Poor Bill.

He’s stuck in no man’s land — no longer able to stand before adoring crowds of African-Americans, who welcomed him as the “nation’s first black president” with thunderous applause — and he clearly is having issues dealing with the new world order.

Almost two months after Sen. Barack Obama captured the Democratic presidential nomination, the former president still is brooding about his wife’s loss. And his chief source of anguish? That supporters of Obama accused him of injecting race into the campaign.

Never mind that the Obama camp — loaded with white male advisers — was so afraid to bring up race that it wasn’t funny.

When Bill Clinton compared Obama’s win in South Carolina to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 wins there, it was seen by African-Americans as an attempt to marginalize Obama. That always has been a fear of African-Americans who achieve mainstream success, and it left even close friends of the Clintons aghast.

That was the tipping point, along with other perceived slights, and we know a person’s perception is his reality.

What Bill doesn’t understand is that the masses of black people know what it feels like to be marginalized, and many saw that in those comments.

In an interview with ABC’s Kate Snow, Clinton, when asked about regrets in the campaign, immediately threw out, “I am not a racist.”

He kept insisting that he isn’t angry, but we all have seen that stare, that change in body language, and the parsing of words. Even when Snow asked whether Obama is ready to be president, Clinton answered in the third person, never actually saying he’s ready or not.

Bill, we get it. You still are peeved. At Obama. At Rep. James Clyburn. At the media. At anyone who you determined was against you and Hillary.

Many have said Clinton wants his legacy intact, and a lot of that has to do with the reality that no group gave him more comfort than the black community.

When he was facing the end of his presidency, he called on black folks like no others, using the affection to get him through the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He relied on black support to keep his poll numbers high. And we all know it.

But what Bill knows — and we know — is that you don’t have to be a racist to use race as a tool in a political campaign. An inference here, a comparison there, and you can send the right signal at the right time to the right people. He says he did nothing wrong. Yet perception is very powerful, and denying it doesn’t make it go away.

Bill and the legions of Clinton supporters are quick to act as if the comments made by African-Americans — the regular folk — simply didn’t exist. That was his bread-and-butter group, and its members were none too happy.

But what the Clinton folks also fail to grasp is that they did offend older African-Americans, such as Clyburn, Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole and others who were always in the corner of the Clintons but could remain silent no longer.

It’s clear that Bill can’t deal with the fact that his black supporters didn’t stay quiet. Many of them recoiled at what they heard.

As for what’s next, some Hillary Clinton fundraisers have said Obama should help restore Bill’s reputation and show respect for both Clintons, according to the Huffington Post. But the truth is that there is nothing that Obama can do to salvage the reputation of Bill Clinton before most African-Americans.

Bill lost that on his own, and he’s going to have to get it on his own.

The Clintons need to stop living in la-la land, listening to the same folks soothe Bill’s bruised ego. They thought they would win the nomination and that blacks would fall in line. Harold Ickes said as much.

But in this new world order, he needs to recognize that a lot has changed.

Bill, you clearly have issues with what took place, and sure, you can be angry. But denying you’re angry doesn’t help.

Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning and multifaceted journalist, a CNN contributor and a talk show host for WVON/AM in Chicago.

Mr. Martin is also a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate (www.creators.com) and the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith ($11.95) and “Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America” ($10), he also serves as executive editor of the Chicago Defender, the nation’s largest black daily newspaper.

Mr. Martin is a commentator for TV One Cable Network and host of “The Roland S. Martin Show” on WVON-AM/1690 in Chicago. He can be heard daily from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.

A provocative and insightful analyst, Mr. Martin has appeared numerous times on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, Court TV, BET Nightly News, BBC News, National Public Radio, The Word Network and America’s Black Forum. Mr. Martin provides news reports for American Urban Radio Networks…..[more]

Popularity: 7% [?]

Sen. Barack Obama’s positive message of hope and change resonated with the electorate, and last night it carried him to the pinnacle: The Democratic presidential nomination.

Obama may have transcended party labels and race, but its the historical significance of an African American Democratic nominee that we celebrate today. The Rev. Martin Luther’s King’s dream is on the verge of becoming reality, and this should be cause for joy for Americans of all races.

Obama’s victory proves that good guys finish first — sometimes. Hillary Clinton has more baggage than Southwest, but Obama never brought up Whitewater or any of the dozens of other Clinton scandals. Obama ran one of the most positive presidential campaign in American history.

Hillary, desperate and without scruples, engaged in a “kitchen sink” strategy, throwing everything at Obama, but he didn’t respond in kind. Obama may have been frustrated by the petty nature of the race, but he remained above the fray.

Even when Hillary ran that subliminally racist “3 o’clock in the morning” ad, Obama didn’t respond with his own negative commercial.

The good guy clinches the Democratic presidential nomination and the bad (rhymes with witch) loses but refuses to concede and congratulate the winner.

Hillary is in Obama’s rear view mirror, and now only Sen. John McCain stands in his way of achieving his ultimate goal. McCain is a deeply flawed candidate, but I know that Obama will run a clean general election campaign.

Popularity: 17% [?]

When the Democratic nomination was still unresolved, all eyes were on Hillary and Obama, and John McCain was virtually ignored by the press.

A couple of weeks ago In a desperate attempt to garner media coverage, McCain invited Obama to visit Iraq with him. This wasn’t a sincere request, McCain couched his invitation in condescending terms, explaining that it would give him an opportunity to teach Obama about the facts on the ground in Iraq.

McCain likes to brag that he’s visited Iraq eight times, but how much can a presidential candidate really learn about that country by going there? To protect him from terrorists, McCain has yet to visit any of the hot spots. How much of the war zone can McCain see when he’s surrounded by bodyguards, and escorted to heavily protected American enclaves?

How should Obama respond to McCain’s publicity stunt? I think that Obama should accept McCain’s invitation for the following reasons:

First of all, it would serve as a teaching opportunity: McCain has a lot to learn about Iraq and the Middle East. Obama can start by teaching McCain the difference between Sunni and Shiite insurgents. Obama could also point out to McCain that their flack jackets, armed escorts and helicopters flying overhead is proof that everything isn’t hunky dory.

In the second place, it would boost troop morale if our brave warriors saw that both presidential candidates care about their safety and well being. Support for our troops shouldn’t be a partisan issue, all of us need to show them that we love and admire them.

And finally it would give McCain and Obama a chance to bond, and get to know each other. After a few days together in that hellish part of the world, they might return to America and wage a civil and courteous campaign.

Obama has invited McCain to visit inner cities with him, stand in gas lines, wait in ER’s, to get a feel of what the average American feels. Turnabout is fair play, McCain should visit a few inner cities with Obama.

Now that Obama has clinched the nomination and Hillary will soon be out of the picture (hopefully), McCain will be getting plenty of attention from the press and he won’t have to resort to publicity stunts.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Pundits, reporters, the Democratic establishment, and everybody else with at least room temperature IQ knows that Sen. Barack Obama has secured the Democratic presidential nomination.

Only Hillary Clinton believes she’s still a viable candidate; she continues her Quixotic quest with her painted-on smile and her luggage full of pantsuits. It’s Hillary’s turn to rule, by God, and eventhough she’s hopelessly behind in every metric (pledged delegates, superdelegates, popular vote, most states won), karma will cooperate if need be, and kill Obama by means of an assassin.

At every campaign stop Hillary is met by an adoring throng of white middle-aged ladies who will stick with their Queen come hell, high water or reality. These ageing women are persuaded that Hillary is their last chance to see a woman capture the White House before they kick the bucket. These old birds are full of p*** and vinegar and they unload on men and women who have the temerity to vote for a candidate other than their feminist hero.

Hillary achieved her exalted position by clinging to the DNA-stained coattails of her husband — she’s no feminist icon. If Hillary’s last name wasn’t “Clinton” she’d be working for a law firm defending white collar criminals, and whiling away her free time in bars making fun of blue-collar yokels.

Hillary Clinton is the pinata of politics, she’s such a despicable creature that nobody bats an eye when she’s ridiculed, criticized or condemned. This is not a perfect analogy, a pinata is a brightly-colored paper container filled with sweets and/or toys and Hillary is a dour and bitter woman filled with arrogance, spite, jealousy and all manner of evil.

A pinata does nothing to deserve it’s horrible fate, we can’t help but feel a tinge of sorrow when we see its shattered remains. But Hillary is so evil that most folks figure she had it coming when pundits and comics tear her apart.

Hillary’s days in the national spotlight are numbered, soon even she will accept reality and quit the race. What a horrible prospect, we need a pinata that we can beat without feeling guilt or facing the reproach of others.

Even when I criticize a clueless bimbo like Paris Hilton, I get nasty emails from her fans. But when I mock Hillary I get nothing but letters of support and encouragement.

Hillary please don’t drop out of the race, a legion of pundits, reporters, comics and regular folks need you. You are our beloved pinata and we want to continue beating on you until there’s nothing left

The hypocrisy, desperation and ‘assassination mentality’ started in Ohio:

Reference: A guide to undisciplined (Sometimes RACIST) messaging

Popularity: 20% [?]

I remember a child’s birthday party where one of the kids was hitting an inflatable punch bag with the face of a smiling clown. The tiny tot was at first delighted that the inflatable toy refused to stay down, but after many ineffectual punches the kid started crying in frustration.

That inflatable clown reminds me of Hillary Clinton; what does it take to make her admit defeat? She has been buffeted by Obama in state after state, but nothing can wipe that painted smile off her face. Oblivious to the harsh reality that Obama has an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and in the popular vote — at the verge of elimination Hillary comes up with a victory that allows her to cling to the illusion she still has a chance of securing the Democratic presidential nomination.

Hillary is on cloud nine after her Pennsylvania victory, but spin aside what did she gain? Ascertaining how many delegates a candidate won in a primary or caucus is not an exact science, but according to most estimates Hillary only managed pick up nine delegates.

Hillary won Pennsylvania, a state with demographics tailor-made for her, but at what price? Hillary’s throw everything at Obama, including the septic tank, hurt her approval ratings more than it did Obama’s. Hillary gives a new definition to “Pyrrhic victory”; she basks in victory over a scorched earth that will bear bitter fruit for Democrats this November.

Hillary may have won the Keystone State by 9 points, but let’s not forget that only a few weeks ago polls had her ahead by over 20 points. It’s a remarkable achievement for Obama that he was able to whittle down such a huge lead to single digits.

Hillary managed to narrow Obama’s lead in the popular vote by some 200,000 votes, but unless you count Michigan (where Obama’s name did not appear on the ballot) she has no chance of overtaking him.

Hillary claims momentum, but that ethereal quality has no chance against cold hard reality. Obama is ahead in the next two primaries in Indiana and North Carolina. There is virtually no chance that Hillary will overcome Obama’s double digit lead in North Carolina. Bill Clinton’s race-baiting has ensured that Hillary will never beat Obama in a state with a sizeable African American population.

I hope Obama is not crying in frustration like that kid unable to lick that inflatable clown. Obama should realize that you don’t defeat an inflatable toy by clobbering the hell out of it, you ignore it until all the hot air dissipates and all that’s left is a flattened carcass.

Popularity: 28% [?]