The Race Card Comes Out Again

The Clintons will do anything to win. That goes without question. Bill Clinton and some campaign insiders tried using the race card earlier and had some success in making Barack Obama's campaign less about "change" and more about electing the first black guy. For a brief time that became the story to the detriment of the Obama campaign.

Yesterday another Clinton surrogate, Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, decided to get into the race game:

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in yesterday's edition.

Rendell cited his 2006 reelection campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, winning about 60 percent of the vote.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was - well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking - but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that [attitude] exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama's ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool."

In other words, we better nominate Hillary because otherwise we won't get the white racist vote.

Are there so many racists in Pennsylvania that they could decide the election? Not likely. Clinton benefits if they can take Obama off message (even though his message is rather vapid) and get him talking about race. We'll see if he takes the bait again.

Peter Robinson and Victor Davis Hanson have a little wager going over the Democrat nomination. Peter explains it at The Corner:

My position: After spending the last eight years convinced that Al Gore, not George W. Bush, was rightfully elected president, the Democrats will have no choice but to award their presidential nomination to the candidate who wins the popular vote. If Barack Obama garners more primary votes, in other words, he’ll be the Democratic candidate, no matter what sort of delegate count he has going into the convention.

Victor’s counterpostion: No way. The Clintons will do anything—anything—to win the nomination for Hillary, the popular vote be blasted. The filing of lawsuits, the dangling before the noses of superdelegates of various irresistible blandishments—whatever it takes, the Clintons will do. Without compunction. Even with a certain glee. Regardless of the popular vote going into the convention, therefore, Hillary Clinton, and not Barack Obama, will emerge with the nomination.

I think I'd have to go with Victor on this one. I don't know if they'll be successful - momentum is certainly on Obama's side right now, but I do think they'll do anything to win, even if it means leaving a divided party in their wake.

Captain Ed writes today that Hillary is still the favorite thanks to the dreaded superdelegates. Ed predicts that if Obama doesn't get to the convention with at least a 200 vote lead in pledged delegates, he'll lose.

Can you imagine the battle that will occur if Obama has more state wins, more popular vote and more pledged delegates, but the party insiders who make up the superdelegates throw the nomination to Clinton? I hope I get to see that.