First it was his ears ... next his middle name ... then criticism of his wife's rants and his pastor's venom-spewing hate for America. All were decreed off limits by Democrat Sen. Barak Obama, who said his presidential campaign was about "hope" and "change," not race. Never mind that his vapid rhetoric, which fuels Obamamania, has failed to clarify these words in a political context.

Sen. Obama's narcissistic protests became more pronounced as he flailed against challenges to his ill-informed remarks on several key issues - and flip-flopped on previous campaign positions - claiming those attacks misrepresented him or otherwise were unfair. Now the candidate who wants to become America's first black president has decided to make race an issue after all.

He recently expressed "disappointment" with Sen. John McCain because a few Republicans on the fringe chose to make some regrettable references to race. This as Democrat operatives leveled charges of racism against the Republican contender's campaign. This tactic is no surprise - Sen. Obama's camp was expected to play the race card at some point - but it came earlier than most anticipated.

If Sen. Obama succeeds in making race a theme in the presidential campaign, it will become a convenient smoke screen to cloud his record - as a community organizer in Chicago, an Illinois state legislator, and a U.S. Senator - from undecided independent voters and wavering Democrats. Republicans must not let Sen. McCain's opponent succeed in this maneuver - despite help from the mainstream news media - because race is not the real issue.

The real issue is socialism.

American Socialist Norman Thomas, who several times ran for president in the mid-20th century, predicted 60 years ago, "The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of 'liberalism' they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened."

Not only does Sen. Obama bring the Senate's most liberal voting record to this campaign, his promises to expand the size and scope of government at the expense of individual liberty and free enterprise place him squarely in agreement with the socialist agenda. Sen. McCain may not be the preferred candidate of some conservatives, but the choice is crystal clear.

No matter how much he protests, the socialist agenda of Sen. Obama must be challenged throughout the campaign - until in November informed voters say at last, "NObama"!

Ralph Nichols writes on public policy and legal issues from the Seattle area. He can be reached at ranichols2@yahoo.com.