Before the so-called Kodak Theatre truce, Democratic party politics seemingly devolved into a nasty racial rancor. The man, rightfully or not, blamed most for the discord ironically was America’s first “black” president: Bill Clinton.

Clinton’s comments . . . threatened to overshadow a historic election in the Democratic Party.Campaigning for his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), ahead of the South Carolina primary, Clinton chastised a CNN reporter for asking questions about supposed attempts to pigeon-hole Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as the “black” candidate ahead of his projected landslide win. 

Clinton’s parting words to the reporter: “Shame on you. Shame on you.”

No, shame on you, Bill.

Bill Clinton’s comments denigrating Obama’s South Carolina performance as just blacks voting for their own threatened to overshadow a historic election in the Democratic Party.

Without prompting, Clinton said the following on primary day, Jan. 26, "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here."

The implication is clear: Jackson was black; he won South Carolina twice. Obama is black; therefore, he won South Carolina.

But the thing is Bill Clinton is not really black. And he won South Carolina, too.

This type of racial polarization is expected from the the Swift-boaters and Karl Rove, but not Democrats, who are about to be the first major political party to nominate either a woman or black man for the presidency.

That novelty, it appears, could end both historic candidacies by dividing then sinking Democrats before November.

As is its custom, the media has done its part in hyping perceived racial tensions, taking the remarks of Clinton surrogates grossly out of context, but Bill waded into racial waters headfirst during the South Carolina primary with his Jackson remarks. 

Undoubtedly, Pres. Clinton is no racist. But the famous triangulator should know better than to suggest that a voter is so ignorant as to let their womanness or blackness get in the way of voting their conscience.
[ABC, USAToday] 

Asst. Managing Editor Dwayne Robinson abstains from all staff editorials.