Novak: Hillary encouraging black/brown racial conflict, thinking of Obama on ticket to clean up mess

[Herman Munster]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/01/hillarys_latino_firewall.html

LOS ANGELES -- Sen. Hillary Clinton is relying on the big Latino vote as her firewall to prevent losing the California Democratic primary Feb. 5, the most important of 22 states contested on Mega Tuesday. But that reliance, say both pro-Clinton and anti-Clinton Democrats, is fraught with peril for the Democratic Party's coalition by threatening to alienate its essential African-American component.

Clinton's double-digit lead in California polls over Sen. Barack Obama is misleading. Subtract a Latino voting bloc whose dependability to show up Election Day always has been shaky, and Clinton is no better than even in the state, with Obama gaining. To encourage this brown firewall, the Clinton campaign may be drifting into encouragement of brown vs. black racial conflict by condoning Latino racial hostility to the first African-American with a chance to become president.

Implications transcend California. The pugnacious campaign strategy of Bill and Hillary Clinton in forcefully identifying Obama as a black candidate spreads concern that they could be risking continued massive, unconditional support for Democrats by African-Americans. The long-range situation is so disturbing that some Clinton supporters talk about an outcome they rejected not long ago: a Clinton-Obama ticket.

[kurth]

1. Shouldn't Novak be in jail?

[skipos]

2. No Clinton anywhere on the ticket please.

Even Obama on the VP slot can't cover up the stink she brings.

[DJ13]

7. Agreed

Enough of the divisive 90's style politics.

[andyrowe]

3. Stirring the racial pot?

Can we just focus on the issues for a moment?

[Big Blue Marble]

35. Hillary does not deal with issues, she attempts to win with division.

And if it does not stop the Democratic party may not recover for a long time.

Gawd, she is willing to play with fire.

[formernaderite]

40. i find it hard to believe obama would accept

the vp slot on a hillary ticket given what has been said. As much as i'm rooting for edwards, i could celebrate and Obama win. But I would find it disheartening if he climbed on the hillary train.

[tularetom]

4. That POS hasn't been right about anything since.....well, ever

[tammywammy]

5. Novak?

Really?

:eyes:

[Tulkas]

6. Prince Of Darkness On DU!!!

Please



The guy is a scum bag.

[LittleBlue]

8. He may be right. I don't see any other way to repair the party

if she is nominated.

[rayofreason]

14. Depends...

...HOW she is nominated. Will it be through continued trickery, use of superdelegates, etc.? Or through straight-up, no slime, electoral victories in primaries.

[LittleBlue]

19. True. I was looking at the poll saying 75% of black voters thought

the Clintons were race-baiting. Hillary, and the party as a whole, better hope that this number isn't accurate for all blacks. It will make the party look bad, where black candidates are brought down using race, but in the GE blacks are supposed to just vote Dem.

That is really, really dangerous stuff, if you ask me.

[niceypoo]

22. When in reality, Obama was using the whole race issue for sympathy

which he is still doing by going along with the idiotic media frenzy and crying 'boo boo' everytime his name is mentioned.

[LittleBlue]

26. I really don't think so. This whole thing started with the MLK

idiotic statement from Clinton. It made no sense to denigrate MLK before MLK weekend for ANY REASON at all.

[rodeodance]

30. yes, he is a master at the victim game.

[AX10]

9. Now this is race baiting on behalf of Novak.

He should be in jail.

[rodeodance]

that ol geezer is stirring up lots of trouble --

[rayofreason]

10. Obama as VP?

If Hillary gains the nomination through underhanded maneuvers, does anyone really think Obama would go along as her lap dog? I think he has too much principle for that.

[rodeodance]

12. why are you knocking Sen. Clinton--you can say your point without digging on her.

[rayofreason]

16. Because it matters.

I am not too happy about the "Jesse Jackson" comment and the strategy to marginalize Obama as "the Black candidate".

If Hillary wins fair and square, with no more shennanigans, then Obama might consider being VP. But if there is much more like today, and if there are Clinton maneuvers (like the Florida and Michigan delegate thing, or tricks with superdelegates), Obama will not be inclined to take the VP job, in which he would play second fiddle to the first man (Bill).

[rodeodance]

29. just remember--sen. clinton will not sit by and be dissed up.

[rayofreason]

32. What does that mean?

[rodeodance]

34. all I meant is if she is dissed/attached she will hit back.

[rayofreason]

38. I have no problem with reasoned, but pointed statements...

...but I do object to attempting to use racial prejudice to one's electoral advantage in such a cynical fashion.

[Plausible]

11. Omgod, from Novak's lips to God's ears

Sure, let's be manipulated by Novak. We need him to tell us what to think????? omg

[babylonsister]

13. This guy is a has-been who hasn't been right in so long. A day or two

ago he claimed Edwards was going to be Obama's AG. Ugh.

[Metric System]

15. AGH!!!! Is THIS what's coming next?!?

I had this horrible feeling that the Clinton camp will be getting blamed for trying to cause trouble between African-Americans and Latinos, but it looks like that narrative is already underway. I was watching CNN today and there was a piece about how Hillary and Obama are courting the Latino vote and the title was something like "Black/Brown Divide" or whatever. The media seems to be magnifying the race angle once again, this time focusing on blacks/browns rather than blacks/whites. And here you have Novak essentially saying that Hillary courting Latinos is a divisive act, even though it's well known that Obama is courting them as well. I'm getting so frustrated and pissed off with the media's coverage and incessant focus on race.

[OzarkDem]

24. Wait until the GE

they're just getting warmed up.

[Beacool]

17. She's stirring nothing!!!

She's just going after her base. How come Novak doesn't mention how Obama went after the black vote in SC? He's entitled to go after his base and she's entitled to go after hers. The fact is that most latinos hold the Clintons in high regard and respect. You should all have seen the reception that she got at a rally sponsored by a latino PAC last Wednesday. Bus loads of people had to be turned away because the hall was beyond capacity. The Secret Service ended up sealing the place, nobody could enter or leave. Obama may get some of the younger latinos to vote for him, but the majority will vote for Clinton. The exception of course is the Cuban block in So. FL who votes Republican.

[Quixote1818]

28. Take off your rosy colored glasses

You and about ten regular posters on DU seem to be the only people on the planet that don't know what is going on.

See here:

http://goleft.tv/view.asp?v=928

[Metric System]

33. So you're saying that Hillary IS trying to use existing tensions...

between African-Americans and Latinos to secure the Latino vote? Seriously?!? So it's fine for Obama to court Latinos, but if Hillary does it she's race-baiting because she knows very well that some Latinos may only be supporting her since they refuse to support a black candidate?!? Did I get that right?

[Beacool]

36. How condescending!!!!

Rose colored glasses? For your info., I happen to be one of the people in charge of hispanic outreach in my area for her campaign and I KNOW how most hispanics that we talk to feel about the Clintons. She and Bill are very popular with them. How is reaching out to potential voters pitting one group against the other on a racial divide? At no point is anybody saying not to vote for Obama because he's black, I haven't heard anyone tell me in the hispanic community that they wouldn't vote for him due to his race. Instead, I have heard plenty of people tell me why they would vote FOR Hillary.

Why is it so hard to understand that most hispanics feel a stronger connection to the Clintons than to Obama?

This whole crap about the race card is starting to smell of reverse racism!!! How dare the white woman try to derail the African-American hope!!!! Hey, it's an election not a coronation!!! He has to earn it, just like she does. We court ALL voters and make no excuses for it!!!

[Kermit77]

18. Hillary is getting desperate and now is offering Obama VP

If this is true, Hillary is truly scared she won't win the nomination. Before she never would have considered Obama as a VP, she was going to go for Clark or Strickland.

I hope the Democratic voters don't fall for this olive branch and they will continue to vote Obama for the primaries.

[niceypoo]

21. LOL, who is desperate here? this is written by one who outed Valerie Plame

A real source of unbiased 'news' for Obama supporters to sink their teeth into.

:rofl:

[rodeodance]

31. HA HA--you listen to NOVAK???!! good gawd!

[SammyWinstonJack]

39. Desperate is listening to and believing anything from the corprat media and Novak in particular.

[niceypoo]

20. Obama supporters sure are getting desperate

I would be embarassed if I was in the Obama camp and saw this thread.

The victim card is getting a little bit stale now, isnt it?

[tammywammy]

25. LOL, except it was started by a Hillary supporter

[OzarkDem]

23. So Novakula supports Obama?

Interesting.

[RaleighNCDUer]

27. Why am I suddenly reminded of the show "Chicago"?

Roxie Hart starts out admiring Velma Kelly, who spurns and mocks her. As the tables are turned Velma approached Roxie, suggesting they team up, and is rejected in turn. Finally, when both are being forgotten, they team up despite their mutual dislike because they are, after all, in show business which is the one area in which partners don't have to like each other.

Problem is, this ain't show business. This is politics and they DO have to like each other to work together, and should a doubt filled Hillary (Velma) suggest that she and Obama (Roxie) team up, all she'll get is a rasberry.

[Perry Logan]

37. Guys, the media is enemy propaganda. It exists to confuse and demoralize you.

[redqueen]

41. No shit... this is *not* news. And besides... Novak?

Really? Novak?

*sigh*

[loveangelc]

42. That article is interesting. Thanks actually.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

43. somebody posted a fucking Nofacts article here....disgusting!