Taylor Marsh – TaylorMarsh.com – News, Opinion and Weblog on Progressive Politics

“I am not a racist.” – William Jefferson Clinton (Interview with Kate Snow, ABC News)

You know Democrats are in trouble when the only two-term Democratic president
since F.D.R. is reduced to stating he’s “not a racist.” Especially
when this president was championed by the African American community during
his presidency, right up until Jesse
Jackson, Jr. questioned whether Hillary Clinton cried for Katrina victims,
the primary moment when the baiting
over race began. But once someone like Bob Herbert starts drawing out phallic
symbols and juxtaposing “call me” references from Harold Ford days,
when there are none, you know we’ve all gone down a rocky one way road. Can
Keith Olbermann bringing up the phalluses be far behind? Nope, he did that last
not; yet another moment when Mr. Olbermann chose his anti Edward R. Murrow persona
that lurks within. You’ll have to figure out why Bob
Herbert also selected the role of being James
Clyburn of the general election. It’s certainly not
going to do Barack Obama any good at all. But John McCain’s got to love
it.

Everyone knew we had racial issues in this country, but what we’re seeing play
out from the primaries to the general election isn’t coming from American voters.
It’s coming from Democrats, politicians, analysts and strategists, including liberal columnists and media
types, including bloggers who jumped the race gun, all because Richard Nixon, the
GOP’s southern strategy, followed by Lee Atwater, once divided to conquer in
order to win the presidency, back when race baiting was the thing.

However, when you have William Jefferson Clinton feeling compelled to say in
an interview that he is “not a racist” after a tough Democratic primary
season, you know that whatever sins the GOP delivered before (and will again),
they’ve now been passed along to Democrats and so called progressives in an
effort to either get ahead of what is believed to be coming, or to draw a line
on a dare that challenges people who are afraid to stand up to false race charges, because in America, we all know the prejudice
is there, especially if you’re willing to conjure it up, ala Bob Herbert.

Not
even William Jefferson Clinton is safe. Can anyone doubt why he holds fury?

Jon Stewart had a blast with all of this last night. It made my heart sing
to see him roundly reject the race baiting, while ridiculing the players on
both sides. Because Democrats have lost our race cherry, which in a year
that was supposed to be a walk, we seem intent on making it a slow, embarrassing
crawl.

But what this whole affair does for Democratic nominee is something quite horrifying.
Not only does this recent back and forth on race belittle the candidacy of the
first African American who began this general election with an overwhelming
advantage. It hands John McCain a shield, protecting him and his party from
all the scurrilous things that will no doubt continue to be said, emailed and
whispered about Barack Obama. Because when the politically astute hear an African
American Democratic candidate telling a crowd that his Republican opponent will
ask “Did I mention he’s black,” when his opponent has done
no such thing, we hear ugly
things echoing forward, as a disquieted wolf cries. It also rips the scab off
memories, which many of us are trying to put down for country.

So, let Bob Herbert trot out imaginary fiction of phalluses in McCain ads,
citing scantily clad white women, in rhetorical flourishes of race baiting that
would make someone prejudice blush at the audacity. Keith Olbermann can ask
Jonathan Alter about them, too, because he long ago proved he has no boundaries
on his type of “journalism.” However, when on the same day William Jefferson Clinton is compelled
to insert into the political blood stream that he’s “not a racist,”
the combination of sound bites meets up in a fusion so explosive for Democrats
that it becomes a gift of dynamite for Republicans that could propel them to
a racial high road they don’t deserve to hold.

“I am not a racist” is something William Jefferson Clinton should
never feel compelled to utter. That he did sends a message to John McCain, which
was delivered loud and clear when Obama stated “Did I mention he’s
black?” Republicans won’t make Democratic mistakes, because they don’t
care what you call them, as long as they win. It’s repetitive, but it’s also a reminder.

This all traces back to the Democratic primaries. It also traces back
to Rep. James Clyburn, who inflamed
it because he could and he knew it would work, though it left carnage behind that’s not long forgotten. Oh, and by the way, like Bob “fantasy phalluses” Herbert, neither
of these guys are white. Just in case you’re keeping score. McCain is and right
now it’s his advantage.