Apparently the Republican National Committee strategy of going after the black vote has taken a back seat (in the bus) to winning at all costs. I guess black is the new gay (and in reality, gay was the new black for a while but now black is back as the bigotry du jour of the GOP).
Mr. Cohen: Secondly, I think the Republicans have to be careful, also, in terms of not engaging in conduct. And I was watching the - the Tennessee race, specifically. It reminded me of what happened in North Carolina with Harvey Gantt, a purely overt racist approach.
Mr. Blitzer: You are talking about the new RNC ad which has this white woman talking about Playboy and the - the African-American candidate, Harold Ford Jr., the Democratic candidate.
Mr. Cohen: It’s - to me, at least as I watch that, is a very serious appeal to a racist sentiment. And when the question is always asked, why - he would be the first African-American since Reconstruction elected to the Senate, you say, well, why is that the case? So, why is the South different? Why would they not elect someone…?
Mr. Blitzer: So, you’re a former Republican senator. Is the R.N.C. playing the racial card against Harold Ford in Tennessee right now?
Mr. Cohen: I think they are coming very close to it, if not doing it exactly. And I think they ought to stop it. I think that they have a candidate, and discuss the - the issues on the merits, and not get into that kind of personal type of an attack.
