The Politico article Race-card flap reopens Clinton camp wounds shows that the Clinton campaign basically agrees with the McCain campaign that Obama campaign used the ‘race card’ for political gain.
But regardless of the real meaning of Clinton’s words, and of Clinton’s long relationship with African-Americans, this is the rift between the Clinton and Obama camps that still cuts the deepest, and the one that may have the severest consequences for Obama’s White House bid. When John McCain’s campaign manager last week accused Obama of playing the “race card,” the Clintons or their supporters could have provided a powerful rebuttal. Instead they were silent, and in private, some even quietly cheered.
The depth of the anger in Clinton’s circle became clear Friday, when McCain’s chief strategist compared his candidate to Bill Clinton, and the Clintons seemed to accept the analogy.
“Say whatever you want about Bill Clinton, but it’s deeply unfair to suggest his criticism of Obama was race-based,” McCain adviser Steve Schmidt told Politico, after his campaign blasted Obama for suggesting the McCain campaign would use his race against him. “We knew it was coming in our direction because they did it against a president of the United States of their own party.”
Hillary Clinton’s staff declined to comment, but her campaign communications director, Howard Wolfson, appeared on Fox News later that day to, in effect, back Schmidt up.
Some have stated that the Obama campaign shouldn’t be criticized for bringing up race. However, it’s important to note that the Obama campaign didn’t just make a blanket statement about race and ethnicity, Obama directly stated that the McCain campaign would be using his “funny name” and the way he looks against him. What is unfair is to point your finger at the McCain campaign for trying to scare people with race and ethnicity when there is no evidence of that happenning.
The Clinton camp’s silence speaks volumes. If they disagreed with the McCain campaign’s assessment they could have easily knocked down the ‘race card’ charges, or at least minimized them with a simple statement. That didn’t happen, and the reason is that they’ve already been burned by this strategy.
Filed under: Clinton, Independent, McCain, Obama, Politics | Tagged: bill clinton, clinton campaign. obama campaign, democratic rift, dollar bill, look like, mccain campaign, not a ractist, political race, race card, rift
Good for the Clintons!!! After all that Obama’s camp did to smear the Clintons as racist, they deserve the full wrath of the Clintons and Clinton supporters. I as a Hillary supporter had considered Obama my 2nd choice UNTIL he showed how low he would go by smearing the Clintons. After that, I could no longer even entertain the idea of ever voting for him! And so he lost my vote for good.
Absolutely nothing in this year’s Democratic primary was uglier than characterizing the Clintons as racist. The anger we still see in Bill Clinton’s face is heartbreaking. He has done more in his life to advance the cause of civil rights than most people alive. The fact that the Obama campaign orchestrated that travesty is a clear sign that they do not have the judgment or the character to take over the White House.
Very good post. Thanks! Clinton campaigns “silence”?? WTF. It;s now their job to defend Barack against his own idiocy? And in additon, it’s true. What’s to defend?
I agree… Good for the Clintons!
The day I knew I would never be voting for BHO is when he was so disrespectful to Geraldine Ferraro. He always claims to want to have a conversation about race, but instead he sent his surrogates out to call a fellow Democrat an “f’ing racist b**** . ” What a hypocrite!
Barack Obama wants to label us all racists if we don’t fall in love with The One with the Pretty Words.
Instead, I question his judgment, especially in the way that he treated the only twice-elected Democratic President since World War II, the smartest First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, and the 18 million voters who want some experience listed on the job application.
How stupid is the DNC anyway?
Obama has a history of whipping up his supporters by telling them “what my opponent will do, or, plans to do is…” How does he know what they plan on doing? This is a clever ruse. It’s simply a way to get his black audience riled up, or his white audience feeling shamed into supporting him. And, on playing the race card, I don’t think he even realizes he’s playing it. It’s just his world view that his race will be the defining issue of the election. With 2 ongoing wars, 4 dollar gas, the highest unemplyment rate in 7 years, historic numbers of home forclosures, ect. Only a self absorbed politician would think his skin color is the defining issue.
It’s about time. The Clintons have no reason to excuse or defend what the Obama camp has done in the name of winning. Obama has a history of using his race to advance himself in every venue he has entered, and this to avoid doing any real work. Former President Clinton and the Senator from New York have worked hard to help achieve racial equality and deserved respect from the candidate who most stood to benefit from their efforts. Instead he chose to play nasty and low class games. Never trust a snake from Chicago. The bite is pure poison.
Obama is so full of himself he reeks!
Obama is such a coward that he sends his goons out in public to degrade someone.Why would anyone want a coward in the white house.He has no political
background to speak of and he plays dirty when he wants something.Your supporters always reflects how
the canidiate feels.
After the Katrina devastation, Bush and Clinton started the Bush and Clinton Katrina fund.
The objective was to request donations from thousands of Americans and hundreds of companies all over the world to help the states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to rebuild and recover. President Clinton used his clout to raise money from companies and millionaires/billionaires not only from this country but from other countries as well.
This is one of the numerous things President Clinton has done to show support and concern for the plight of the working class especially the BLACK people. After three years, the same black communities he helped turned their backs on him and his wife and voted for Obama, a black candidate simply because of his race. Worse they believed Obama when he tagged the Clintons as racist.