Wikipedia:

"The term Bradley effect... refers to a frequently observed discrepancy between voter opinion polls and election outcomes in American political campaigns when a white candidate and a non-white candidate run against each other. Named for Tom Bradley, an African-American who lost the 1982 California governor's race despite being ahead in voter polls, the Bradley effect refers to a tendency on the part of white voters to tell pollsters that they are undecided or likely to vote for a Black candidate, when, on election day, they vote for his/her white opponent.

"One theory for the Bradley effect is that some white voters give inaccurate polling responses for fear that, by stating their true preference, they will appear to the pollster to be racially prejudiced. The reluctance to give accurate polling answers has sometimes extended to post-election exit polls as well. The race of the pollster conducting the interview may be a factor into voters' answers. Some pollsters believe that they do not receive deliberately false answers from white voters. The Bradley effect, these pollsters believe, is caused by pollsters' failure to account for general political leanings among voters who are undecided between Democrats and Republicans."

Team Obama's excuse for losing, or not winning bigger, as the case may be, will be white racism, of course.

It won't be that Obama is too liberal, too inexperienced, too elitist, too arrogant or too political.

It won't be that McCain is a war hero and Obama is a war zero.

It won't be that McCain gave more than twenty years of his life to serving his country in the military and Obama never gave a minute of his life for military service, or service in the Peace Corps, or service in the domestic Peace Corps.

It won't be that McCain has big legislative accomplishments and Obama doesn't.

It won't be because McCain picked pro-lifer Sarah Palin as his vice presidential nominee and Obama rejected Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in favor of Senator Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., a renegade Catholic who rejects his Church's teachings.

Obama and his supporters in and out of the media are playing the race card shamelessly.

CNN's Jack Cafferty:

"The differences between Barack Obama and John McCain couldn't be more well-defined. Obama wants to change Washington. McCain is a part of Washington and a part of the Bush legacy. Yet the polls remain close. Doesn't make sense...unless it's race."

The Youngstown Vindicator:

"'Race — that's the only reason people in the Valley won't vote for him,' said state Rep. Thomas Letson of Warren, D-64th, about Barack Obama, his party's presidential nominee. 'There are 1,000 reasons to vote for Obama and one reason why you won't — race.'

"'Staunch Republicans' who make up 35 percent to 40 percent of the population would never vote for a Democrat regardless of race, Letson said.

"It is the independents, the 'swing voters' and Democrats who are or will support Republican John McCain who are the 'racists,' Letson and state Rep. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-60th, said."

Dick Meyer, NPR:

"Similarly, many people felt McCain's famous ad that called Obama a celebrity like Paris Hilton was subliminally racist, subtly playing on racist impulses that fear black men with white women, or that preyed on the idea that black men succeed only in celebrity arenas like sports and music."

Obama surrogate, Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius:

"I think the notion that, 'By the way, have any of you noticed that Barack Obama is part African-American?' That may be a factor. All of the code language, all that doesn't show up in polls, and that may be a factor for some people."

Meanwhile, polls are showing that black voters favor Obama over McCain by about 94% to 1%.

But, is there a reverse Bradley effect?

Are blacks saying they will vote for Obama because it seems to be the politically correct thing to say, but planning to vote the other way?

We will find out on or soon after Election Day.

Will Obama win more votes because he is black than McCain will lose because he is white?

In the names of affirmative action and political correctness, would that be considered alright?

Will Obama lose more votes because he is black than McCain will win because he is white?

Is racial identification voting ok for blacks, but not whites?

The truth is that those who say yes have ascended the hypocrisy heights.

Michael J. Gaynor is an independent columnist