On Friday, speaking at a fundraiser in Jacksonville, Obama made what can only be described as a preemptive strike. "It is going to be very difficult for Republicans to run on their stewardship of the economy or their outstanding foreign policy," he said. "We know what kind of campaign they're going to run. They're going to try to make you afraid. They're going to try to make you afraid of me. 'He's young and inexperienced, and he's got a funny name. And did I mention he's black?' " He went on to predict that Republicans would say that "he's got a feisty wife" as a way of attacking Michelle Obama. "We know the strategy because they've already shown their cards," he said. "Ultimately, I think the American people recognize that old stuff hasn't moved us forward. That old stuff just divides us."
The Republican Party has a problematic history on race, beginning with Nixon's "Southern strategy." The era when the likes of the late Lee Atwater could overtly use race as a wedge issue is long gone. Today, any appeal to latent racial prejudice would have to be made more subtly -- the suggestion that there's something of the "other" about Obama, that he might not share traditional American values, that there's some question about his love of country. Given the steadfast patriotism that African Americans have displayed since the nation's founding, none of this makes historical sense. But it's more about the vibe than the reality, and the fact is that voters are attuned not just to what a presidential candidate says but also to how the candidate makes them feel.
Since Obama has given his opponents little ammunition, they have focused on those who are close to him, beginning with his former pastor. Now some critics have turned to Obama's "feisty" wife, whose image as a tall, strong, confident black woman can perhaps be made to seem threatening to some people.
If there are voters who absolutely won't support Obama because of his race, there's not much he can do about it. But at least he can blow away all the smoke. He has served notice that he doesn't intend to be Swift-boated on race the way John Kerry was on his war record -- and that he will hit back even when attacks are more atmospheric than concrete.