Bill and Hillary Clinton will continue to play the race card in this year’s presidential elections, for several reasons.

First, the Clintons have done the math and know they do not have a prayer of overtaking Obama in the number of delegates going into the Democratic convention in August. In a last ditch effort to improve their position, the Clintons are pushing to overtake Obama in the popular vote. Once the Clintons overtake Obama in the popular vote they would be able to use their control of the Democratic Party machinery to take the election by influencing the super-delegates in the favor of the Clintons at the convention.

The Clintons , of course, face huge liabilities in playing the race card. The Clintons no doubt find playing the race card to be distasteful. Moreover, the Clintons will lose some (liberal) votes while they pick up other (racist) votes. However, the Clintons know how to do the math in the Democratic Party primaries. You can be sure the Clintons have mapped out a path by playing the race card, very likely the only path, to a Clinton victory at the convention. In short, the “race issue,” as it is called by the media, which in reality refers to the Clinton’s persistent use of the race card, will not go away. Geraldine Ferraro will not go away. In fact, you can be sure she would not have played the race card against Obama without first consulting the Clintons and gauging the impact of this explosive move on the contest for president in New York City and state. In short, the Clinton’s are prepared to emulate George Wallace if that what it takes to win the presidency in 2008. Above all, the Clintons play the race card to pre-empt Obama’s ability to trump her by playing the Iraq card. During the last presidential debate, Clinton tried to tip toe way from her vote authorizing President Bush to go to war in Iraq. No use. Barack Obama will not let Clinton or the world forget her vote in favor of the Iraq war. Meanwhile, the overall US security situation in Iraq is unsure, to say the least. Hillary Clinton is playing a king in the form of the race card, but Obama holds a potential ace in the form of Iraq.