I have previously written with great respect for Senator Obama as a man and as a candidate - and I continue to hold those views.  I do not agree with his politics and am not a likely voter but he is a remarkable and exciting candidate for President. 

But he is beginning to have a problem which raises new issues for his campaign.  And it is possible that it is being orchestrated by Senator Obama's political opponents.

Senator Barack Obama Jr has been that rare political figure in our culture - a man of color who transcends color.  He is not the Black Senator from Illinois, he is the Senator from Illinois, who happens to be black.  He is charismatic, articulate, educated and persuasive.  His candidacy has turned the Democrat party on its ear.

I remember my first introduction to Barack Obama.  I watched the Democrat Convention in 2004 and watched a young, black Illinois State Assemblyman give the keynote address.  My reaction ? "Wow ! I wish he was a Republican."  He spoke of people in need, spoke of politics, and spoke of unity as follows:

"The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into red states and blue states; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don't like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America"

So I have been dismayed to watch this remarkable young man under attack for his race.  And the indication is that the strategy has been put in place by the Clintons.  First there are Mr Clinton's comments to the press before the South Carolina primary disparaging Obama's progress as merely being a black candidate.  Then Geraldine Farraro seeks to dismiss Obama by saying that he would not be where he is if he were not black.  Now the press is in a feeding frenzy at the racially charged sermons of Jeremiah Wright, the minister of Barack Obama's church in Chicago. 

The impact of these events has been to polarize Obama support in recent primaries.  He is gaining support in black voters and losing support in white voter groups.  As the democrat nomination will be decided at the convention by uncommitted superdelegates (party leaders and elected officials) the perception of electability in the general election will be significant. 

Dick Morris, for Newsmax.com, discusses these issues in the attached article.  I agree with his positions this week.

I am not decided as to the impact of Minister Wright.  Clearly his sermons quoted in the media are racially charged and contain some of the  language of hatred and victimization of blacks by whites that have characterized the more radical black leaders.  The long standing personal relationship between Obama and Wright is an important force in Barack Obama's life.  Can Obama rise above the negative messages of his close friend and advisor ?

Barack Obama has an opportunity to provide an incredibly positive role model for so many people in this country and around the world.  He is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School.  He has worked within the system to solve society's problems in the urban areas of Chicago. 

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr spoke of his dream that his children would live in a society where they would be judged by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin.  It is time, America.

My source: http://www.newsmax.com/morris/hillary_ferraro/2008/03/17/80946.html

Hillary Sends Ferraro After Obama
Monday, March 17, 2008 8:44 AM
By: Dick Morris & Eileen McGann

Geraldine Ferraro, a pioneer and trailblazer in American history, has done more to ruin a sterling reputation in the past few days than anybody but Eliot Spitzer.

By claiming, I think falsely, that Obama would not be where he is if he were white or a woman, I think she totally overlooks the impact of his charisma, eloquence, demeanor, message, use of the Internet, focus on caucus states, and his refusal to take special interest money as factors in his sudden rise.

She betrays a stunning inability to look more than skin deep for reasons for his success.

But this begs the real question: Why is she now so unable to peer into the deeper reasons for Obama's success and stopping at skin level? Ferraro is no racist. Her entire career speaks to the contrary.

The blunt fact is that Geraldine Ferraro would not make a statement like this one without at least the tacit knowledge and acquiescence of the Clintons and their campaign. Ferraro is an old pro and would know enough not to shoot off her mouth without making it part of a carefully conceived strategy to discredit Obama based on race.

As such, her comments need to be seen as a piece with the attacks on Obama's minister and his endorsement by Farrakhan. With Hillary now almost totally dependent on older voters, the race card may be the only way to produce the kinds of margins she needs in the future primaries to offset Obama's large and widening lead among elected delegates.

The fact is that Obama cannot and should not be held accountable for the ranting and raving of his minister, unless he fails to disavow these remarks. He has done all he needs to do in distancing himself from the likes of Farrakhan. And is success is due to his imaginative use of the political process to achieve what he has earned.

Obama out-organized Hillary by focusing on the small caucus states in February, by which time Hillary confidently expected the race to be over.

Obama out-messaged Hillary by refusing special interest PAC or lobbyist money, giving him a way to paint Hillary as the candidate of the Washington establishment.

Obama out-fundraised Hillary by understanding the potential of the Internet to raise quick and clean money and to permit reloading quickly.

Obama out-positioned Hillary by using her claim to experience (faux as it was) to paint her as just another cycle in the oscillation between Bushes and Clintons which has dominated our politics for two decades now.

Obama out-spoke Hillary by showing and eloquence and elegance that she cannot hope to match.

Obama out-targeted Hillary by focusing on young voters and grasping the amazing insight that in an election with a black and a woman, that age would be the decisive variable.

And now Hillary is trying, through her surrogate Ferraro, to make it appear that all Obama had to do was show up, show some skin and win.

Even for the Clintons, this is a new low.