Soccer Dad

Krauthammer: what a (race) card!

Charles Krauthammer marvels at the irony of the situation (and here):

What makes the charges against McCain especially revolting is that he has been scrupulous in eschewing the race card. He has gone far beyond what is right and necessary, refusing even to make an issue of Obama's deep, self-declared connection with the race-baiting Rev. Wright.

In the name of racial rectitude, McCain has denied himself the use of that perfectly legitimate issue. It is simply Orwellian for him to be now so widely vilified as a stoker of racism. What makes it doubly Orwellian is that these charges are being made on behalf of the one presidential candidate who has repeatedly, and indeed quite brilliantly, deployed the race card.

... and the brilliance:

How brilliantly? The reason Bill Clinton is sulking in his tent is because he feels that Obama surrogates succeeded in painting him as a racist. Clinton has many sins, but from his student days to his post-presidency, his commitment and sincerity in advancing the cause of African Americans have been undeniable. If the man Toni Morrison called the first black president can be turned into a closet racist, then anyone can.

And let's not forget that Sen. Obama chose as his running mate a guy who referred to him as "... articulate and bright and clean." Krauthammer rightly calls one of Sen. Obama's attacks on Sen. McCain as "dishonorable" but apparently for Obama charges of racism are used for political advantage, not to express outrage.