I do think some of the comments about this that I've heard and even some of the posts on FR border on what we despise -- and that is calling any criticism of someone who is black racism. Freepers call the left on it; now they can't fall into that same trap.
Although SOME of what I've seen or heard from the left has been or has bordered on racist, you can have fair criticism of Rice and even caricatures of her features without being racist. Let's face it, her hairdo (which makes her head look even rounder than it is), her teeth, and even her scowl are a cartoonist's dream.
You appear to be getting off track into the theoretical. Calling Condi "Aunt Tom" is racist, comparing her to a charaqcature of a slave is racist, and calling ehr "brown sugar" is racist. There's no gray area here.
I'm not defending her because I'm a big fan of hers. I've been wary of her politics since she pulled a Powell and said Israel shouldn't finish building the security fence to discourage homocide bombers (early foray into State territory. I'm disgusted because some of the cartoons about her are blatantly, unequivocally racist.