The Clintons' Race Card

There are reports all over the web about the "backlash" from the black community to the Clinton campaign's racial slips in the days surrounding the New Hampshire primary. The racially charged statements were not mistakes, but were carefully crafted messages designed to inflame the black community.



What does the Clinton campaign have to gain from inciting racial tension in the Democratic primary?



The answer is simple, it is taken straight from the Clinton playbook: to divide and conquer.



Hillary Clinton is up against the biggest political threat that she has ever had to deal with. The Obama campaign has literally taken on a life of itself and has forced the Clinton campaign back on its heals - a position the Clinton's are not at all used to or comfortable with. Part of the reason that the Clinton campaign is facing this uphill battle against the Obama campaign is because of the minority vote, which will overwhelmingly favor Obama in the coming primary elections.



In classic Clinton style, the Clinton campaign has responded with somewhat unnoticable and unremarkable statements which have just been offensive enough to inflame some of the more outspoken and high profile individuals from the black community.



http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7845.html



The Clinton campaign knows that if race becomes an issue in the Democratic primary it will likely turn off white voters to the Obama campaign. Obama cannot win without the support of white voters, but Clinton can win without the minority vote. By that simple logic, the more the Clinton campaign can slit the Democratic Party along racial lines, the better it is for Clinton.

The Clinton's have succeeded in their first attempts to divide and conquer the Democratic Primary race: http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/2008_democratic_presidential_primary

Here is the Clinton strategy at the moment: 1) The Clinton campaign divides the party along racial lines. 2) The black community voices their outrage at Clinton's comments - solidifying the minority vote for Obama. 3) The media reports heavily on the racial divide and racial tension by airing the backlash from the black community. 4) The Obama campaign is forced to respond to racial comments from Clinton campaign, and from black community. 5) The Obama campaign is off message, no longer racially neutral in the eyes of white voters. 6) The division of the Democratic Party along racial lines is complete - white Democrats support Hillary, minority Democrats support Obama. 7) Clinton wins Democratic Party nomination.

If this seven point strategy succeeds, as planned, by the Clinton Campaign, Clinton will win the Democratic Party nomination.

Awareness is the key to prevention.