Obama v. Clinton; Race or politics?

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

It is absolutely fascinating watching the talking heads on TV, CNN, MSNBC, ABC and so forth endlessly fixate on race. I have no doubt that plenty of Democrats will not vote for a black just as there are plenty Democrats that will not vote for a woman. After all, it is the party of group identity and groups will clash or there wouldn't be groups. That's a given.

The thing is, these people would all rather talk about race and sex and avoid, at all costs, talking about politics; the premise of all their shows. When one dope talks about race and implies the rednecks in Kentucky and West Virginia won't vote for a black and it's a race thing, another dope says "Yeah, but whites in Oregon and other states vote for him! So, it's not race!" then they all run off to commercial or to ask another race or sex based question and there sits this 800 pound gorilla, begging to be part of the conversation yet totally, consciously ignored.

What's the difference between folks in Oregon and folks in West Virginia?

Coal miners and programmers. Rural folks and city folks. Barack Obama's race has little to do with this just as Hillary's sex has little to do with this. There are just as many people who will vote for him because he's black and there are just as many people who will vote for her because she is a woman, so, that cancels out. It's all about politics, obviously.

They take extraordinary pains to avoid this and, when they do address it, they always say their positions are not very far apart which is fair enough in many regards but it is not accurate when you consider Hillary's moves to the right the last term and a half in the Senate. She has been consciously softening her image and building a more moderate resume and she's been doing it now for years. All anyone knows of Obama is he he built his reputation as a community guy and that is code for liberal social policies which, to rural folks, tends to sound like affirmative action and welfare.

Hillary's past is as liberal as anyone on the national scene but she has built a more comfortable, more recognizable, what, call it maturity, softening, etc.

In any event, this thing is just fascinating. The media can't get Barack to the alter fast enough all while he's getting absolutely crushed in some of these states and there sits Florida and Michigan and all this talk of needing this number or that number which has nothing to do with the rules at the same time they argue the sanctity of the rules as regards Florida and Michigan.

An even more interesting point came up tonight when Mcauliffe argued that the STD's could have out an end to this after Indiana if everyone was all in agreement that is was over and that they just want everyone to have a chance to vote and then, his words, they have a tough choice to make. Then, Olberman and others pick up on this and say "Hey, isn't it likely they just want political cover and don't want to antagonize the Clinton's, so they wait until the end?" And there is this other 800 pound gorilla that Mcauliffe missed because, after all, he is part of the Clinton bludgeon machine and not noted for brains, all he has to do is say "Hey, the political cover they want is time to make the right, best choice. Who wants to be the one to put Obama over the top and then watch the guy lose in November because he wasn't our best candidate?"

And THEN Pat Buchanan says she has built the argument, the likely popular vote totals, when this is all over which buttresses the point that the STD's are waiting for political cover to pick Hillary because if they wanted Obama sooner would have been better than later; they're making the choice more difficult by waiting because these later vote totals are turning out as expected; against him. Then Pat says 'What if Ed Rendel goes to the convention and walks out their and nominates Hillary for veep?"

I tell you, this has been fascinating fun.