I doubt the real leaders of either party see race as much more than a tool to manipulate people with. Republicans use race and xenophobia to give weight to their (or should I say their lobbyist's) belief that we should continue to spend massive amounts of money on defense, regardless of whether or not that actually increases our safety. Democrats throw money and citizenship at racial minorities, and then have the audacity act like it's out of the goodness of their hearts (and not say, buying votes). Relevant Quote: I'll have those [n*****s] voting Democratic for the next 200 years. -Lyndon B. Johnson In politics, race is a gimmick that will keep the easily-manipulated running in circles for years to come.