In the first presidential campaign involving an African American nominee of a major party, both candidates have agreed on this much: They would rather not dwell on the subject of race.
But their allies have other ideas.
Yesterday, civil rights leader John Lewis, a Democratic congressman from Georgia, became the latest advocate to excite the racial debate, condemning Sen. John McCain for “sowing the seeds of hatred and division” and accusing the Republican nominee of potentially inciting violence.
In a provocative twist, Lewis drew a rhetorical line connecting McCain to the segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace, and through Wallace to the 1963 church bombing in Birmingham that killed four girls. McCain voiced outrage at the comments, which also drew a mild rebuke from an aide to Sen. Barack Obama.
McCain has treated the subject of race gingerly, moving quickly to reject loaded remarks by some supporters while at other times accusing the Obama campaign of “playing the race card” and claiming racism to avoid legitimate criticism.
Obama, meanwhile, has made a studied effort to avoid bringing race to the forefront throughout the general election. After giving one major address on race during the primaries, he raised the subject only obliquely over the summer, saying he expected his rivals to note that he “doesn’t look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.”
