Hillary Clinton and the race card

Did she, or did she not, play the "race card?"

That's the question being hashed over in much of political Washington concerning comments Hillary Clinton made to USA Today in making her case for soldiering on in her bid to draw to an inside straight and overtake Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential race.

Here's the passage swirling the discussion:

" 'I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,' she said in an interview with USA Today. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article 'that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states (those voting in Tuesday's Indiana and North Carolina primaries) who had not completed college were supporting me.' "

"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.

Her defenders scoffed at the notion that she was sowing divisiveness, saying she was merely stating the obvious and that she resisted any mention of the almost monolithic support from blacks that has been central to Obama's successes.

Clinton herself, the article says later, "rejected any idea ...

... that her emphasis on white voters could be interpreted as racially divisive. 'These are the people you have to win if you're a Democrat in sufficient numbers to actually win the election. Everybody knows that.' ''

Detractors argued that she was taking an obvious step to casting herself as the "white" candidate.

Longtime Democratic operative Bob Shrum, who led John Kerry's unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign, said that party leaders -- including convention superdelegates -- fear that Clinton may be adopting a strategy that unnecessarily fuels antagonisms within party ranks.

The result, he added, could be a political environment "in which Democrats lose the unlosable election."

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[Ingmar Northcott]

If we are in the intellectually compromised position, or "idiots" as you say, Tallahassee, then doesn't it behoove you, who is presumably not an idiot, not to behave like a jerk and belligerently name call, but, rather, calmly point out why we are wrong-headed in our choice of candidate, and this for the sake of our benefit? For who wishes to remain an idiot, if there is a smarter and wiser path to be taken that we might learn from our fellow man? For without such a teaching, you actually appear perhaps to everyone that doesn't agree with you to be a rather large idiot yourself, which is what I tend to think of Hillary supporters. Actually, I think of them as the ignorant wing of the Democratic party, and the fearful among Republicans, who believe that McCain has a much better chance against Clinton than he does against Obama.

[iva]

it's a shame that Hillary thinks that all white Americans are fundamentally racist. She really doesn't think much of anybody with or without a college education. She's dismissive about people with college educations because they don't vote for her. She's a deceptive panderer to the non-college educated, because she tells them what they want to hear, and tries to frighten them.

[Chuck C]

I like Tallahassee's comment. "...Obama supporters are idiots." I wondered how someone could make that statement. All suppositions on what each candidate will actually accomplish is guesswork - except for McCain, of course, who will keep the troops in Iraq, with all the death, destruction, and economic damage that accompanies it.

I lean toward Obama, rather than Clinton, because I THINK that he really will pull our troops ASAP, he really will try to get a universal healthcare plan passed, and he really will establish diplomatic ties with our "enemies", bringing peace to more regions, and he really will try to do the best for the PEOPLE of the country instead of for the CORPORATIONS of the country.

Whereas, I THINK Clinton owes too many corporations and so will not be able to establish universal healthcare, and will delay bringing back the troops (because of the huge defense contracts). Again, this is my guess.

So, why am I an idiot, according to Tallahassee? I realize that what he means to say is, "You are an idiot if you think a black man can actually get elected President of the U.S., therefore, if you support Obama, McCain will end up elected." It may be true that many will not vote for him because he is black and because McCain will spread vile rumors just like they did against McCain in 1999, but I'm still voting for the person I think will be the best president. As this is my home, I'd like to help fix this country, but if Americans again prove to be so stupid as to vote for a continuation of the Bush corruption, I may consider a move to a smarter country.

Oh, and this talk about Clinton playing the race card is just garbage. Telling the truth, even if it involves race, is not racist. Saying that Clinton has the majority of white voters and is therefore more electable is not racist, its just true (well, the first part anyway). Saying that whites do better in school than blacks is not racist, its true. Saying that blacks are generally better at sports than whites is not racist, it's true. Oh, and once we can say the truth without being labelled "racist", we can work on solutions such as, How do we keep blacks in school and get them to do better so they have better futures? Saying that blacks as a group are too stupid to stay in school and should just concentrate on basketball is untrue and a racist remark. See the difference?

[Alma Ludivina]

Senator Clinton is drooling to ruin the reputation of the next states to make it look like "racist states" and then to say look "I am very electable against McCain"

White people is people with good jugdement, intelligent, objective, they have represented the world well because of their values, Hillary Clinton do not represent a regular white american. At this point white americans feel shame with her behavior.

Mrs Clinton has no vision and lacks capability to discern her own situation.

There is lots of odds against senator McCain anyone can beat senator Mcain, She is the one who is like a malignant cancer who wants to spread to any price, she is deviding the whole country by resourfacing old wounds from the 1800's in the 21 century. She lack empahty, lacks emotions, She does not realize that when she talks about "black vote" not counting, what about the rest of minorities, the "brown vote" "the yellow vote".

She like a trojan horse wants to destroy instead of build or unite.

She is acting with a narcissistic sense of entitlement, lack of direction, erratic poor judgement, out of anger and frustration. As if she was the puppet of a master mind, treating the nation as objets, or material goods!!!???!!!

[larrysteve]

Racism 101, folks -- when a white candidate is running
against a black candidate it is insensitive of them to point
out, especially publicly , that they are getting most of the white vote, NOT their black opponent. It's even worse if they offer such a thing as an argument that they are the better candidate, as Hillary is doing in this case. And to say it when the election is virtually over and the white candidate is running well behind the black candidate - wow.

This woman is not exactly the most tactful candidate we've ever seen, to put it mildly.

The undecided super delegates want to give her some space out of respect, but if she keeps opening her trap
they're gonna have to end this thing -- and soon.

[Ingmar Northcott]

The only worthy goal of any politician (even above and beyond protecting their lives) is the betterment of the souls of his constituents, to help them to become better people. This goal has to be put above all else because becoming better people is the only thing that really matters to us - to mankind. Not all the money in the world, all the sex, all the power and all the other trivialities that we crave can top this most important of purposes. Thus, if Hillary Clinton is noticing a type of ignorance in her supporters, and is trying to use that racist ignorance to get herself elected due to personal ambition, and an obsession with her public image and legacy, rather than doing everything she can to get her loyal public to become better, and thus purge their souls of their blind, unreasoning, racist ignorance, then she is the basest and most shameful of politicians, who seeks to politically capitalize on the worst traits in her supporters instead of admonishing them for their depraved condition.

[Steve]

Here's how I see it. Obama plays the race card. Every day, and has from day one. Kerry from the beginning said Obama was a good candidate because he's Black. Obama used the race card and the threat of being accused of racism to keep the press from vetting him, and the angle of this articl is based on a race card, i.e, your fine saying Hillary is using the race card but the LA Times would think twice before saying Obama uses the race card.

Obama goes to a Segregated church. It appears that's OK for Obama but if Hillary did it it would be a problem. Obama writes racist books, OK for him, not OK if Hillary did it. Obama hangs out with Black Supremecists, OK for Obama not OK for Hillary. Democrats have become a party dominated by non-whites and Democrat brass are fine that Obama lies all the time, and is the least experienced man to run for President in modern tiomes, because Obama is Black. Ok, that's obvious.

So Hillary is stating the obvious, in a General Election, people who don't care what color Obama is, such as myself don't like him as a candidate. People such as myself think he says one thing and does another. people such as myself who have seen him slander Bill Clinton as a racist just to get the Black vote, and smear Hillary as a liar, when he lies more than any candidate, think he's not a good candidate. I don't care if he's Black, or white or purple, I have no faith in his judgment. I've never voted for a Republican, but I will not vote for Obama just because he's a Democrat. he threatened Nuclear war with pakistan, he's a vicious underhanded amatuer and could be worse than Bush. He's owned by wall Street, Banks and Energy companies and lies about it. He destroyed the best chance the USA had for real change which was Hillary, and I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, so why would I vote for hi, I won't. It's not going to happen, Obama is a man I feel destroyed Democrats because he made everything about race, all the while denying he does that. he's the kind of double-talk and will never be president. So as far as I'm concerned Obama and his personal aspirations and his race baiting and con artist routines of saying one thing and doing another is a Negative, racist con.

[All for one]

Obama will win this September because he doesn't play dirty politics and cry wolf like Obama does. She's faker then my cabbage patch kid doll. It's unbelievable to me how she can say some of the things she says and put a smile on her face that is so plastic Ia want to tear it like plastic wrap. I'm relieved I can say with confidence that she won't be on my ballot this November. Obama all the way.

[Marks]

mona,

I hope you vote for McCain, because its obvious you celebrate bias and suspicion, its okay to you for Hillary to announce it.

90% of blacks supported Clintons through Bill's two terms. Now its wrong for them to choose a candidate of their own free will and consideration.

When women say its "time for a woman" giving Hillary the gender vote. Some women might have lost jobs in manufacturing because of NAFTA and gained little economically since Clintons left office where they became 100 Millionaires in a very short time.

Obama has gained white voters nationally. Hillary's campaign claimed Hispanics wouldn't vote for black candidate. Playing that race card for a long time.

Voters of all ethnic backgrounds have put Obama far ahead of Hillary, she can't win the nomination.

[Charllie Clark]

A black man and a woman - a first in either case for America and both as bad as each other. If ever a candidate race was for personal glory, it's this one. The easy win, anyone but George? We over here in the UK remember the last Democrat president, what an honest, truthful man he was. Why not unearth Jimmy Carter, you can't do any worse!

[jim boshay]

Go ahead and sit out, you obviously haven't been listening or paying any attention so far...

[nazcalito]

It's the 21st century, folks. Get over this "race" thing. People are people. They come in all different sizes and shades, good and bad. Stop putting people in boxes.

[Martin]

It's unfair to say that Hillary is trying somehow to cast herself as the White candidate when it's clear that her strategy has been to focus on the Uneducated Moron vote and she is glad to find any Uneducated Moron who will vote for her. So give her credit where it's due, she's not seeking only white votes she's seeking to find people dumb enough not to see through her continual lying.

[Alfred]

It seems to me that Hillary is a sore loser, and I concur 100% with Robinia above when she wrote: Hillary is "a conniving, two-faced bitch", playing old dirty politics.

America has had enough of Hillary and her OLD style dirty politics, good riddens to both.

P.S. As far as a Obama/Hillary dream ticket, don't fool yourself, it won't work - Hillary needs to put herself out to pasture - she's an old glue horse!

[Sylvia]

I was for Hillary in the beginning. Then over time she became a child. Running out of things to say on how she could orchestrate growth for the country. Now, when she speaks, "I" and "me" are the predominant words in her text. She wants to be president, she talks about how much she wants to be president, almost as if it were a pageant of some sort. I have yet to hear Obama say anything bad about her, yet her campaign is based on downing him. He is a gentleman, with more class in his finger than Hillary possesses in her entire eating-disorder-governed body. She has become the C word, and I don't mean Clinton.

[elizabeth bauersox]

It seems to me that the media are the ones who are now playing the race card in an effort to force Clinton out. Her backers are behind her because we've wanted her to be President long before Obama declared.

[Inaru]

If it were a fact, it definitely would not be racist, but it is not a fact that Obama does not get white voters of every class in states where Clinton isn't campaigning by insinuating he might be a Muslim, that he isn't fit to lead, that he can't win. Where Obama campaigns on his own merits, where it's only his record and character against what they already know of Clinton who didn't think they were important enough to campaign there in the first place - he beats Clinton by huge margins.

Those are the margins she needs and won't get in the remaining states. She's dust, just trying to get little old ladies to pay her debt to Mark Penn for screwing up her coronation.

[shirl]

Hillary is playing her final card, the nuclear card, and that is that she is white and obama is black. ANYONE looking at how Americans voted will KNOW that Obama did not get where he is on black votes alone. Asian Americans like myself (and folks in Hawaii), white like my neighbors and colleagues, etc, we are all supporting Obama because we believe in our country and its ideals, pledging allegience to the flag with equality FOR ALL. Hillary's nuclear white racism card will only bring a long nuclear winter to the party and our beloved nation.

[Tim Howe]

Itis very depressing to read reporting like this that quotes an active and longtime opponent of the Clintons, Shrum, and the reporter54 doesnt even mention that he has a motivation to hurt Hillary.

I am a lifelong Democrat and verteran of DC politics and have been staff on 34 Presidential campaigns. These charges of the Clintons playing the "race card" are coming from people I know - aand they KMOW them to be 100% untrue and 100% impossible to defend against in the media. (Ask Bob Kerrey and Andrew Cuomo - 2 fine men who were falsely accused and slandered with the "racist" brush to start this planned Axelrod/Gibbs/Obama race baiting charge-a-thon off)

The only thing worse than the political hacks and fakes in DC pushing this bogus script are the political reporters who pimp it out for them.

Im an old Dem. Actually, I went to Columbia with Obama...I have voted Dem in every election in my life...from Prez to Sherriff - straight Dem...but after this campaign....and these false charges - which actually were the only reason Obamas campaign was able to survive - I cannot and will not vote Dem if he is the nominee. Thats a blood oath sure thing. The man is not FIT to be President, so I will not have any part of it.

[mimi]

All I have to say is that the media has done nothing but put down Hillary Clinton every single day. It's a disgrace how she has been treated.

Not only that, the Obama people want to end the race before people have had a right to cast their vote-It amazes me. Isn't that the reason we are in Iraq fighting a war to give people over there a chance to cast their vote- But that's not OK here- We wont allow Florida or Michigan the chance to be heard.

[Helen]

HELLO ---She is the white canidate and he is the black canidate.Why are people trying to make something out of nothing. Each will get votes because of their race from their race. That is just the way it is. I hope everyone can rise above this "school yard" name calling and get on with making our country strong and productive once again no matter who wins the race--that should be our goal.

[stephen]

Listening to the interview, the big issue in my opinion isn't that she identified white voters as being a key to winning an election, it's that her syntax expressed an equation between "hard working Americans" and "white Americans" -- in other words, the definition of a hard working American is a white American, and by inference, anyone who is not a white American is not a hard working American. Unlike Obama, who is making an effort to appeal to voters of all stripes (whether successfully or not, you be the judge), Hillary has, since PA, decided that the best strategy for her is to focus exclusively on white voters. If that's not "playing the race card" (whatever that means), what is?

[Andrew Austin]

Making an observation is not playing the race card. Let's not be ridiculous here. Clinton clearly brings the bigger tent. Who are blacks going to vote for? McCain? Give me a break.

[cindy]

Robinia what an arrogant tone you have. This is a typical Obama supporter with no class. Tootles to you and your candidate because he cannot win in November without ALL the democrats. Most Clinton supporters are tired of all the cheap shots Obama supporters give and will never vote for an arrogant person. goodbye girl! All the money in the world cannot buy votes from the people.

[oo]

if Obama steal tne nomination , the demcrats deserve to lose GE