Hillary's anti-democrat shenanigans...

Well, the 800 pound gorilla in the room has finally begun to throw its weight around: race is now an issue in the Democratic primary. Make no mistake about it, this was all the Clinton campaign's doing and as a democratic voter, I am seething with loathing for Hillary. Everybody in their right mind can see as clear as day that when Obama talked about Martin Luther King in his speeches, it was in the context of dreaming for bigger and better things, not in a "Clinton hates black people" kind of way. Of course, the sad reality of the world we live in is that race is still a huge issue in this country. Hillary's people are smart, and they want to exploit that issue to their advantage.

By doing so, Hillary is pushing all her chips into the middle and daring Obama to do the same. The underreported storyline throughout all of this is that Hillary Clinton has no more opportunities to be president after this election. Let's assume that whoever wins stays 8 years, which both Bill Clinton and George Bush did. Hillary would be 68 years old by the time her next opportunity came around. I don't mean to be sexist, but voters aren't going to elect an old woman to be president. Therefore, Hillary has to do everything she possibly can to knock off Obama. The problem though, is that she is alienating democrats everywhere. I've already gone on record as saying I would not vote for her in the general election if she wins the nomination. Now I feel like joining democrats in trying to prevent her from getting into the white house. I can only speak for myself in this, but Hillary's recent tactics have been so low and unseemly that I would contemplate voting for the Republican just out of spite. I can only assume that many democrats around the country feel the same way.

As we were talking a bit about on Dead Politics 4, there is a huge change going on in both parties right now. Democrats are flocking to Obama in a way that hasn't been seen in a long, long time. Whether enough go to him to overtake Hillary is unclear, but my generation of Democrats have clearly seen the light, and that light is not the wife of an ex-president. Hillary's actions are what is causing this divide. There is an unwritten rule in Democratic primaries that our candidates are supposed to be "above" the political attacks that characterize the Republican side of things. You don't tear down another person in your own party purely for political gain. You don't bring up divisive issues of past admited drug use, or worse, race in an attempt to win. The Democrats are supposed to be the party that showcases the fact that race belongs in the past, not drudging it up in an effort to enflame racial tensions. What Hillary and Bill have been doing absolutely disgusts me as a proud democrat.

So the question now becomes: Can Obama transcend the race issue? Race is the ugly topic below the surface of America that nobody wants to talk about. There are deep seeded anti-black roots that are all over this country, not just in the south. Hillary bringing up race is obviously a southern strategy to get every state except South Carolina. Personally, I think Obama can do it, but he needs some help. He needs Colin Powell, one of the most respected black men in the country and who hinted at an endorsement but backed away, to actually step up to the plate and endorse him. He also needs, as I've been saying over and over, the endorsement of Al Gore. Those two are probably the most liked and respected people, arguably, in their parties and a major news event, particularly with Powell, would change the dynamic of the race. I don't know if it's going to happen, but I'm not sure that Obama has a viable counterattack to Hillary. Idealistic speeches can't overcome centuries old racist undertones. He needs to have some big name, respected politicians come out and say "This is bullshit, what Hillary is doing. We won't support her because she is pissing on what the democratic party is supposed to stand for".

Perhaps Obama has some magic up his sleeve and maybe Karma will come back to bitch slap Hillary across the face.

p.s. I will be donating to the Obama campaign this evening because I feel strongly that this is the guy to make things happen. I also feel that by contributing a small sum, I'm at least making the effort to give a big middle finger to Hillary. I hope my contribution is put to good use.