With the exception of the Jeremiah Wright controversy and other whisper campaigns that spread across the Internet, the post-primary campaigns have been pretty much devoid of racial tension. With Barack Obama being the first African-American this close to winning the presidency, it is surprising that we have not heard more negative stories involving racism...at least until now.

Now, the hard truth of present circumstances has cast a dark shadow over the American political system. During this week's presidential debate, the coverage centered less on the substance of the debate and more on McCain's "that one" remark. This weekend, McCain said he would "whip" Obama's "you know what," drawing fire for using a verb that has clear racial undertones. Did McCain intentionally use these words in an attempt to stoke racial emotions? Probably not. But when you want to become President of the United States, you have to exercise better judgment.

Throw into the mix the ACORN controversy that is being presented by the McCain campaign. Rep. Lewis, in one of the more blatantly over-the-top remarks, compared McCain to George Wallace and said that McCain is "playing with fire," according to a FoxNews.com story released yesterday.

Is it a coincidence that we are just now experiencing this racial tension? We are only a few weeks away from election day and I thought, possibly in a very naive way, that politicians and the American public could overcome a 1950's style of politics and a 1950's mindset. It appears that I was gravely mistaken. Maybe we haven't come as far as we had hoped, or perhaps, we are all looking too far into remarks that are innocent in their intentions.

Ultimately, I have nothing against looking into someones past. As a matter of fact, I think that anyone who aspires to become president should expect just that. On its face, the ACORN controversy reminds me too much of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. It feels like a myth that is catapulted to national attention by people who are trying to connect a series of unrelated "dots." In addition, this dangerous strategy may backfire on McCain and the racial backlash could permanently destroy his political hopes. If he continues down this road, I hope he has reliable and irrefutable evidence to back up his claims against Obama. And I hope for the sake of this country that this election doesn't become an election based on race. Let's hope that Americans will cast their vote for who best represents their interests and beliefs...and not the one that matches their skin color.