Michael Smerconish: The campaign and race: Somebody's got to say it

2.14.08

Philadelphia Daily News

ON TUESDAY night, watching the results roll in from the so-called Potomac Primary, I saw that the Drudge Report had made a national headline of Gov. Rendell's appearance in front of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial board last week.

In a meeting that was scheduled to discuss the state budget, Rendell took the opportunity to weigh in on the primary battle looming in Pennsylvania between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

According to Tony Norman's column in that newspaper, the governor said: "You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate. I believe that, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was - well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking - but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so."

Rendell's words have since become big news. Of course, any time anyone broaches the subject of race in the context of this election, it becomes instant fodder for discussion.

On the merits, I disagree with the governor's assessment, which was offered without any proof. The simple truth is that Lynn Swann was a weak candidate. Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Matthews, who ran for lieutenant governor alongside Swann, should have led the ticket.

Swann's trouble wasn't his race, but that he was a political neophyte who never effectively made the case against Rendell.

He would have benefited from a contested primary against former Lt. Gov. Bill Scranton, an early primary opponent. Swann's coronation, which commenced once Scranton dropped out of the race, did the candidate and the party no favors, and I said so at the time.

Ironically, Scranton's departure was itself hastened by a bogus racial issue.

His campaign manager said that in the GOP race for governor, "The rich white guy in this campaign is Lynn Swann."

Nobody blinked when that operative got fired because a stupid comment featuring a racial term is assumed to be racist - even when the statement carries no racist sentiment.

Remember when Joe Biden got in trouble for his comments regarding Sen. Obama? "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that's a storybook, man," Biden said.

He was, of course, complimenting Obama. But such is the touchy world in which we live.

The reality is that Swann's race made no difference - 5 percent or otherwise - in the result of his campaign. I do give kudos to the Republican Party for nominating an African-American to lead their ticket.

Nevertheless, I appreciate the unmuzzled assessment by the governor, a rarity among today's blow-dried, finger-to-the-wind politicians. I think candid conversation about matters of race and politics are better held in the open than sub rosa.

But if we're really going to air out the role of race in this presidential contest, then we need to acknowledge that which is irrefutable: Obama is splitting the white vote with Hillary Clinton, while he crushes her among African-American voters - to the tune of almost 90 percent in Virginia on Tuesday.

In fact, the Associated Press reported that Obama is polling more than 80 percent among African-Americans so far in 2008. In other words, race is a benefit to the Obama candidacy, not a hindrance. How else to explain why a 50-50 split in one demographic becomes 90-10 in another?

OF COURSE, nobody will say that on a national stage. People are far too prickly.

Just look at the spectacle that resulted when Bill Clinton called Obama's candidacy a "fairy tale" - an appropriate assessment of any other three-term state legislator now in his first Senate term.

But not one who is black.

It's a cliche to say "the gloves are off" in political contests. This year, the big gloves are not only on, they're also fully laced up. *

Listen to Michael Smerconish weekdays 5-9 a.m. on the Big Talker, 1210/AM. Read him Sundays in the Inquirer. Contact him via the Web at www.mastalk.com.