The Wisdom Of Chuck Berry

While the Republican candidates have been tearing at each other for quite a while, the nasty intra-Democrat fights have only just started. One reason is the Repubs actually have serious differences. But I think the main reason is things have shaken out a bit and it's clear how close and tough a fight this is.

Unfortunately, when the Clintons attack Obama, a number of leaders in the African-American community see this as racially tinged. While it's amusing to watch Bill and Hillary being accused of this--as Democrats they probably figured they had a lifetime pass--it is a silly charge. More distressing is Obama's camp quietly and happily letting the accusations fly. (Though there are now claims that both sides are trying to calm things down--we'll see how this plays out.)

I have to wonder if this is a good strategy. Looking victimized because of his race may get him sympathy from African-Americans, who are a huge chunk of the Dem base, but this sort of stuff doesn't play nearly so well with whites, especially those who signed on with Obama because they figured he'd free them of their guilt.

Chuck Berry was once asked why he wrote songs for white people. He replied "are there more whites or blacks?" Whites are still the majority in this country, even among the Democrats. I doubt Obama letting this fester will help him get the nomination, and even if it does, I could still see it hurting him in the general election.