South Carolina Shows Its Stripes

Not surprisingly, the Republican primary in South Carolina has gotten ugly. Back in 2000, John McCain got pretty effectively slimed by somebody (who could it have possibly been?). His wife was said to be a drug addict, and it was claimed that Bridget McCain, the daughter the McCains adopted from a Bangladeshi orphanage, was actually the senator's love child by some unidentified brown-skinned mistress. McCain's campaign, we all know by now, never recovered. Apparently wanting to jump aboard a winning strategy, some Huckabee backers are attacking McCain and Romney for going against the Confederate flag. These ads claim that those who want to celebrate the flag only want to acknowledge their Southern "heritage." Not that this comes as news to anyone, but it's worth noting that that Southern heritage includes a treasonous period of open rebellion against the nation. If they want to embrace that treason, then it's their right to do so, but there's no reason that they should expect the rest of us to back them up. The Confederate flag is a code word for racist views, so in receiving the support of "Americans for the Preservation of American Culture," Huckabee is aware that he's courting the racist vote. In fact, the governor himself told a rally in Myrtle Beach, "If somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we'd tell 'em what to do with the pole, that's what we'd do." But Huckabee's stratagem seems to be working. We'll see for sure in a little while, but the latest polls seem to be breaking his way.

With the Democrats holding back for a week before their own primary, it'll be interesting to see the fall out if Huckabee does pull out a victory with a racist wind in his sails. Will that blow back on Obama and the Democratic race? I can't imagine that it can manifest itself enough to ensure a Huckabee win and then just dissipate into nothing.