This is what is going on IMO. If the Democrats lose the election, they want to try and beat the race drum to the American people to hide the fact that despite 8 years of media attacks on the Republican administration, a weak economy that by default gets hung on Pres. Bush, and Democratic momentum from 06 elections, they still can't close the deal with the public.
I also KNOW that middle America is tired of being called racist and this is going to have the opposite affect.
The fact of the matter is, if Obama was white, he would have been like any other junior senator, with no chance whatsoever of running for the President.