Democratic presidential candidates immediately fell all over themselves pandering to African-Americans and shamelessly employed that tactic they pretend to abhor: the politics of fear.
Hillary Clinton couldn't resist another opportunity to bring up Katrina. "You can look at the thousands of African-Americans left behind by their government with Katrina." And, "They have "turned the clock back on the promise of Brown v. Board of Education."
Sen. Joe Biden said that if the rationale of the Court's majority had been applied the past 50 years, "we would have never, never overcome the state's effort to ignore Brown versus the Board." But Bush's newly appointed justices, "have turned the court upside down."
Sen. Edwards, as if auditioning for "Saturday Night Live," seized the moment to adapt his "two-Americas" theme to the public schools. "We still have two public school systems in America."
Sen. Dennis Kucinich talked about a constitutional amendment to undo the Court's damage while Sen. Chris Dodd promised that "as president" he "would use whatever tool is available" to reverse the decision.
Democratic Party honchos have long since calculated they cannot allow a level playing field on race and still preserve their 90 percent lock on the African-American vote. To have to compete for votes with Republicans based purely on a comparison of the values and policies each party represents would result in a significant exodus of African-American voters from the Democratic Party. They know that just a slight percentage shift in voter identification would be devastating, so they have to keep stirring the racial cauldron.
Some might argue it is unfair and hurtful to claim that Democratic politicians engage in race-baiting, to which I respond it is not unfair if it is true. But it is extremely unfair and damaging for Democrats to fan the flames of racial suspicion, distrust and alienation. |