The PA Polls are tightening. Bill Clinton knew what he was doing.

[Skwmom]

Compare his demeanor to some of his comments in the past. Big difference. This was much more controlled.

If you understand PA, you'll understand why he made the comments that he did.

[Skinner]

1. No, Bill screwed up.

There is no upside to what he said, and it is not going to help Hillary in the Pennsylvania primary or any other Democratic primary.

[retrowire]

8. it's a relief to see Hillary supporters not try and defend it.

it was bad. that's all I'm saying. no candidate should talk down to activists of any kind like that.

[morningfog]

13. Same have been defending it through pitiful attempts to divert and distract.

[retrowire]

14. oh i know

its just refreshing to understand that the hive mind mentality isn't true.

[w4rma]

31. Singular. It's too bad that Skinner is the only one not trying to defend Bill. (nt)

[Skwmom]

10. I think people can view this differently.

From the prism you are looking through he screwed up. But in speaking to family and friends that have lived in PA (both Black and White), they view it as a political move (because of the message and the demeanor).

Maybe they are right, maybe you are. But when you come right down to it, the only thing that matters is how the voters view it (and I think how some voters view this would surprise some people).

People talk about racial problems in the south but a problem that is not often discussed is racial problems in the north. And it's not like racial discrimination can be delineated by political affiliation. There is a reason there was an article written about how to court the black vote without losing white voters. And some of it isn't so much racism, but perceived stereotypes (though the delineation between the two is not exactly a bright line).

[daleanime]

27. Agreed.....

there are large parts of New York and Pennsylvania where, unfortunately, those kind of comments play all too well.

[Equinox Moon]

36. Bill C. has a temper

When Pres. Bill was in the White House, staff could hear him YELLING. Not just once.
These reports came from his response to peace negotiations with Netanyahu and Palestinians.
He was so frustrated he started yelling.

Normal response for most of us, but our leaders must control their emotional responses.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

29. Certainly not planned and he was hot - but it will help in the general

...

[Betty Karlson]

37. I quite agree. This should be compared to his remarks to the Kennedys:

(about then-senator Barack Obama in 2008) "you realise that a few years ago he would have been serving our coffee?"

The Kennedys reacted by endorsing the Illenois senator over Bill Clinton's wife. He spoke to her detriment. But this time, he didn't speak in the secluded serenity of the Kennedy compound - he spoke in public, where recordings found their way to the Internet in very little time. The detriment to his wife's chances may be even bigger this time than they were in 2008.

[Baobab]

40. Pre-dementia

Certain expressions he makes.

See a paper I posted recently in Health for some ideas on causes and possible treatment. Lots of dementia may be caused by the cumulative effect over time of environmental chemical exposures. Also, he had heart surgery a number of years ago that seemed to change him quite a bit. Some of that damage may be reversible.

(I am not a doctor, just a brain geek. But i read a lot.)

Short term, the combination of acetyl-l-carnitine + alpha lipoic acid may help with a broad spectrum of mitochondrial issues that figure strongly in dementia.

Also, curcumin is clearly helpful. Somebody else's recent posts in health on curcumin, very good post. It should be taken with piperine, from black pepper.

Oh, one problem though, it might make him "fearless" LOL. That actually could be problematic.

Even though I disagree with the Clintons on many things I would like to see Democrats operating at their full potential, whatever it is.

better cognition = better decisions

[Kittycat]

2. Please don't try to spin or fluff it up

That was just bad. Bad for everyone, and a wake up call of what might be expected from a Clinton administration.

[Cartoonist]

3. He was going for the Trump voters

By being a racist loudmouth. Looks like he picked up a few.

[My Good Babushka]

4. He's really nailing down

the racist asshole, Confederate flag-waving douchebag vote of Pa. Kudos.

[jfern]

26. Yes, they have to get Hillary's voters from 8 years ago to show up again

The ones who showed up to vote Hillary in drove because the scary black man called them "bitter enders".

[Motown_Johnny]

5. Playing to racists is in the Clinton playbook?

I prefer to believe he just screwed up, for a number of reasons.

[BernieforPres2016]

19. They played the race card in 2008 against Obama

I think yesterday was more Bill blowing up after all the criticism his administration has received during this campaign. I don't think they could have scripted an episode with demonstrators. They would have preferred to keep the demonstrators out.

[Motown_Johnny]

20. I was trying to get the Clinton supporter to admit it, but.. *crickets*

Of course exploiting racism is a play in their playbook.

I really just wanted to point out that the OP's explanation for Bill's comments was claiming he was exploiting racism.


Funny how the Clinton worshipers can't see that, even when they point it out themselves.

[azmom]

25. Poster must be proud of Bill's "skills"

I wonder if BLM would feel the same.

[Barack_America]

6. Eenie meenie, minee, mee...who to pander to in Phil-ee...

Sorry, Blacks, you had a 50-50 chance, but the Big Dog's pandering to "hard working voters, white voters" this round.

[hereforthevoting]

7. Honestly as someone from the West I don't understand PA very well

Care to enlighten a person?

[Yurovsky]

9. I have family in Philly...

Philly and the urban areas of Eastern PA are pretty blue. POC, union households, LGBT, and other left-leaning constituencies.

Western and Central PA, OTOH, is the home to significant pockets of conservatives, many of them in the unsavory racist Trump camp or God-squad snake-handling Cruz crew. Some of them identify as independent or Democrat, and some are really pretty politically uninvolved but will vote on emotion which is what WJC seemed like he was trying to appeal to.

Maybe it was a mistake, IDK. But the Clintons are political animals, and I don't think they do very much without a reason. It may come off as clumsy or ham-handed (see their attempts at social media ... #fail ), but I would guess that there was at least a general notion to rile up the closet Klan members n PA. At least he had enough self-restraint to refrain from anti-Semitic remarks ... That's the one thing Klan folks hate as much as POC (Jews).

[hereforthevoting]

11. Dear Lord

Thanks for the education! It's really hard to parse out how much of the unsavory words are tactical, or passionate. But good to know it somehow could have been worse.

[frustrated_lefty]

12. It's been described

as Pittsburgh in the West, Philly in the East, and pure Alabama everywhere in between.

[Yurovsky]

17. That's pretty concise! Yeah, I didn't mention Pittsburgh...

I have heard a lot of good things about it, especially how The city has done a good job of re-branding itself as a tech/healthcare/education center since the steel glory days are long gone. Supposedly affordable housing, nice quality of life. I think I'll check it out next time I head to Philly, extend the trip and visit some folks in Ohio with a stop in Pittsbrgh (preferably in summer, I'm a wimp WRT cold weather).

ROAD TRIP!!!!!🚗

[beltanefauve]

22. I've heard it called

"Pennsyltucky ".

[TDale313]

28. Yeah, that quote's been attributed to James Carville

"Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between"

Whether you agree with it or not, it appears some in the Clinton camp have that view.

[spinbaby]

30. I live in rural western PA

The only political signs up for the presidential primary are for Trump. They still love Sarah Palin. 20 years ago, a realtor tried to sell us a house by telling us that none of THOSE people lived in the neighborhood. Racism is considered to be a virtue in these parts.

[dchill]

38. I live in western PA, too.

North of PGH. I hear you. Disheartening, isn't it? I'd have thought this kind of backward self-loathing would have died out by the time I reached 64, but our "neighbors" keep buying the crud that the right wingers are selling.

[PADemD]

32. Pennsyltucky

"Between Paoli and Penn Hills, Pennsylvania is Alabama without the blacks. They didn't film The Deer Hunter there for nothing -- the state has the second-highest concentration of NRA members, behind Texas."

James Carville

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsyltucky

[BernieforPres2016]

15. If they were employing a Pennsylvania strategy, why would Hillary be going after Bernie on guns?

She tweeted that he needed to apologize to the Sandy Hook parents on Wednesday.

I think Bubba just snapped yesterday in the face of protestors after all the criticism his administration has been receiving: NAFTA, Crime Bill, Welfare Reform Bill, financial deregulation and the repeal of Glass-Steagall, etc. He has never been known for self control and is worse than ever in that regard.

[Skwmom]

18. Think of the way she goes after him and his replies. n/t

[JudyM]

33. By doing that she pits him against both the anti-gun people and the pro-gun crowd. The latter

because as soon as he walks back from it he is less distinguishable from her.

[bullwinkle428]

16. I believe he thought he could pull off a "Sister Souljah v2.0" moment.

[Cheese Sandwich]

21. That's an interesting idea

Maybe he was going for something like that but if he was, it backfired. Or maybe not? Who knows. Bill and Hillary do play chess 10 moves ahead sometimes.

[Aerows]

23. Even when they lose

they have some money stored away to keep 'em strong.

[JudyM]

35. I agree - would not be surprised at all to learn this whole qualification mess was preplanned.

Remember when it first reared its head? Righ in the middle of Jeff being interviewed about the big win in WI. He was standing there going over the map possibilities and riding high, feeling much more confident, when BOOM suddenly a message relayed to the interviewer from outside the studio that the Clinton campaign was going to disqualify and destroy Bernie and put the party back together again later. Choosing that moment to reveal this would've created a huge amygdala surge in Jeff especially and everyone else so that they became hypersensitive to any attack. I wouldn't be surprised if that WAPost headline was even part of the scheme, frankly. I mean, why was the headline so inaccurate and using the same language the Clinton camp had primed Jeff with?

And then Hillary's artful dodging and smiling demurring coupled with her teams's faux sexist outrage. That made her look above the fray and more: a poor woman victim.

Bernie's team needs to watch for traps like this. Maybe it was all his team's misreading and overreacting, but I strongly suspect something far more devious on Clintons part.

[dchill]

39. I think the record shows...

that we give them too much credit, sometimes. Sistah Souljah? Server on the basement? Not REAL smart. Smart enough? Sometimes...

[azmom]

24. I like it. Let's spread this around.

[nc4bo]

34. It's 2008 all over again. Lovin up on those hard working whites Americans.

We see ya Bill!