Bush made a crucial error in last Friday’s debate in referencing the Dred Scott case. With the election so close, no candidate can afford to alienate any constituency, and President Bush has done just that.

By saying he won’t put anyone on the Supreme Court who supports Dred Scott, he has alienated the White Supremacist/Slave-owning vote. With every group so important in this polarized nation, this move could cost him Florida and other crucial swing states.

When queried about this, Bush said, “Sometimes, as president, you have to make decisions that aren’t popular.”

Unpopular, indeed. One white supremacist commented, “I want a president who won’t appoint any nigger-lovers to the Supreme Court, goddamnit. White power!”

Will it cost him the election? Only time, and the ballot box, will tell.