Robert Novak recently graced the editorial pages of the Post with this steaming pile of political "analysis":
Barack Obama's speech last week, hastily prepared to extinguish the firestorm over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, won critical praise for style and substance but failed politically. By elevating the question of race in America, the front-running Democratic presidential candidate has deepened the dilemma created by his campaign's success against the party establishment's anointed choice, Hillary Clinton. ...
Read on to understand that this "political failure" is caused by the fact that Obama is black, and admits it...
Novak continues:
In rejecting the racist views of his longtime spiritual mentor but not disowning him, Obama has unwittingly enhanced his image as the African American candidate -- as opposed to being just a remarkable candidate who happens to be black. ...
Superdelegates, though they were inclined toward Clinton as recently as three months ago, now flinch at the idea of rejecting Obama. They fear antagonizing African Americans, who have become the hard-core Democratic base. But what if national polls continue their post-Wright trend and show Obama trailing both Clinton and Republican John McCain in popular support?
In other words, according to Novak:
- By talking about race, Obama has "enhanced his image as the African American candidate." He can be black, but he can't talk about that, or race.
- It is a given that being the "African American candidate" is the kiss of death. Being black is somehow different (as long as you are remarkable). Remarkable blacks are OK. As long as they don't talk about their race.
- The superdelegates were "inclined toward" Clinton "as recently as three months ago." That's recent all right. So was the Iowa caucus, "just" two and a half months ago.
- So what is it that has changed recently? Shocklingly, the superdelegates' "inclination" toward Clinton has weakened. This is not because Obama has campaigned brilliantly, fundraised spectacularly, expanded the democratic party, and wrapped up the nomination "recently" (over the last three months of actual, you know, primaries).
- No, it is because superdelegates now "flinch" at the idea of rejecting African Americans, who "have become the hard-core Democratic base."
- The Democratic party has become the African American party.
- Except for the superdelegates. They're not African American, apparently. And they don't really like the African American candidate. But they don't want to "reject" him for fear of pissing off their African American base. In other words, when the superdelegates hesitate to support Clinton, they are engaging in affirmative action. At gunpoint.
- It is Obama's fault that he has become seen as the African American candidate of the African American Party, not just a remarkable Democratic candidate who happens to be black. Robert Novak and his kind had nothing to do with it.
Amazing logic, isn't it? Obama has pigeonholed himself. He's black, he talked about it, and now he's screwed.
Oh, and how about those recent national polls? What a failure that speech was...