This story chronicles the combat between Hillary Clinton over the issue of race. Let me suggest that this works for the short term benefit of Hillary Clinton in a general election she might have exposed herself to criticism. Clinton is trying to argue that it took LBJ's experience to make MLK's rhetoric into reality. This of course is a way of saying that Obama's poetry can make you feel good, but it takes the guile of Hillary Clinton to get the job done. To the extent race is an issue this hurts Obama's position as what Shelby Steele calls a "bargainer." Instead of his blackness being something that is almost invisible, it has come to the forefront which mitigates one of Obama's greatest strengths, the ability to transcend race. And perhaps Mickey Kaus is correct that at some point America will take a look at Barack Obama's black nationalist church, and it will not like what it sees.
While the race discussion helps Sen. Clinton capture the nomination, one cannot help but notice she is basically diminishing the role of Martin Luther King in favor of Lyndon Johnson. She may be alienating black voters in the process. Those black voters are unlikely to vote Republican, but they may stay home.
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