Democrats have, with some significant success, “owned” the racial equality issue in the wake of Southern Democrats attempting to defeat Civil Rights legislation in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.  Now race is, again, an issue within the Democratic Party.  The Democratic Party has effectively created the perception that they evolved beyond the race issue.  This perception has, unfortunately been belied of late as the Clinton campaign struggles to define Mr. Obama as the “black candidate”.

Black Democratic commentators are clearly pained as they struggle between their traditional support for the Clintons and the potential importance of Mr. Obama.  They seem to be looking for a middle ground and end up identifying the Clinton strategy as an attempt to define Obama narrowly and to mitigate his broader appeal.  They are being very kind to the Clintons.

Is it racism on the part of the Clintons?  In this case, I define racism as the use and manipulation of race for a goal, not the devaluing of individuals based on race.  By my definition, it is racism, exacerbated by the attitude on the part of the Clintons that Obama should not even be there and that he’s messing up their parade.    

Hillary is essentially taking a pass on aggressive campaigning in South Carolina and has been making appearances in states where the Latino vote could be an important block for her. 

Is this a message to the traditional black vote?  The message being: we can replace you with Latinos, and if you insist on being left behind for Mr. Obama, so be it!  It is a manner of arrogance not unknown to those who have watched the Clintons over the years.  Hardball politics, but this time being played on, arguably, their most loyal consistency. Through the looking glass indeed!

In a year where Democrats have the clear upper hand this issue could be a deal breaker.  In a year where the potential for a Clinton/Obama ticket could roll to the White House, bad blood is clearly in the air.  The bad blood could be enough to generate a ticket refusal by Mr. Obama.  There are no indications, yet, that Mr. Obama is prepared to tailor his message to keep the potential for a V.P. spot in play.  Given the rhetoric of the potential first spouse and Mr. Obama’s apparent pride and sense of self one could easily see him taking a pass on a V.P. spot.  Should he refuse it and do so publicly Hillary will be seriously wounded as she enters the general election.      

Mr. Obama seems surprised that the former president would distort his record.  Hellooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The Clintons are masters of incremental distortions of the truth.  Some call this masterful politics but it is distortion nonetheless.  Are the Clintons alone, of course not, they are just far better at it than nearly anyone else is.