>> #2, she can pull minority votes and the Democrats would have to play this with kid gloves or else they would come off looking like even more of the PC plantation they already are.<<
It is a very well-established fact that black voters do not cross parties to vote for black Republicans, even when the Democrats turn wildly vicious and racist. But we will test your theory in 2006, when Blackwell runs for governor in Ohio.
To elebaorate slightly: Democrats make the very effective charge that black Reoublicans is a willing or unwitting puppet, or "house nigga*" of the "racist, slavemaster Republicans." Then they are free to attack a faceless puppetmaster. It works very, very well in the black community.
(*Their words, not mine. Sorry if any lurkers are offended.)