow to the great,
unwashed mass of American taxpayers-- confessing their awesome debt to the same rabble
they gleefully plundered for the last decade.

(See "McBush-- Pact with the Damned?"--3)

[alphaa10-2009]

MCBUSH-- PACT WITH THE DAMNED?--3

Now, American taxpayers are asked by Bush to come to the aid of their wealthy brothers with
squeaky-clean resumes, collars and cuffs. As if on cue, Bush puts on a show of such earnest
hand-wringing, we wonder where he has been for the last eight years.

And McBush? The best he can do is avoid the spotlight on his Faustian deal with the Bush wing
of the GOP. Late last spring, his campaign headed for the morgue, and without significant
financial backing, McCain finally sold his political soul to Bush.

McCain changed his position on campaign reform, offshore drilling and a variety of other salient
issues. Even torture became acceptable.

The change from McCain to McBush was so radical, even TIME Magazine notes McBush has
reached the outer limits of his pact with the damned and doomed in the Bush camp--

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1842030,00.html?xid=newsletter-weekly

[smurfcrusher]

Bhoogren, don''t be an idiot. Bush did enough.

To all who might use race to influence your decision: it is in your best interest not to.
Choose the candidate who supports your views, and who you feel would best serve the well-being of this country and all who depend on her.

Relying on race will be self-defeating, as the demographics of America are changing rapidly and not necessarily in your favor, from this perspective.

If you want racist candidates, vote on race.
If you want the best candidate for the job, vote on issues and bury the old way of thinking.

I would suggest the latter...

[rudy654-2009]

The fact is, McCain saw the problem in 2006, proposed legislation to fix it...where was Obama?
**********

When the hell did McCain see a problem? Time and again, up until this month of September, he claimed that the economy was very strong. He just can''t sell that pig with lipstick anymore.

Excerpt:
A decade ago, Sen. John McCain embraced legislation to broadly deregulate the banking and insurance industries, helping to sweep aside a thicket of rules established over decades in favor of a less restricted financial marketplace that proponents said would result in greater economic growth.

Excerpt:

In 2002, McCain introduced a bill to deregulate the broadband Internet market, warning that "the potential for government interference with market forces is not limited to federal regulation."

Excerpt:

But he has usually reverted to the role of an unabashed deregulator. In 2007, he told a group of bloggers on a conference call that he regretted his vote on the Sarbanes-Oxley bill, which has been castigated by many executives as too heavy-handed.
**********

So, as you can see with the last piece of regulation that he did support, he later retreated on, keeping in line with his true thinking.

[remco82]

Obama should be ahead 30-35 points by all rights. The Republicans have engineered this ugly financial mess, and McCain had a role in creating it as a Senator. Even before this economic bombshell, McCain had no platform, other than to extort votes by posing as a Christ figure (he suffered as a POW so you owe him!) The only possible reason the race is this close is that far too many Americans are closet racists!