A black president and the race card collide

Opposition to the First black president is racist or at the least racially motivated. So says former president Jimmy Carter. This is the kind of disarming argument that liberals love to make as it allows them to dictate the terms of the argument and avoid actually discussing the subject at hand, such as socialized health care. They used the same tactic regarding gay marriage. It didn't matter how many thoughts you had on the subject the response was the same "don't be a hater". Instead of discussing the merits of your thought you are forced to defend your integrity.

This time the liberals may have overplayed their hand. The issues that lead to the Tea Party Patriots and the march on Washington brought together a very disparate group of people. Many of them are true independent voters that helped elect The Obama only to be shocked by his policies and immediately revolt. Turning on these important voters now risks alienating them for years. Another more interesting aspect of the race card is its recent overuse and the potential consequences of that. People will become habituated to its use and inured to its effects. Once this line is crossed the power of the race card will decline dramatically. Howard stern the shock jock is a perfect example of this effect. He said so many shocking things that listeners were no longer shocked by them.

The Obama must now realize he is in a difficult position. He has abandoned talking up the merits of his health care plan and instead has focused on attacking his opponents and ridiculing dissenting voices from the public. This approach seems unlikely to work as insults never win an argument except among children.