What IS "The Race Card," Anyway??

With this concept being bandied around so often, it's about time for someone to ask the users of this notion to explain what they mean!

It's obviously intended as a metaphor.

OK.....but a metaphor is: "the application of a word or phrase to an object or concept it does not literally denote, suggesting comparison to that object or concept" [Random-House/Webster]

The example given in the above citation is "a mighty fortress is our god." [Martin Luther] Hence a god offers massive protection....like a fortress."

But a "race card" is like....." What????

Maybe it's not the failure of the practitioners of "political arts" to make sense of it...maybe the concept itself is utterly meaningless.

I know Johnny Cochran finagled the idiots on that jury to acquit someone believed [actually proven] to be guilty by everyone in existence [yes, I do mean this literally -- it's not a hyperbole]....but I still don't know what "card" he played???

Here's a tid-bit from Wikipedia: "Playing the race card is an idiomatic phrase referring to an allegation raised against a person who has brought the issue of race or racism into a debate, perhaps to obfuscate the matter. It is a metaphorical reference to card games in which a trump card may be used to gain an advantage."

Hmmmm...."like a trump card," ay?

But a trump card exists in "trick taking games" and it exists within and only withing the rules -- unlike playing the "race card" -- which never exists within the rules?!

I'm still at a loss!