The desperation of the "racist" smear

Ed Morrissey on why the left is screaming "racist" at the majority of Americans who disagree with them on health care policy:

It comes from a sense of desperation on the Left, borne of the realization that they miscalculated the health-care debate. As objections have grown, they have tried to find ways to silence the opposition — because they can’t answer the actual objections. Some advocates have honestly tried to argue for the benefits they see from a government-run system, but most just vilify and demonize the opposition instead.

The racism charge is truly a desperate, Hail Mary rhetorical pass. Supposedly, all of this opposition comes from the color of our President’s skin, despite the fact that he won 53% of the vote just nine months ago. However, how do these people explain the same exact furor over the Clinton effort to nationalize health care 16 years ago?

The advocates of ObamaCare don’t want to admit to the radical nature of their agenda and the legitimate philosophical differences between the sides. Meybe it’s because they can’t win that argument.

That the exact same opponents and arguments were used against a white president trying to have government take over health care 16 years ago highlights the fatuousness of charges of racism.

Keep in mind an immutable law of politics in 2009: if a political opponent calls you a racist or ascribes racial motivation to your position on an issue, it is an admission that said opponent's position is too weak to be argued on its merits.

Yeah, in many cases it's just the last refuge of a bigot, but the empty argument aspect still holds.