Hillary to Obama: Get to the back of the bus

In my 52 years, one of the few positive developments is increased equality for blacks. There’s still a long way to go. And some of the “solutions” — welfare, affirmative action — have made matters worse.

But there’s no more Jim Crow, no more separate restrooms or drinking fountains or bus waiting rooms (as in the sign at right), no more overt segregation (although plenty of covert segregation), no more blacks forced to ride in the back of the bus.

Except in the Hillary Clinton campaign. They’re now keying off the observation of Bill Clinton after Obama won the South Carolina primary way back in February, when Bill got in touch with his inner cracker:

Obama gets to play both sides of the race card. I told you he won South Carolina because he’s black, like Jesse Jackson.

Now here’s what the Clinton campaign is saying in May after Hillary lost North Carolina. Hillary:

I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on. [An AP article] found how Sen. Obama’s support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.

Clinton henchman Paul Begala:

said the party could not win in November with just “eggheads and African-Americans,” that the party could not ignore white middle-class voters.

Except that most blacks are middle-class.  And in 1960, nobody in the Democratic Party griped that Kennedy won the primary and general elections with overwhelming support from his fellow Catholics, like blacks a key constituency.

And let’s not forget the Iraq War, which Obama always has opposed and which now is opposed by 2/3 of the American people. McCain favors the war. And Hillary voted for the war, and still supports it, despite her waffling. So Obama clearly wins that issue. So, what “broader base” is she talking about? If she wins the nomination, we’ll have two pro-war nominees, meaning 2/3 of the American people will have no voice on that issue (except third parties).

Blacks’ rock-solid Democratic support

For the last 50 years, blacks dutifully have voted 90-plus percent for Democratic presidential candidates. Even Reagan only got about 10% of the black vote in his landslide re-election in 1984.

For decades, I’ve seen Republicans try strategy after strategy to increase their share of the black vote above the usually abysmal 4-6%. They said tax cuts and welfare reform helped blacks. The first Pres. Bush appointed as HUD secretary Jack Kemp, who got good black support as a congressman from Buffalo. They talked education, housing, inflation. They said the Democrats were taking blacks “for granted.”

Nothing worked.

Blacks stuck with the Democratic Party, no matter what. Blacks’ 90-plus percent in all those elections was necessary, except for LBJ’s 1964 landslide, for every Demo presidential victory. With blacks about 12% of the population — and a little bit less than that of the whole electorate — that 90-plus percent translated into a guaranteed 10 percentage-point starting advantage for Democrats. Quite an boost.

Now blacks are asking for some payback. They have one of their as a candidate who’s smart, gives a great speech, and is likable. He can win. And he’s ahead in the delegate and total vote counts.

So what do Hillary and her campaign say? “Get to the back of the bus.”