The Logical Conclusion of Race-Baiting Tactics

At least, I hope it's the conclusion:

"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

"Hard-working Americans, white Americans". You don't get any clearer than that: Hillary Clinton says black Americans are lazy. Also, any whites who vote for Obama must be those elitists who do whatever the "creative class" does, meaning not real work. I hope this ends any uncertainty over whether the Clinton campaign is using the tactics of playing on white working-class racial and class resentment, and that it's self-evident that doing so disqualifies her, and has disqualified her since the South Carolina primary, from being the Democratic nominee.

"There's a pattern emerging here," she said. ...

Yes, Senator, there certainly is.

Clinton rejected any idea that her emphasis on white voters could be interpreted as racially divisive. "These are the people you have to win if you're a Democrat in sufficient numbers to actually win the election. Everybody knows that."

The Democrats have not won a majority of whites since Johnson. I wish we could appeal to a majority of all people this time around. But it's not going to happen Hillary's way. The way it could happen is by encouraging people to identify with those who don't look like themselves or work the same kind of jobs as themselves, and realize that we are all must work together, that we're all in the same boat. It could happen Obama's way.

The only good thing that will come out of this is that, as with Rev. Wright, Hillary is using a watered-down version of the same attacks McCain's surrogates will use in the general election campaign. This tends to innoculate Obama somewhat from the far more virulent version which will come down the road.

(Via Duncan.)

Comments

[Frank]

I find Senator Clinton's emphasis on Senator Obama's heritage to be most distressing and disappointing.