Why Obama is making a baseless accusation about Hilary and that african photo..

[joeybee12]

...just look at some of the posts here...you're all foaming at the mouths over this...so convinced that she is Satan and would do anything, anything at all. he's trying to fire people up before the primary, fire up his base that can't see straight when HRC is mentioned.

If Obama REALLY wanted to end this controversy, he would just start circulating photos of Hilary in Burka--they're easy to find.

Yeah, why won't she deny it? A denial would give the story legs...let Barak keep being ridiculous and when there is no connection he'll look even more foolish...hard to believe that's possible...but he will.

He needs to play aboveboard and stop playing the victim, because the Repukes won't let him get away with it in the GE.

[Zueda]

1. They practically admit to the email...

but deny it's intent.

I think the intent is clear. Don't you?

[joeybee12]

2. No...

...and until a real news outlet picks up on it, I'll stand my ground.

[papau]

3. Obama is just trying to move the AA vote from 90/10 to 95/5 as he is losing Ohio

[NDambi]

6. You realize she must win in a landslide in Ohio right..Sorry don't see it happening..90 or 95% of AA

vote..

She's done..stick a spoon in her and her campaign..

[papau]

49. LOL - if she goes into June with more total pop votes-even Obama says the supers should vote for her

[tekisui]

54. LOL-that won't happen.

[NDambi]

55. No way she wins the pop vote..bank on it...he's up by a million now..

It's already over...

[TheWraith]

53. Actually, her lead in Ohio was cut in half in the last ten days.

Obama doesn't need to do anything other than what he's already doing. Clinton is imploding.

[rodeodance]

21. "practically" does not make it so.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

4. So Obama is an asshole for not circulating smear photos of Clinton

Ooookay. :crazy:

[joeybee12]

5. Thank you for putting the word asshole in my mouth...

...I said he could end the controversy if he wanted to quite easily...but he doesn't want to...he contiunes to play the victim to fire up his base.

[dkf]

7. And how can he end the controversy?

Can he take back the story? Remove it from everyones mind?

Oh, I get it, he's supposed to create a rumor that Hillary is a Muslim! Yeah that one will fly.

Stupidist post I've ever read. And I've never typed those words here before.

[joeybee12]

12. Well, sweetie calling this the stupidest post from someone like you...

...I consider it a compliment...it was a non-story on Drudge that Obama brought up on a conference call with reporters BO is pushing the story...how hard is that for you to grasp...it suits his purposes...yet again..to play the victim.

[elixir]

27. Unfortunately, this is one of the best tactics in politics. He's playing it for all it's worth...

I just spoke to someone who's outraged at the photo and HRCs campaign. Also, they're horrified that BO might be a muslim. Now, I know these people are totally uniformed but they're a barometer of the country. We have to do our best to dispell the wrong information and support the correct information for BOTH candidates.

[joeybee12]

37. But it helps BO in tomorrow's primary, becasue most of the voters won't

give a shit about the photo, but they will if they think Hilary is behind this.

[Big Blue Marble]

8. Your coy argument is so weak.

You know that he has been fighting the charge that he is a muslim since he entered the race.
Hillary in a headscarf means nothing.

Either you are really not very intelligent or you are totally disingenuous to the max,

[joeybee12]

14. hank you for the kind words...you BO supporters are really vile...

...if BO didn't want the story to live on, he didn't need to mention it on that conference call with reporters...His campaign broguht it up.

[Big Blue Marble]

40. Is that what you said when Kerry countered the Swiftboaters?

The story was alive and you know it. Obama did what he had to show
turn the story back where it belongs:

The Clintons will do anything to get elected using racism is their stock and trade.

She is finished. African-Americans will never vote for her. Think she will keep her
senate seat? Do not be to sure about that. Sad to see someone with such promise fizzle and burn.

[CoffeeCat]

9. Typical Rovian bullshit!

This is Rove's famous 3-pronged attack maneuver!

FIRST---attack your candidate's strengths. Hillary attacked Obama supporters and mocked
them with her "Awwww Lawwdey, they're a waiting for the light and the chorus of anggggels!"
clown act. Then, they gave Drudge the Obama photo.

SECOND, you wait for your opponent to respond. Obama did. He explained how the attacks
against him and his supporters and also the "Obama is a Muslim" memes happen in every
state.

THIRD (and most importantly!) put on your most indignant, outraged persona and repeatedly accuse
your opponent of being a whiner and of straying from the real issues and ignoring the plight of Americans.

Repeat this for 24 hours:
"Apparently (insert opponent's name) wants me to get down in the mud with him!!! I won't, I tell you! I care
too much about healthcare!! I love America, unlike (insert opponent's name) who is negative and paranoid and
unable to focus on the economy! America is at war for God's sakes and (insert opponent's name) doesn't
want to talk about the issues!! (Insert opponent's name) just wants to attack and distract!"

[joeybee12]

16. So, tell me why BO wants to keep this story alive??

He's the one who brought it up on that conference call with reporters...typical BO bullshit...he pulls the vcitim card out, and you all can't see straight.

[CoffeeCat]

30. You're engaging in the Rove tactics...

How bizarre of you...playing into this bullshit.

Obama has the right to stick up for himself and to defend himself, doesn't he?

You call it "pulling out the victim card." Gee, you have so much disgust for a political
candidate who's just trying to stop Hillary's smears against him. However, you have
no feelings for Hillary--who spent the weekend mocking his supporters and sending out
emails that smear Obama.

What a hypocrite you are!

Obama is doing the right thing...not taking this bullshit on the chin. He's RESPONDING to
Hillary's smears. She served up the dish of bullshit, he's just returning the serve and
sticking up for himself.

Obama's response to her is reasonable. Hillary's vitriol is not.

We all saw what happened when Kerry said nothing. You must respond to attacks.

One would think though, that Democrats wouldn't do this to other Democrats.

Hillary is a political bottom feeder.

[joeybee12]

32. BO is a politician, not a saint, and until you get over your crush and see

things objectively, you will see he's a poltician like the rest who will do anything to win...but you BO supporters are really delusional.

[CoffeeCat]

43. You're not even making sense...

Obama is responding to Hillary's long weekend of attacks, and now her email smear.

You're clouding reality.

And quit putting words in my mouth and positioning me as some school girl. I'm a 43-year
old mom and I assure you I don't have a "crush" on any political candidate. I made my
decision after researching and reading the plans from all of the candidates. I saw each
candidate spoke, talked with their campaign volunteers and poured over their plans.

Like Hillary, all you can do is insult and mock Obama supporters and you should be
ashamed of your candidate and of yourself for belittling your fellow Democrats.

You're the one who is "delusional".

The simple fact is that Obama is defending himself against Hillary's attacks. We
clearly saw Hillary attacking this weekend--with her mocking arms flailed in the
air. She's the one doing "anything to win".

Reality gets clouded...for another Hillary supporter.

[HeraldSquare212]

10. It's the non-denial that will give this story legs.

and make her berating of him over the weekend for unfair attacks seem like the most base hypocrisy.

[joeybee12]

13. No, it's BO bringing it up on a conference call that shows he's trying

to give the story credence...it would die a quick death on Rawstory and Drudge EXCEPT that BO doesn't want it to die.

[HeraldSquare212]

It shows he will respond to attacks quickly and forcefully,

something we all want in a candidate this time.

[joeybee12]

33. No, your problem is you are so in love with BO you think everything

he does is of the best motives...he's a politician..and he senses doing this helps him...he's not the first to pull this, and he won't be the last.

[HeraldSquare212]

36. Yes, defending himself from smears is very helpful. Glad we agree.

[HeraldSquare212]

28. self-delete - dupe

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. Did the Hillary campaign put Obama's head on a picture of somebody else?

Otherwise, Obama wore the thing in public & it would seem like fair game, no matter who has the picture.

[joeybee12]

20. yeah, like we're not supposed to know he's part Kenyan...

...why is the truth wrong?

[Occam Bandage]

15. Why did she issue a non-denial statement? Any statement gives it legs. A denial would help shut it

down. A non-denial statement is an admission.

[joeybee12]

18. Bringing it up on the conference call gives it legs...

...no one would really know about it until BO decided to focus on it...it's part of his campaign startegy to play the victim..and it resonates with a lot of people here.

[Occam Bandage]

24. Yeah. He's calling her on her shit.

[Cameron27]

19. Why does Obama

assume that RW sources like Robert Novak and Drudge are right in the first place?

[Occam Bandage]

22. It isn't just Drudge any more. Raw Story and Politico have it too. And it seems Clinton believes

them, since she issued a statement on it--a statement that did not include a denial.

[Cameron27]

29. What part of this should Clinton deny?

And what part of this story is a smear and untrue?

[Occam Bandage]

31. Any part of the story that is untrue. Since she has not denied any part of it in her statement,

she has declared it to be entirely true.

[Cameron27]

35. That's ridiculous,

if Obama decides to accept the word of the Novaks and Drudges of this world, Clinton doesn't have to respond. There's nothing wrong with that photo. I'll tell you something, in his haste to distance himself from those Muslim rumors, Obama's treading very close to the line where he becomes insulting to that community.

[Occam Bandage]

39. But Clinton *did* respond. She just didn't deny it.

There is nothing wrong with the photo. The problem is the Clinton camp acting like there is.

[Cameron27]

41. She's not acting like there's something wrong

with it at all, Maggie Williams said quite the opposite. Obama would be smarter to praise that photo and the culture that that garment represents.

[Occam Bandage]

42. Then why were they spreading that photo? In celebration of Black History Month?

Stop playing stupid.

[Cameron27]

44. First, I don't know who started spreading

the photo, but the intention doesn't matter. He's going to get a hell of a lot worse than an accurate photo of himself, if he makes it to the general.

The point is how he chose to respond. He should have embraced the photo as something depicting the dress of an honorable culture, and he could have explained why. If I was a Muslim woman, I'd be offended by this.

[Occam Bandage]

45. We do. Clinton's camp. They didn't deny the charge; they defended their actions. So,

why do you think they did it?

[Cameron27]

46. The fact that they didn't deny

the charges, doesn't make them guilty. They aren't under any obligation to Barack Obama to explain something that's being spread about him. I don't, in fact, believe that it was spread by Clinton's camp, and until there's proof, there's only rumor and speculation.

Obama's response was real, there's no speculation about where he decided to take this. Legitimate questions can be raised by the Muslim community about why he's decided to take offense at having that pic circulated.

[Occam Bandage]

47. ...

[Cameron27]

48. Ok, I'm done.

I was actually trying to have an honest discussion about the situation, but I can see that that's impossible. Take care, you've been one of the more rational Obama supporters, so I'm sorry that we can't talk about this more.

[joeybee12]

23. because he wants the story out there...play the victim once more against

big old mean Hilary.

[IndianaGreen]

17. Maggie Williams refused to answer if a Clinton staffer had circulated the photo to Drudge

instead, she played the same innocent role she played when she participated in the cover-up in the missing Whitewater files that got her into so much trouble.

[rodeodance]

25. "foaming at the mouths"--yes, must be at least 100 vile threads about this.

[joeybee12]

38. Yup, it suits his purpose...because his base would never question

his motives, but they are sure everything HRC does is evil.

[Tennessee Gal]

26. The photo has been out for a long time. I remember seeing it.

I thought nothing of it.

What is the problem? Why is it so upsetting to the Obama campaign?

[joeybee12]

34. Like I said...he brought it up on the conference call...it suits his purpose

to claim Hilary is being big, bad, and mean.

[redqueen]

50. I don't know how much Obama's playing it up... but this isn't funny:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4764211

[ContinentalOp]

51. The Clinton campaign has already confirmed that they agree with the sentiment

"Wolfson did say, however, that the campaign agreed with part of the message in the email -- that if the same photo had appeared of Hillary, it would have been a big story: "It is a common view among this campaign and our supporters that there is a difference in how the media covers our campaign and how it covers Senator Obama."

So, the Clinton campaign thinks that this photo IS somehow damaging to Obama. Why?

That's the issue. Not the photo itself or who "circulated" it but why do people inside the Clinton campaign think Obama is getting a pass from the media just because this silly photo isn't printed in every newspaper?

[northzax]

52. it's the entire campaign

from Obama. accuse your opponent of racism, and they can't deny it. accuse them of 'gutter politics' and they can't deny it, because to do so would be to give it credibility. it's like asking someone when they stopped beating their wife.

it's brilliant campaigning. cynical, but brilliant.