What do you do if you’re a Democratic candidate for president who doesn’t want to answer “uncomfortable” questions? The Obama campaign and its media sycophants have a two-fold strategy, the first part of which is already operative: attack the questioners. The second part will be reserved for his battle against John McCain, if he gets that far.

Sen. Obama, despite his media-flogged reputation for being “transcendent” or “post-racial,” has the same two problems every candidate for president must overcome: questionable associations and questionable policies. As of now, far more is known about his questionable associations: a race-baiting, black separatist minister, a shady real estate developer currently on trial, and two former terrorists who have not recanted their hatred for America.

Also as of now, the first part of his campaign’s strategy is clear: show contempt, either through media proxies or his own remarks, for those who ask about the above cast of characters; claim he’s answered the questions more than enough times so that no re-hash is necessary; claim the American people are not interested in “old news.”

So far, so good? Maybe. But what about policy? Policy only becomes relevant if he wins the nomination. Let’s assume he does. That’s where the second part of his campaign strategy kicks in.

Mr. Obama believes in government solutions for everything, appeasing our enemies, and more taxes and more spending, even if it turns a faltering economy into a crippled one. He favors drivers’ licenses for illegals, abortion on demand and affirmative action. If elected, chances are high that he will appoint Supreme Court Justices for whom the Constitution is little more than a point of departure for administering personal interpretations of “social justice.” In other word’s he’s a liberal’s liberal.

Yet even liberals know that any detailed indication of their intentions make them unelectable. What to do? Deem any attack on his policies as an attack on Mr. Obama himself–ipso facto, “racist.” The Obama campaign won’t condone such a strategy. They’ll treat it like the Rev. Wright brouha: people are free to say what they want, and even if we disagree with it, we can’t stop them.

If successfully implemented, such a strategy would make Mr. Obama bullet-proof. Questionable associations? Asked and answered, no further explanation necessary. Questionable policies? Every liberal “knows” all Republicans and conservatives are racists. They’re only attacking his policy positions because he’s black. How dare they do such a thing to a candidate with a “vision,” one whose only desire is to unite all Americans?

So far, John McCain has shown an inane willingness to buy into a “hands off” approach regarding Barack Obama’s rogues gallery of crackpot buddies. If he’s dumb enough to believe that such “deference” extends to policy, that his campaign must tread on eggshells to satisfy some left-wing version of “fairness,” or “civility,” he’s a dead man walking.

Race will never be completely irrelevant in this campaign, Senator McCain. If it is perceived by Democrats that Senator Obama appears to be losing on “merit,” aka the issues, the “race card” will be played for everything it’s worth. It’s up to you to lower its value. Make your own speech about race relations in America, about why race should have nothing to do with choosing a president. And make it crystal clear that those who would exploit race for political gain are the real racists.

Turn an “ace” into a “deuce.”

atahlert@comcast.net

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