“Clarence Thomas is a Commie!”

After all, how else could he and his White wife have met except at a covert meeting of the Communist Revolutionary Workers Party!

She might, for instance, reflect on November-December of 1989, and the peaceful revolutons animated by people power in E. Europe. Rather than waving the banner of “We Won the Cold War” focus on the fact that people carefully and purposefully organized for CHANGE. I suspect one could characterize taking a hammer to the Berlin Wall as an example of “Yes We Can” action.

She could pick up on the vast numbers of NGO’s all over the country, doing things such as taking care of people with AIDS, running the shelters, feeding the hungry, tutoring kids in reading, teaching kids internet skills, — really things that ought to be built into social systems.

She could identify with young people using new media in new ways. Perhaps she ought to watch some of Current TV’s offerings (Al Gore’s Channel), and get familiar with the genre. At some juncture in the next administration media policy will become an issue — she might be useful in this area.

These are things that have been outside the Political Tent in recent years, and those really put off by politics have engaged in quite productive ways that need affirmation. She needs to learn how to do it so it is supportive of her Husband’s efforts. No matter what the intent of her statement — writing off the accomplishments of others on the margin of our culture and society is NOT how you get elected. If I were involved with the design of Obama’s campaign right now, next week in Ohio I would put the candidate and his wife in the new sites and museums collectively understood as the “Underground Railroad” now part of the National Park System — and actually praise Hillary Clinton for supporting the effort when she was First Lady. That is the kind of thing that First Spouses do, and she needs to identify with it. Calling attention to it would not at all be particularly useful to Clinton’s campaign at this point.

And this has what to do with what we are talking about?