Puns aside, it's true. Someone needs to tell McCain that by insinuating that Senator Obama has played the race card, he is indeed the pot calling the kettle black.
There is something particularly galling about the McCain campaign's claim that Senator Obama somehow played a race card.
This from a proud member of a political party who has embraced the "Southern Strategy" for over four decades.
This from a proud member of a political party whose economic policies have left out far too many along socio-economic lines.
It would seem to me that the McCain campaign has been dying to play the race card, but could not figure out a way how. Then it occurred to them that the only way that they could bring it up would be to accuse the opposite side of playing the race card. And then the game is on. The theme is out there. Race becomes injected into the conversation, and McCain's base becomes excited.
It's sad just how transparent this is. And how pathetic. Here is a man who has no chance of winning. His brand is mud. His party has been indicted, both figuratively and literally. All polls show that he will not win, no matter what the media plays up. And now here, in July, they reach for the kitchen sink.
It was sad listening to Rick Davis defend his remarks to Andrea Mitchell. It was almost like a Woody Allen movie, where the subtitles refer to the real text of what he is saying. "Senator Obama played the race card" might as well have read "We're sneaking race in through the backdoor of this campaign".
The only solace I take is that it will not work. It's 2008. This country is in shambles. And while some might be momentarily distracted by the bright shiny object being dangled in front of us this week, I believe that when the time comes, enough people will stand up to race-baiting tactics and declare "Sorry...not this time". Here's hoping!