The party that routinely plays the race card in political scampaigns pulls tricks like running hate ads only on ethnic minority stations, running targeted phone scampaigns with taped messages, and posting up anti-campaign posters. The nature of such tactics is to "prove" that the opposition candidate is a racist who does not have the target group's interests at heart (and may in fact oppose that group outright). Of course, the "majority" of citizens are never exposed to these tactics.
Some of these campaigns have included references to a candidate, leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., and then some gunfire in the background. Others will have taped messages by the daughter of Byrd (the man who was dragged behind the truck). There have been spanish language posters that said "Sanchez is Anti-Hispanic" (when Orlando Sanchez was a "Republican" candidate running in a non-partisan mayoral election).
The race card is only played by one party and it is used to keep minority voters dependent and in line.
I am at a loss as to why the democrats are trying this tactic. Who are they trying to influence? They already have the black vote. And then again, maybe they know something we don't, for instance, they are losing the black vote in greater numbers than we suspect. Maybe Bill got an earfull when he made that call to LA during the voting down there.