Before I kick Ralph Nader in his butt, I have to give him credit for one thing: He's said publicly what some black leaders, especially those who were part of the civil rights movement, have been saying privately since Sen. Barack Obama announced his intention to run for the White House.
Obama has dismissed Nader's comments as a desperate attempt to get attention.
But don't think Nader is being courageous. Old-school black leaders know most black voters don't want to hear it. They are too close to turn back now.
Of course, a lot of black people want Obama to deal with more issues that specifically affect African Americans, but black voters are sophisticated enough to know that Obama isn't running to be the President of Black America, or the NAACP, National Urban League or Rainbow Push Coalition for that matter.
Frankly, if African-Americans were going to turn against Obama, they would have done so after Obama distanced himself from his former long-time pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Nader is playing the same game that white politicians who are dependent on the black vote have always played: divide and conquer.
It's not happening.
Nader is accomplishing only one thing by trying to characterize Obama as a race traitor. He is alienating a loyal voting bloc.
Mary Mitchell is a columnist for the 
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