5 is right out...

Yes, you said you didn't speak to Latinos, however, they are becoming as important a racial group as blacks -- and will soon leave blacks in the dust in terms of numbers. So, that will be an important group for both parties to court.

Latinos come in many flavors (even the Mexicans in California are not like the Mexicans in Nevada/Arizona/New Mexico, not to even mention the Cubans in Florida or the Puerto Ricans in NY) and that is something that many people in who don't interact with their communities do not know or understand. It's true many are working class, but they are strongly moved by the "family values" meme of the GOP -- regardless of how many times GOP members break that image.

And, of course, racial tensions exist between all groups, not just whites and the minorities. (Classic example is the Antisemitism that has occasionally characterized black celebrity comments -- Jesse & Michael Jackson.)

You say the Obama "absolved" Biden. Well, not really, as Obama doesn't have that power. The danger here is to have to second guess motives and the like. That becomes thought-police-ey and not a good direction to go in; especially since the Democrats have a knack at eventually losing control of those games to their own detriment.

A huge problem the left has is that they want you to buy into a particular belief structure. One of the least attractive things about the left to non-lefties (and this included Independents) is that it's not enough to vote in a particular direction -- they want you to have the same value system as they have as well.

In other words, they care more about the process than the vote.

People are constantly talking to Jason here about having the GOP party fix itself -- it's not the Dem's problems. Therefore, it seems to me, that it's in the Dem's interest to keep driving a wedge between the GOP and the minority communities where ever they can, while retaining their white constituents. You don't have to do that racially -- you can do that economically and via "values".

The Dem party isn't going to magically solve the racial issue -- hell, 150 years ago, they were promoting it! -- so they should be able to take advantage of it. Not by courting one group to alienate others, but showing the common ground of their various groups.

Hair trigger responses over nuances are ridiculous -- particularly when laid next to the outrageous material well-laid out in this blog entry. If it's obvious, call it racist. If it's not, let it go. Because (a) you aren't going to change the mind of anyone and (b) it is to the GOP's disadvantage.

If Saxon Chambliss had said the Joe Biden remark, would anyone here "forgive him"? Should people forgive Joe Biden?

These discussions are merely academic and miss the point. Angels and head-pins and such.

Much of what is written here is about what "should" be the case. Well, you can only regulate access to opportunity -- you simply can't control what's between people's ears. I wish both parties strive to give equal access of opportunity to everyone. But if one party chooses to bias itself against one group or another, that presents a political advantage to the other party.

That's how the overall social system will eventually correct itself.

Not true. In southern California, the Dems didn't win the Latino vote as much as the GOP lost it with the anti-immigration flavor of the state races in the early 1990s. Until then, there was essentially a split between Dem and GOP party registration.

Dems love to feel that all "minorities" come to them, but it's a false meme. As I said, you can't lump together the Latinos into a single demographic -- regionalism plays an important role.