Sen. Barack Obama is in an unenviable position as he prepares to discuss “the reason that he is in the position that he is in,” a la Geraldine Ferraro.
In January Bill Clinton simultaneously introduced race and gender into the So. Carolina campaign when he forecasted that Blacks would vote for Obama and women would vote for his wife. This was believed by some as a attempt by the former president create a situation that his wife could benefit from since numerically Black votes are typically outnumbered by White voters.
The former president told voters at a campaign stop in Charleston that race and gender considerations hadn’t cost his wife or Barack Obama any votes so far this campaign – but that some women voters might be drawn to Clinton because of her gender, and some black voters to Obama because of his race: “They are getting votes because of race and gender. That’s why people tell me Hillary doesn’t have a chance to win here.”-- Emily Sherman and Rebecca Sinderbrand
Many believe that it was president Clinton’s meddling that primed the current tensions turning the Democrat once feel good historical campaign of the “first viable woman candidate” and the first viable black candidate” into a fight over race and gender.
There is no denying that the Democrat campaign has devolved into a sexist and racist fear mongering campaign that has been divisive for the party of “inclusion.”
This morning Sen. Obama will attempt to step out on these choppy waters and attempt to speak peace to the storm that threatens to break up the cohesiveness of the Democrat Party and wreak his candidacy.
According to Politico’s Ben Smith Sen. Obama will speak about Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and the larger issue of race in this campaign.
Sen. Obama added that he would also "talk about how some of these issues are perceived from within the black church."
Sen. Obama campaign is now on the defensive a position that he is not used to being in.
The Senator should plan to speak about how he got in the position that he is in if he plans to recover. He will also need to be clear about the forces behind the controversy involving his pastor and race as an issue in this campaign.
