Trailhead

Vegas Live: And Now for Some Race and Gender

And we’re off!

Brian Williams cites a bunch of recent comments about Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama’s unmentionable teenage activities. “How did we get here?” he asks. He might as well have asked, Who can give me the biggest platitude?

Hillary: Neither race nor gender should be part of this campaign. (But notice: Hillary’s wearing pink; Obama’s wearing blue. Gender politics live!)

Obama: John and Hillary have been committed to racial equality. We need to come together.

Edwards: I grew up in the South during segregation.

Segue to Tim Russert pulling out a satchel full of documents. For all the time candidates spent the past day trying to “move on” and set race and gender aside, the moderators seem determined to drag everyone back. Which is, of course, sort of their job.