When other tactics fail, pull out the race card.

Well, I'm here to say, "beware of people playing the race card.

See this Wikipedia entry for "Playing the race card":

Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase, referring to an allegation often raised against a person who the accuser feels has unnecessarily brought the issue of race or racism into a debate so as to obfuscate the truth. The allegation tends to stir up controversy. See also wedge issue.

The phrase is used in two contexts; In the first, and more common context, it refers to someone allegedly falsely accusing another person of being a racist in order to gain some sort of advantage. An example of this use of the term occurred during the O.J. Simpson criminal trial when the prosecution accused the defense of playing the race card in trying to present Mark Fuhrman as a racist and thus not a reliable witness against Simpson.

In the second context, it refers to someone exploiting the fear of another race for political or some other advantage. The use of the southern strategy by a political candidate is said by some to be a version of playing the race card, such as when former senator Jesse Helms, during his 1990 North Carolina Senate campaign ran an ad showing a black man taking a white man's job, intended as a criticism of the idea of racial quotas. The ad was interpreted by many people as trying to play to racist fears among white voters of black people taking their jobs.

There is no limit to possible constructions, and similar phrases have also been used, such as "Playing the religion card", or "Playing the anti-Semite card" (or in German: Auschwitzkeule)"

Meaning of "Playing the Race Card"

When concerns about the United Arab Emirates' corporation managing 6 principle US ports reached a fever pitch for reasons enumerated on Mudcat by GUEST 20 Feb 06 - 11:58 PM and others in the national media, the meme came out that opposition to this deal was "Arab bashing".

Somehow I just can't see Bush as being sincerely concerned about the masses of Arab people. And for some reason, I get suspicious when folks or groups-such as neocon Republicans who have no track record in caring about black and brown and other people of color start pointing fingers at others and labeling them racist. Can anyone say "Red Herring?" I bet you can. And in my opinion, this term is applicable to the Republicans pronuncement that those who oppose this UAE deal are racist.