The Clinton Campaign : Trouble in the horizon with the African-American Community

[FrenchieCat]

The Clinton Campaign has implied, alluded to, and said some things that are not going over well at all in the Black Community, of which I am part of.

It started when Hillary was introduced at a campaign stop:
Today, in Dover, Francine Torge, a former John Edwards supporter, said this while introducing Mrs. Clinton: “Some people compare one of the other candidates to John F. Kennedy. But he was assassinated. And Lyndon Baines Johnson was the one who actually” passed the civil rights legislation

Then in a Fox interview, Mrs. Clinton made her own passing references to MLK and LBJ, and what it "took" to actually get the Civil Rights act "done". Initially it was excused away as an unfortunate way for her to have articulated whatever it was that she was trying to say in reference to Dr. King’s work and comparing it to a President's work (Obama is not a minister, so it didn't make sense, other than the fact that both MLK and Obama share a common bond in their eloquence and rich oratory and the fact that they are Black).

Hillary Clinton: “Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act, but it took a president to get it done.”
Video: http://sweetness-light.com/archive/hillary-lbj-not-mlk-passed-civil-rights-act-2
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/07/civilrights/

As we know, Martin Luther King's Birthday is coming soon. Dr. King, not Pres. Johnson, was given a holiday after his tragic murder. This day is to recognize the late Nobel Peace Prize Winner and his legacy for hard work done on advancing the cause of Civil Rights.

The discounting of Dr. King's work, his legacy, and the elevated importance placed on Pres. Johnson's actions were also a message aimed at Barack. Hillary’s quote, in its absurd context, is traveling to every single Black Community in these states. The understanding is that the Hillary camp is engaging in a code word campaign to define Barack Obama, although artfully veiled in its attempt, as a (Black)Preacher who simply preaches instead of as an accomplished U.S. Harvard Law School Graduate, Constitutional Lecturer, Sitting U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate.

Sen. Clinton etal. have not cited Sen. Obama for having "done" great Civil Rights work a la Dr. King. Instead, Hillary has implied that Obama merrily speechifies, while she has "experience" getting things "done" as though she forgets that both her and Obama hold the same job title and duties currently.

It's not that we don't respect Preachers, because we do....but Obama is not calling Hillary Clinton a wife, although we respect wives. Hillary Clinton is a Senator and the former first lady, a person touting 35 years of experience (although an exaggeration from where I sit), and a Presidential candidate, and that is how she is described. The Obama Campaign is not terming her simply as a woman who just happens to be married to the one who signed the Bills....which is what some of the 35 years of "experience" she is claiming entailed!

So it is ironic that the first "serious" Presidential candidate who is a woman, has chosen this route in her campaign; to compare her opponent, who has served more time in public office than she, as one who preaches false hopes, but does little else.

The fact is that the Clinton Camp have stepped out of bound in how they have decided to describe Senator Obama and his message; as a preacher preaching false hope! I know some here have characterized him in the same manner (and you know who you are and I disagree with the simplistic and disrespectful characterization), but you are not the President or Senator Clinton speaking in a microphone to millions of people.

I am trying to figure out how she thinks that she has or is doing so much work, and Obama just talks (folks can bend her and her surrogates' "exact" quotes upside down and then around, but it is still is what is being implied...cause nobody is stupid and we all know what the definition of the word is, is....so please spare me).

The truth of the situation is that Sen. Clinton has accomplishments and so does Sen. Obama. Both have "done" hard work,and both give speeches. In fact, quite a bit of a senator's work is giving speeches on the Senate floor, and then, working with a staff, doing the other hard work (committees, writing bills, etc...)

When comparing their time in elected careers, Obama has done as much "work" if not more than Hillary. A failed Health Care Reform proposal and some PR goodwill/embassadorial trips do not overshadow someone else's 8 years of elected office, even if the job occurred in the State Senate! She cannot elevate her "work" as being "more" by virtue of her marriage. Barack was elected to an official position in the State House, and although that is not as lofty as the White House or a Governor’s Mansion, the job is just as arduous, e.g., is a Teacher’s job less than the role of the wife of the district superintendent? In addition, Barack "did" turned down the "lofty" in order to do “boots on the ground” community activism and organization (Project Vote and other organizations)as well as becoming a revered constitutional scholar and lecturer. Hillary may not believe that this counts as much as her work on the Watergate Committee, or her legal career, or her time in the Mansion and big house, but it does.

It is true that Obama may not know where the Bathrooms or the light switches are located in the White House, but that's not anything that is required for the job that they are both aspiring to.

If and when Obama becomes President and needs advice, I'm sure that Bill Clinton will consent to confer with him. Just because Barack won’t be sleeping with Former President Bill, I'm not sure that he would be getting that much less than Hillary.

I would hope that we aren't attempting to elect the First Woman President, in the belief that we can borrow her "man" for 4 more years. If that is the case, then our reason for electing the "first" is a farce considering the large and gifted pool of women that we have in this country that wouldn't need a man standing in her shadow to make her qualified. That will not "inspire" my daughters, and it shouldn’t have inspired so many women in New Hampshire. Yes, the devil IS in the details.....if we are to be a truthful nation.

Maybe inspiring real Hope to many who reside in a cynical nation takes less work than Nepotistic entitlement, but I tend to doubt it.
-----------------

Clinton’s Strategy Echoes Bush in 2000
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/clintons-strategy-echoes-bush-in-2000/index.html?hp

[jasmine621]

1. Oh, please!

Surely we can do better.

[FrenchieCat]

3. I believe that we can.......

But obviously, that is not the case.

You can turn your nose up.....it ain't going away.

[coco77]

4. Sorry,Too late!

[Cha]

24. No, I'm afraid hillary can't do any better.

She should sure try, though.

[maddiejoan]

2. I remember in 2000

people telling me I would vote for Lieberman cause I'm Jewish.

So I voted for Nader instead.

[FrenchieCat]

6. What does this have to do with a campaign attempting to portray

Senator OBama as simply a Black preacher......which he is not.

Is Hillary simply a President's wife?

I have been hearing this reference all day; Preach to describe what Sen. Obama does. False Hopes, is how Hillary clearly describes it. The talking points are out.....and I have heard the surrogates use the exact same words all day today.

[maddiejoan]

10. It has to do with

what happens when you tell how a minority how they will vote.

It's insulting.

[FrenchieCat]

12. Who is saying that?

I know what I wrote is long.......but I believe that it is clear.

This isn't about how who should vote.

That's ok....it's gone right past ya.

I will survive!

[maddiejoan]

30. You are saying that this will cause African Americans

to vote in a certain way.

I say that's insulting.and teetering towards racism.

[AX10]

41. The far left (Obamites) are going to use every card...

they have. Voting for someone based upon race alone is absurd. As you said, you would not vote for someone just because they are Jewish and you are. My neighbors are Indian, and they dispise Bobby Jindal. They know that he is a fundie and a very dangerous person.

[Egnever]

46. and yet the vote came out yesterday

To stand up for the poor picked on woman. It should be as you say yet if they are getting the reasoning on what happened right yesterday. Clearly its not.

[Egnever]

43. Seriously?

[maddiejoan]

48. I'd get mailers from Lieberman

I wasn't even on his mailing list --he must have been sending shit out to people with jewish last names all over Brooklyn.

[bigdarryl]

5. yep this story is right i listened to Joe Madison this morning on XM and they....

were all talking about how big dog made the comment that basically Obama was some FAIRY TALE that people wanted to vote for and almost all the callers said that they are loosing there patience with Bill Clinton and didn;t appreciate his statement and some went even further to say it was a code word that this young black guy is a joke most of the callers said they will be be voting for Obama. this possible problem for the Clinton camp hasn't been picked up by the mainstream media yet.

[FrenchieCat]

7. Well the Black ministers have it.....and they are a relatively close knit group....

What is sad is that if Hillary is going to be President, she's gonna have to be better than that.

Bill is about to get some news about how is Black President label is being recalled.

Not good, considering the date of MLK's Birthday, and how it coincides with the primaries.

[Cha]

26. I don't think he really

earned his "First Black Prez" anyway..now I'm learning more about it.

They say he was the best republicon pres the country ever had.

[FrenchieCat]

38. True dat'

that is what is said.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

104. Good point

The baiting of one of our most reliable constituencies by the Clintons could do more damage to our party and movement in 80 years than any number of Republican acts. The Clintons are rapidly becoming a pox on our movement.

[Bread and Circus]

8. Frenchie, bar none (except for my wife), is my favorite DU'er!

Great post. Keep up the good work.

[FrenchieCat]

21. Thanks!

Me, you, and your wife.....and a few friends!
:grouphug:

[Bread and Circus]

37. we used to hammer it out for Clark back in they day!

I was family doctor in name back then.

/wave

[FrenchieCat]

39. Oh yeah......

Heyyyy! I certainly remember. Those were the days!

[Bitwit1234]

9. The Clinton's have never done anything to disenfranchise

the black people in this country. If black people, such as the person want to vote for a black candidate because he is black and not for his platform and what he wants to or will do for this country that's their business. But they are just stirring up trouble in this campaign.

When they start panning Hillary Clinton because she is white and Obama is black, damn they are going to have a backlash...why dont' you look into what Obama has done for the blacks, the poor and the needy and then look into what Hillary Clinton has done for the blacks, the poor and needy.

Then post Obama's accomplishments...probably none, since he is fond of missing votes.

Then post Hillary Clintons accomplishments. I think this type of crap about black voting for a person because he is black is RACIST. AND I HOPE THAT SINCE YOU THINK THIS IS THE WAY TO GO....WHITE PEOPLE VOTE FOR WHITE CANDIDATES BECAUSE THEY ARE WHITE....25% of the people in this country are black...

[Tess99]

11. Typical of what the great bell hooks said about white liberal. Keep showing your true colors.

And BTW, Obama has done more for Black folks than any other presidential candidate. He was on the ground everyday, working to better the lives and empower black people in one of the most economically depressed and violent neighbohoods of the 1980's. He started a civil rights practice and passed laws in the state senate that directly affected the lives of black folks in Illinois.

Don't you dare try to claim Hillary has done more for my people than Sen. Barack Obama. How dare you.

[Cha]

27. Thanks for your

post..it's good to read about what Obama's history and what he has done to help people.

[bigdarryl]

16. well for a female to say I'M VOTING FOR HILLARY BECAUSE SHE IS A FEMALE IS SEXISM

[FrenchieCat]

17. I'm not sure what you are going on about......?

You need to make better sense.

Do you have any comments on what Hillary's comment on Dr. King might have meant?

Certainly I can post some of Obama's accomplishments later in the thread. He as many....don't show yourself out to be an idiot and underestimate what Sen. Obama has achieve.......he ain't just some preacher around the corner speechifying now.

[cali]

19. predictably disgusting.

how dare you? Frenchie Cat never said she was voting for Obama only because he's African American.

And Obama has done light years more than Clinton for the poor and those in the African American community. NOt even close, bitterone.

You posted none of Clinton's alleged work for the African American community. Obama spent 8 years working in an inner city neighborhood to empower that community and as a civil right lawyer. Now tell me what Clinton has done.

Your last paragraph is just racist shit.

You are so full of ignorance and crap. And the AA community comprises approx 12% of the population, ignoramus.

[stillcool]

25. there it is...

I think this needs it's own post...especially the part in caps.

:puke:

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

57. You seem to have chosen an appropriate handle for your post

"Bitwit" or "Nitwit" truly describes the idiocy of what you just said, esp. your little swipe at Obama in the third paragraph.

And oh, BTW, learn to look up facts. The Black proportion of the US population is 12%, not 25%. It's one of the reasons that an Obama victory would do so much for them-- African-Americans have been disenfranchised for far too long, and an Obama victory would go a long way to helping them overcome all the crap that's been thrown at them in the past. Especially as 12% of the population, it would show them that they are not a permanently disenfranchised minority.

[indimuse]

13. echo's of tweety...

She cannot elevate her "work" as being "more" by virtue of her marriage...:puke::puke:

[FrenchieCat]

18. Was her work "harder" and Obama's easy? cause that's what she's implying....

not the Obama campaign.....nor I.

[Jane Austin]

14. You left out the part where Bill Clinton referred to Sen. Obama

as a "kid" last week.

This was before he said his veiws were a big "fairy tale".

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

107. truly loser-worthy on Bill Clinton's part

He's tarnishing his entire legacy with these cheap shots. And he'll deservedly suffer for them.

[stillcool]

15. I don't know why she would..

say such a thing..but I guess it obviously works with many people. Who cares about history?

1790 Only white male adult property-owners have the right to vote.

1810 Last religious prerequisite for voting is eliminated.

1850 Property ownership and tax requirements eliminated by 1850. Almost all adult white males could vote.
1855 Connecticut adopts the nation's first literacy test for voting. Massachusetts follows suit in 1857. The tests were implemented to discriminate against Irish-Catholic immigrants.

1870 The 15th Amendment is passed. It gives former slaves the right to vote and protects the voting rights of adult male citizens of any race.

1889 Florida adopts a poll tax. Ten other southern states will implement poll taxes.

1890 Mississippi adopts a literacy test to keep African Americans from voting. Numerous other states—not just in the south—also establish literacy tests. However, the tests also exclude many whites from voting. To get around this, states add grandfather clauses that allow those who could vote before 1870, or their descendants, to vote regardless of literacy or tax qualifications.

1913 The 17th Amendment calls for members of the U.S. Senate to be elected directly by the people instead of State Legislatures.

1915 Oklahoma was the last state to append a grandfather clause to its literacy requirement (1910). In Guinn v. United States the Supreme Court rules that the clause is in conflict with the 15th Amendment, thereby outlawing literacy tests for federal elections.

1920 The 19th Amendment guarantees women's suffrage.

1924 Indian Citizenship Act grants all Native Americans the rights of citizenship, including the right to vote in federal elections.

1944 The Supreme Court outlaws "white primaries" in Smith v. Allwright (Texas). In Texas, and other states, primaries were conducted by private associations, which, by definion, could exclude whomever they chose. The Court declares the nomination process to be a public process bound by the terms of 15th Amendment.

1957 The first law to implement the 15th amendment, the Civil Rights Act, is passed. The Act set up the Civil Rights Commission—among its duties is to investigate voter discrimination.

1960 In Gomillion v. Lightfoot (Alabama) the Court outlaws "gerrymandering."

1961 The 23rd Amendment allows voters of the District of Columbia to participate in presidential elections.

1964 The 24th Amendment bans the poll tax as a requirement for voting in federal elections.

1965 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., mounts a voter registration drive in Selma, Alabama, to draw national attention to African-American voting rights.

1965 The Voting Rights Act protects the rights of minority voters and eliminates voting barriers such as the literacy test. The Act is expanded and renewed in 1970, 1975, and 1982.

1966 The Supreme Court, in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections, eliminates the poll tax as a qualification for voting in any election. A poll tax was still in use in Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia.

1966 The Court upholds the Voting Rights Act in South Carolina v. Katzenbach.

1970 Literacy requirements are banned for five years by the 1970 renewal of the Voting Rights Act. At the time, eighteen states still have a literacy requirement in place. In Oregon v. Mitchell, the Court upholds the ban on literacy tests, which is made permanent in 1975. Judge Hugo Black, writing the court's opinion, cited the "long history of the discriminatory use of literacy tests to disenfranchise voters on account of their race" as the reason for their decision.

1971 The 26th amendment sets the minimum voting age at 18.

1972 In Dunn v. Blumstein, the Supreme Court declares that lengthy residence requirements for voting in state and local elections is unconstitutional and suggests that 30 days is an ample period.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

20. If This Contest Becomes Racialized Every Democrat Loses

~

[FrenchieCat]

22. The point exactly sir!

That's why the Clinton campaign is playing with fire...and they need stop it now and they need to give Sen. Obama the respect he deserves. To do otherwise is to treat one's friend like the enemy.

The talking points are all over the media.
They need to be recalled.

Hillary Clinton should not be playing this game in this manner, because it is thouroughly disgusting.

Obama is trying to add to the voter rolls.
Hillary appears to want to substract it with this kind of evil ass shit.
If she can't win on her own merits without attempting to destroy others, she doesn't deserve
to be our President.
This ain't 1990...

[laureloak]

32. I can't believe you said this....

"If she can't win on her own merits without attempting to destroy others, she doesn't deserve
to be our President."

....After you'v created thread upon thread trying to destroy Edwards. What a hypocrite!

[Egnever]

47. Big difference here

Fenchie ain't running for anything.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

110. The Clintons have already made sure that it is racialized

Hillary knocking MLK, then Cuomo's comments, Bill's insults, Sheehan, Kerrey-- there's a systematic operation by the Clinton campaign to racialize the primaries. They have only themselves to blame for it.

[Big Blue Marble]

111. It already has.

[Cha]

23. That was such fucking kindergarten

stuff of her's. Throwing out hateful neeners like she never went to school.

I hope it bites cause it was stupid as well as insulting.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

118. Yeah, worse than the racial angle was the juvenile aspect of it

What was Bill Clinton thinking by calling Obama a "kid"? That's not only borderline racist (kid is one of the nastier, scornful insults against Blacks in the South), it's also childish.

[Didereaux]

28. as you are a member of the 'black community', you are fully aware that it is NOT...

a mindless monolithic aggloneration of automatons and zombies! So having established THAT undeniable fact your contention that Clinton has a problem with the 'balck community' is false on the face of it. She may indeed have a problem with a specific segment of the black voters, but not ALL black voters. Go back to loogical reasoning 101.

[goldcanyonaz]

34. You didn't hear? We all ride the big "black community" bus to the election. and vote as one.

:sarcasm:

[Didereaux]

44. heheh

[Didereaux]

62. Frenchiecat! you haven't responded yet?

[FrenchieCat]

65. Do I need to?

I know what I'm talking about.

You don't have to believe anything I say.

I don't have a problem with that.

This post was not intended to provide any information other than
what it provided.

I don't need to "prove" anything to you.

Read and agree or disagree with it.

Common sense will let you know what to take away from it.

[H2O Man]

29. Interesting.

Nominated, as I think this is a topic worthy of our consideration. We cannot afford to have splits between black and white, young and old, male and female.

[Meldread]

31. K&R - I'm white and it was clear as day to me.

The Clinton's benefited from the fact that New Hampshire is one of the most lily white states in the country. If people think women poured in to "save" Hillary over a few tears, if there were actually more than five black people in NH...

It was disgusting and ugly. I accepted the whole, "I'm the only one who can save you from the terrorist thing." However, the "false hope" and "fairy tale" comments... those hurt. Those hurt me and I'm white. They never went into what type of false hope or fairy tales they were talking about, but as a white man I can tell you exactly how I took it.

"Barack Obama is black and if you think a black man has a chance at being President, it's just false hope, it's a fairy tale. I'm the most electable candidate."

That's how I interpreted those comments. It became even more obvious when she started bringing in the MLK talking points. I hope she loses SC in a big way. I hope she loses all non-whites in a big way. I hope she's punished for what she said - if a Republican had said this we'd be pulling out the knives. Trent Lott tried to make a (very) old man feel good on his birthday by saying he should have been President, and do we remember how we jumped all over him? I don't think he was TRYING to be racist (even though it came out that way). Hillary and Bill were obviously being racist, and what they have said and done is a hundred times worse.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

121. Yeah, now apparently some trouble out in WI

a friend out there around Milwaukee says that it's getting so furious in the African-American community, one can almost feel it. It's a deliberate strategy from the Clintons and everyone there has seen through it.

[Nedsdag]

33. How soon we forget.

Remember Rickey Ray Rector? Sistah Souljah? Lani Guinier?

African Americans executed, dissed and humiliated by the "first black president."

It'll take more than playing a saxophone and swaying to spirituals to get my vote.

[hedgehog]

35. What about this:

"Some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us are ready and some of us are not. Some of us know what are going to do on day one, and some of us haven’t thought that through enough," she said.

[kevsand]

36. Regardless of what point Hillary was actually trying to make...

...she could not have selected a more disastrous example to attempt to illustrate it. The subtext of her remarks has an immediate and obvious historical resonance: the implication that charismatic black ministerial types have never accomplished anything on their own, but have always required the help of white patriarchs to close the deal. Ironically, if she was intending an analogy, that makes her the "old, white guy" in the Democratic field. That part may have been more accurate than she intended.

[FrenchieCat]

42. You are so right. She's playing the game, like Bush did on McCain....

that's how scared the Clintons were, and it was ugly.

then to hear the Pundit commentators with the talking point say that while others give speeches, Obama preaches....as though the others have an excuse for being such miserable speakers...so that they could fawn all over how this was one of Hillary's best speech. PLueaze! I Hope not....because just having to hear her give the "State of the Union Address once a year" would make me want to vote for Obama if I hadn't decided yet!

Everyone looking and listening to Hillary in NH and on the teevee knew that the speech had been produced 5 minutes before (which is why she was reading it), after the speechwriters had listened to OBama's speech...so that they could weave his original points into what she would be saying. Disgusting! Hillary looked soooo phony up there with her newfound "Young people" Background....until I started to crack up. Could she had been more obvious and so not original?

Bottomline is, unless Obama himself says he is preaching, those talking points stated by anyone else are a dead give away. At least Obama doesn't feel compeled to have to say "And God Bless You" at the end of every speech, like Hillary does. That's ok...but Obama knows he's motivating, not preaching. There is a difference between the two.

[_Wayne_]

40. um, Negroes love Hillary

[FrenchieCat]

51. LOL!

yes, they do!

But everybody loves....

[AtomicKitten]

45. The black community will have a chance to weigh in on the Clinton Welfare Reform.

[oasis]

83. The "black community" was lifted by Clinton's overall domestic/ economic policies. Black

folk weren't entirely dependent on welfare as you suggest.

[CyberPieHole]

49. I hope your candidate does not make this a black vs. white thing...

if he does, I believe he'll lose that battle. Jackson and Sharpton are proof that the "angry" black man plays best to African~Americans. Non~blacks will run from it. Obama's appeal is because he is Tiger Woods like. Furthermore, I haven't seen any respect from Obama towards Clinton, as a matter of fact his condescending "your likable enough" comment he made during the debate gave us all a glimpse and a glimmer into Obama's misogynistic tendencies. What Obama refers to as "Hope" I call "Pie~in~the~sky". The nation is in no condition to run off into la~la land and start handing out freebies for everyone. Candidates may promise you the moon, but that is what congress is there for...to stop them from giving the store away. It's naive to think the repugs are going to take a loss to Obama and reach across the aisle and say...we were all so wrong...let's all work together to make the world a better place. Really, I am not trying to dash your hopes, but I think they need to be tempered.

[FrenchieCat]

53. What are you even talking about?

How Likable does a President have to be? Oooh-ooh, I know!

just Likable ENOUGH.

Obama's answer was right on!

You don't have to feel that you need to go and have a beer with your President, but you do want a President who can mind the store. we already did Very likable in 2000. Was it good to you?

Obama did Hillary a favor, he was an original thinker even when they were dealing with a stupid question.

Barack doesn't want to be Likable too much. that was a diss on both of them.

oh, and.....
Dumb shit is when you elect a woman as President because she'll have a man standing right behind her who's already done the job. For any liberated woman, that is a cruel joke!

I'd rather Pie-in-the-sky than that dumb shit anyday!

[CyberPieHole]

61. "Pie in the sky" vs "dumb shit"?

why choose, Frenchie? Obama will grant you both for the price of one. Enjoy your one~note candidate. He's full of shit (and not much else). NH was pivotal in showing the nation that Obama can't win...people may say they support him...but once the curtain is drawn...they don't.*titter*

[ellacott]

76. Your choice of photos speaks volumes

What's the point of posting the photo of a disinformation campaign that's been thouroughly debunked?

This is a better photo:

[Tarheel_Dem]

54. Aaaaahhhhhhhh.....you sound like that "phoney liberal" my republican

co-workers keep warning me about. Careful, I think we're going to learn so much more about white Democrats this election cycle than we ever wanted to know. "Vote for us, and STFU" seems to be the gathering theme.

[CyberPieHole]

63. Obama's supporters have been very adept at telling us to support Obama or STFU...

Edwards was kissing up to Obama in desperate hopes of getting a nod from him...I loved how Edwards was trying to frame the race as a "two~man race" after Iowa. I'm not sure what "two~men" he was referring to, since he had a dismal showing in NH. Tant pis.

[Tarheel_Dem]

78. but Edwards, unlike the Clintons still has a modicum of integrity left....

I don't think I can stomach another eight years of headlines about the Big Dog and his inability to keep his damned pecker in his pants. I am so sick of the Clintons, and now I'm sick of you. Buh-bye

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

106. Well, Hillary has already done that

What do you think is going to be the effect of Hillary belittling MLK like that, or Bill Clinton launching his vitriol against Obama as a kid? Hillary has already made this a racial issue. She has only herself to blame for it.

[Tarheel_Dem]

50. This was being discussed all over black radio today....

And judging by the tone of the callers, the Clintons did themselves no favor this time. She chose to play to a predominantly white electorate in NH, and it worked for her. Even those of us, in the black community, who support other candidates think the Clintons may have overplayed their hand, and they've shown the real ugly side of themselves.

[FrenchieCat]

56. That's the thing.......

no one is stupid...and I'm starting to think that Hillary might think America is filled with majority stupid. I pray that she gets a rude awakening...and I can watch a changing of the guards!

[Tarheel_Dem]

58. as I mentioned on another thread, if any Democrat....

black, white or plaid thinks he/she can be elected without majority support from the black community, they're delusional. I was hoping we could emerge from this process relatively unscathed, but I don't think that's possible now. I despise where the Clintons and their handlers/supporters have taken the debate.

If it's not Edwards, and that seems increasingly unlikely, I will gladly throw my support behind Obama.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

68. You know, that more or less captures my own opinion

I've been leaning toward Edwards for a while but also with some gravitation toward Obama. I used to be a major Hillary Clinton supporter back in 2000, until she sold us down the river on Iraq and then began kissing up to the big corporations at the expense of American workers, our party's natural constituency. I still haven't made up my mind, but Hillary has pushed many of us skeptics even further away by doing more to drive away African-Americans than perhaps any candidate since the great realignment of African-Americans toward us in the 1920's.

Again, this would do far more lasting damage to us than anything else thus far in this campaign. Hillary has made a Faustian bargain by pushing away African-Americans like this to get a few extra votes and eke out a primary victory in New Hampshire. It's a blunder that is already having ill effects.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

119. It's apparently on overdrive on the radio stations, not just the African-American ones either

There was apparently one Black radio station that almost had to shut down the program due to the intensity of emotion among the callers into the show. And other radio stations throughout the country are picking this up. The emotion is at the highest pitch I've ever heard.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

52. Yeah, the MLK gaffe was truly one of HRC's dumbest comments

The NYT rightly called her on it.

[Thrill]

55. Edwards will finish second to Obama in South Carolina

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

59. I constantly encounter Democrats who will never vote for Hillary, and their numbers just jumped

Both Black and other Democrats are furious at Bill for his arrogant, childish smear against Obama, and even more so against Hillary for her moronic attack on MLK, truly one of the icons of our nation. Excellent job the Clintons are doing not only at polarizing the country, but polarizing the Democratic party itself. Poor Bill, he had such a great legacy, and now it's in the trash. And the GOP is only just starting to cover Hillary Clinton with their squirmy tentacles, she's moving to commit political suicide with her own blunders.

[FrenchieCat]

60. and right before king's birthday.....and the caucus.

I don't want stoopids and obvious running my government anymore.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

64. Great point about the timing! Hadn't noticed that before

You're right on target with that, and it will only serve to remind voters of the coarseness and arrogance of Hillary's comments toward that great leader.

[FrenchieCat]

66. I just think it sucked......

it was meltdown type desperation....everyone thinking too hard.

And just make sure to count how many times "preach" is used when describing Obama's speeches by those in the media. This is such a disrespectable thing to say to a Black politician....unless he was an actual minister.

Don't hear many talking about Reverend Hukabee's "preaching" now do you? Sad.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

67. Meltdown is right

and my big concern is that if Hillary were to be nominated, she's already burned so many bridges with the African-American community, she might well be the first Democratic candidate since the 1920's to push African-Americans away from the Democratic Party. A disaster that would reach far beyond the current election year.

[incapsulated]

69. This is bullshit Frenchie

I'm sorry, it's manipulative BS masquerading as a real story... somewhere.

You take a few lines here and there, completely out of context, and weave a whole narrative about some slam on the black community.

You do not speak for the entire black community.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

73. Where did Frenchie ever claim such a thing, Ic?

The OP made some stirring and relevant points about the way the African-American civil rights struggle impacts on the race today, and how the Clintons' recent comments and actions are not only hurtful, but quite damaging for our party. And you don't need to even take Frenchie's word for it-- no less than the editorial page of the NYT slammed Hillary for the same thing, and in words much more potent than I've generally seen from that newspaper.

[oasis]

70. The Clintons getting back into the WH will be the best for ALL Americans.

The "Black Community" is quite capable of seeing the big picture.

[Skwmom]

71. And just exactly how will it be best for ALL Americans?

Unless you consider a continuation of bitter partisan divide will be the best for ALL Americans. Gridlock only seems to benefit the powerful. Massive change is required to turn this country around. This is going to require a President who can "rally the American People." H.C. is not a person who can do that.

How is H.C. going to govern when she is SUCH a polarizing figure?

[oasis]

81. "Rally the American people"? A competent administration of the federal goverment

is what I'm talking about. Your "Woodstock" scenario is a function of the private sector.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

112. You mean, like the very competent way that Hillary helped bring us into the Iraq fiasco

and then continued to support the Iraq War? Or the way she's been kissing up to big business at the expense of American workers, no matter where they're working?

[killbotfactory]

74. Yeah, it will be awesome.

We will have the same two families occupying the white house for a stretch of nearly 30 years.

Whee.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

120. With all this coming up, the Clintons have guaranteed that

the Democratic Party will fracture and potentially cease to be viable after this year. They are a tremendous peril to our party and our movement.

[Skidmore]

72. Yesterday I posted my husband's reaction to the NH primary and

he's mightily upset with it. My intent in posting it was to give people an idea of what impressions were being drawn by this one black man who I know so well. I'm certain there are others black people out there who have drawn the same conclusions and impressions are more lasting than facts quite often. All the rationalization in the world will not bely the bad taste left the type of triangulation that occurred in NH. My hubby said that he thinks the Clintons collectively have thrown black people under the bus so that Hillary could get women to vote for her--something that didn't go so well for her here in Iowa.

[DivorcingNeo]

75. May I have permission

to repost your message on my blog for Black women? I think it would spark an interesting discussion and you've stated your points more eloquently than I ever could.

[HamdenRice]

80. Could you post a link?

If the blog is open to the public, I would really like to read it.

[FrenchieCat]

95. I'd be honored. Please do!

:hi:

[DivorcingNeo]

96. Thank you!!

Very much!

[NoFederales]

77. Hillary disrespects Obama because he is in "her" way; she neither

deserves nor should be given any quarter for her deceitfulness.

Obama seems to be a rare talent, and is getting a baptism of vile shit that I hope he deflects back towards his detractors.

As Edwards says of Clinton, the status quo must go.

NoFederales

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

115. Yes, it's all about the Clintons, at the expense of the party

Their ego is pushing Blacks away from us for the first time in 80 years.

[HamdenRice]

79. Excellent post! Yes, the Clintons are digging themselves into a hole

Yet like most Democrats, they need a significant turn out from one of the most reliable bases of the Democratic Party -- the African American voters.

It's obvious that Hillary and Bill are now talking in "code" and the African American community is gravitating toward Obama in droves.

Great work! Recommended!

[1corona4u]

82. The Obama Campaign, Trouble in the horizon with Hispanics??

In a poll from the Pew Hispanic Center released earlier this month, Clinton led among Latino Democrats with 59 percent, compared to 15 percent for Obama and four percent for John Edwards. In polls taken last week in California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and Texas by ImpreMedia, the largest Hispanic news company in the United States, Clinton led Obama by an astounding average of 55 to six percent among Hispanic Democrats. Edwards got only 1.8 percent. Of course, even with this kind of support from Hispanics, Clinton could still lose those primaries, but it certainly gives her an edge.

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=314e8fae-3fd3-4af2-bfde-f0f8e069c1fe

(site is down at the moment...)

[Tarheel_Dem]

86. Hispanics may help her in the primaries, but they can't save her

ass in the General. She'll be making the usual rounds to all the black churches asking for our help again. Sad state of affairs.....

[1corona4u]

89. She doesn't just have the Hispanics...

she also has the Jewish vote.....

PS. from the census bureau;

Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin, percent, 2006 (b) 14.8%

Black persons, percent, 2006 (a) 12.8%

[Tarheel_Dem]

92. Thanks for the statistics......

How many Latinos are legal & registered to vote, and of that number how many can be counted on to vote Democratic? The black vote has been reliably Democratic for decades, whereas the Hispanic vote can go either way, depending on the candidate.

We stuck by Hil & Bill through the worst of their troubles, we were their staunchest supporters, which is why so many of the CBC have come out in support of HRC, but you assume that of the 14.8% hispanic population is going to vote for HRC? It'll be interesting to see how that plays out....

[1corona4u]

94. Yes, it will.

[jakem]

103. I cant wait!

“Aww don’t feel noways tired. I’ve come too faarrr from where I started frum…Aww culd have listened all day luung."

[Tarheel_Dem]

105. Stop it! You're killing me...........

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[oasis]

87. The latino community loves the Clintons. (eom)

[Tarheel_Dem]

90. So did we, until we found out....n/t

[goldcanyonaz]

91. So does the Black community.

[Tarheel_Dem]

93. Neither of us can presume to speak for the entire "Black Community"

Not all "Love the Clintons"

[oasis]

97. Then who is the "we" you speak of in your post #90?

[Tarheel_Dem]

98. The "we" that I've been listening to for the last several days

on black radio & black blogs who absolutely despise the Clintons/Clintonites. Like I say, I don't presume to speak for the entire black community, but I'm certainly getting a feel that all is not well.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

117. Except for the small detail that Hillary does not have Latino support

Latinos are largely undecided, more so than any other voting bloc. Going off and attacking African-Americans is not going to help Hillary with the Latino vote-- Latinos, as fellow people of color, have also suffered severe discrimination and, in fact, outright wars declared against them and their people (e.g. Mexican-American War), so they have shared much of the Black experience. Humiliating African-Americans like this is also attacking Latinos, and it will not help Hillary's campaign.

[BenDavid]

84. I tried to warn you edwards and us hrc supporters this race issue

was coming by the obama folks...I said it 3 weeks ago when I said that michelle obama was the first to use race and then you had oprah and then I was called a racist......but the truth was there all along and it is the obama folks that raise this issue the most but it is the obama campaign that uses it too.....

About 10 days ago was the first indication of this when bill and hillary were called racists. then they were called anti muslim...then hrc was called anti children with autism.....Now we have all this about how the clintons will be bandished to the desert by black folks because bill was critical of obama....This article is so damn disrepectful of the black community. It assumes the black community someone cannot separate the difference between a candidate stating a fact and being a bigot or a racist.the best way to start crap like this is get you a writer that you can say this to and then write some article like the one above and you got yourself one hell of story if it were true......but a lie travels around the globe at the speed of light but the truth takes longer. I hope this backfires on obama and his whole damn campaign...

[Tarheel_Dem]

85. How Clintonian, and dismissive you are.....

:eyes:

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

102. Oh, you mean the way that HRC brought up the race issue by trashing MLK

while Andrew Cuomo, one of her biggest supporters, uses a racist term from minstrel show days against Obama? Ben, Buddy, you need to learn the fine art of accurate attribution.

[Occam Bandage]

88. I'm sure they can just "shuck'n'jive" their way past any problems.

[FrenchieCat]

101. I'm sure!

[workinclasszero]

99. WTF????

Hillary Clinton: “Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act, but it took a president to get it done.”

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

Unbelievable!!!!!

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

100. Great use of the smilies here

Visually captures my thoughts exactly.

[Big Blue Marble]

108. Thank you FrenchieCat

As usual you are right on target and a pithy writer too. I notice tonight that Clinton pulled her negative Obama ads until
Super Tuesday. She will wait until after SC to go after Obama in hopes of winning there with the black vote. Then she will lover the boom.

[FrenchieCat]

109. Thanks!

Guess they figured out that we figured out their little game plan, and hope that they stop with the talking points which are disgusting. :shrug:

I'm sure that they are scouring DU now, trying to find some other attacks on Obama....because they are starting to remind me of George Bush.

Right now they are attempting to play the "NeoCon" card. Unfortunately, Hillary is a bigger hawk than Obama ever dreamed, so that's not gonna fly either.

The beauty of Understanding fully Wes Clark's Foreign Policy stance (because I supported him in '04) is that I have studied that area a lot. I had to, in order to defend him. OBama is less of a hawk than even Wes Clark....

[killbotfactory]

113. She needs to learn some lessons from these people

http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/

[codeindigo]

114. your comments about hillary are despicable!

my god!are you really a democrat or a rw hack? i have never seen such shameful bs from our own party. why are you even on this site? to tear her down? she doesn't need your help~~plenty msm doing that! go to your room!

[AGirl]

116. I think Hillary was really politically involved

As a first lady.

It is really sexist to assume that just because she was the wife of a president, she can’t use her experience as a first lady for her campaign. She was very politically involved and she lived in the west wing of the white house, she was attacked as much as her husband by the republicans, and I believe Hillary and Bill work together closely and they both have some ideas on what is it like to get things done in the white house.