Racists for Obama

Frank Rich's column in today's New York Times is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to understand why McCain is going to lose this election, including strategists for both the McCain and Clinton campaigns who thought and hoped that subtle appeals to racism would help turn the tide against the Obama juggernaut. I have quoted one segment in the "Quote of the Day" at the left, which I will leave up for more than a day, but you should definitely check one of Rich's links which I will put for you here: A piece about a week ago by Ben Smith for Politico called "Racists for Obama?" Here is the lead and bottom line.

New polling and a trickle of stories from the battleground states suggest that Sen. Barack Obama's coalition includes one unlikely group: white voters with negative views of African-Americans.

But please read both columns to get the full details. And understand why all the bloviating about the "Bradley effect" in this election will turn out to be so off base.

In fact, I am now going to make a prediction that only a few have dared speak aloud, partly out of superstition: Obama is going to win in a landslide.

More on that landslide. From a Democratic pollster in Salon.

One party government? Republicans are warning about giving the Democrats too much power. I share that concern, although from a left perspective rather than a right wing one. But do we really want a McCain presidency and a heavily Democratic Congress? That would be a good way to stall every initiative while the country is in crisis domestically and internationally. Let's give the Democrats all the power and see how well they do. There are plenty of progressives around to debate their every move and try to keep the Democrats from doing stupid things, so rightwingers, just sit back and let us do the work.