Bill Clinton predicts an easy win for Barack Obama

The Ticket opined two weeks ago that Barack Obama would be well-served to avail himself of Bill Clinton's manifold political skills -- pronto.

Today, the man who once dominated Democratic politics and the one who hopes to for years to come took a small step toward merging their interests: Obama trekked to Clinton's Harlem office in New York and had a lunch meeting with the former president.

During a brief chat with reporters before they went behind closed doors, Clinton at least delivered a sound bite favorable to Obama's cause.

With national polls showing John McCain catching a wave after his pick of Sarah Palin as a running mate, Clinton was asked about the state of the race. He replied: "I predict that Sen. Obama will win and win handily."

The perked up Obama, who said: "There you go. You can take it from the president of the United States. He knows a little something about politics."

Clinton, without specifying, said he's "agreed to do a substantial number of things" on behalf of Obama's campaign. "Whatever I’m asked to do," he added.

Most immediately, he'll stump for Obama on Sept. 29 in Florida (where, despite Clinton's optimistic spin, the Democratic ticket needs help; a new poll of the state's voters by Quinnipiac University gives McCain a solid lead).

The pool reporter for the photo op, Martha Moore of USA Today, noted that no handshake was exchanged between the men in the presence of the media.

After the get-together, an Obama aide issued the following statement:

President Clinton and Senator Obama had a great conversation in Harlem today. They discussed the campaign briefly, but mostly talked about how the world has changed since September 11, 2001.

Sen. Obama praised the work of the Clinton Foundation around the world and President Clinton applauded Sen. Obama's historic campaign which has inspired millions around the country.

They also spoke about what the next President can do to help make the economy work for all Americans, as it did under President Clinton, and ensure safety and prosperity far beyond the coming election. President Clinton said he looks forward to campaigning for Senator Obama later this month.

A Clinton aide told The Times' Peter Nicholas that along with the Florida appearance, the ex-president will raise money for Obama (apparently a growing source of concern within the candidate's camp) as well as hit the road for him "throughout the rest of the cycle.''

The aide said of the two-hour talk between the two: "It went very well.''

-- Don Frederick

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Joe]

> "NOT EXPERIENCED " quotes from Bill, Hillary and Biden--
What has changed since they said this a few months ago--NOTHING

Really? I thought he gained quite a bit of experience by outdoing an experienced president.

And I think he'll do well against McCain. McCain chose a gimmick as VP, rather than someone capable of governing. Their claims about Palin simply don't match reality, and the ONLY reason she was chosen was that she could move the polls.

As a matter of fact, EVERY one of the 10 other Republican women who are Governors or Senators is more experienced (and a better pick) than Palin in terms of governing (though I doubt many would move the polls like Palin did). True, only 9 of them are eligible (the 10th one was born in Cuba, which disqualifies her), but Palin is right near the bottom 10% of the Republican Senators & Governors in experience. Rather like how McCain was 5th from the bottom in his class of 900 in the Navy.

We don't need a country run by dunces who hire based on partisan loyalty instead of competence. If we had *competent* leaders, rather than electing the dumbest folks in the Republican party, Osama would have been caught by now.

But what do you expect? Have the Republicans done ANYTHING right in the past 8 years? Why give them 4 more to screw it up further?

[Fred Jones]

I used to think that the ultra-right-wing zealots who supported George Bush were bad, but Obama's supporters have been the most abusive, threatening, and hostile group towards opposition that I have ever witnessed or heard about. They have caused blogs opposing the Senator to be shut down. They have made threats of physical violence and death threats against people who oppose Obama. They have made threats against Hillary Clinton's delegates. And now, they are attacking Sarah Palin with every form of slander imaginable. The actions of the people who follow a person, sometimes give a clear indication about the person they are following - consider the racist Rev. Wright and the terrorist Bill Ayers. They are either the most mentally challenged or the most brainwashed supporters to ever sully the face of the earth since the hoards who worshiped Hitler in Nazi Germany. They can see no wrong in their Messiah, and hurl insults, attacks and race cards against all who dare criticize Obama. They are as flawed and dangerous as Obama himself, and should give all of us one more reason why the inexperienced, deceptive, ruthless, arrogant, divisive, race card throwing, racist black liberation theology believing, fraudulent Obama must be stopped in November. One more thing; remember that a vote for any but McCain, will only assist Obama, so make your choices carefully.

[Dollar Bill]

Yay! This is going to be very entertaining watching Bill Clinton on the trail. I may not agree with global issues under his administration ... but, well - actually I would love him to give an insight to his current understanding in a world touched by 9.11 and a country changed from the perspective of having been out of office. He has an interesting succinctness to him, and a way of making things cumbersome immediately relevant and frankly palatable. But aside from that he was an astute student of economics if we are to believe Greenspan. It would be great to have him out there illustrating how macro level policies can have an effect on the change in our pockets ... and what this job/industry market in the future can look like. Obama and Clinton share an astonishing ability to look at things from a very broad perspective and make connections to local events ... they see things, I think, that many don't see - and some of us need to be led in that way. Y'know, to get a sense of the vision of what could be .... what I liked about Clinton administration is that they were able to effectively delineate what they did right. And I think this needs to happen for democrats. The reality is that MOST people do much better under a democratic administration!! Including deserved services from the government. And they are more fiscally savvy in providing services that ultimately reach a wider consumer base to generate the level of cash flow that is needed to maintain a resilient economy. Why widen the base of middle class? Because that is who spends the money to float the asses of big business! For big business to exist it needs a market that is most definitely NOT strapped. The same for small community businesses ... how many have closed? But most importantly I hope he begins to shed light on this alluring position: throw out No Child Left Behind!!! Yep. The key reason that the work force is now unable to think innovatively. And we need innovators to confront the current energy crisis and industry crisis.

[Billy Johnes]

I guess Bill Clinton must be a psychic or have a crystal ball so that he can now tell the future. Could he please tell us what the next winning lottery numbers are while he is at it.

[Bill]

" "NOT EXPERIENCED " quotes from Bill, Hillary and Biden--
What has changed since they said this a few months ago--NOTHING"

Well, Sarah Palin didn't know what the vice president did a few months ago, so that seems to have changed. What else ya got?

[patman]

Wait till the real negative ads come out just before the election:

Ad #1: Hillary video saying Obama's not qualified.

Ad#2: Bill video saying Obama's not qualified.

Ad #3: Obama video tearing into Hillary.

A party divided and held together with masking tape. Democrats/ Liberals: God Damn America

[RST]

The President predicts that McCain-Palin will win.

The Ex-President predicts the Obama will win.

So what?

Bill is not prophet and is a known liar.
Remember him deceiving the American people?
with "I never have XXX with that woman (Monica)"?

[Lipstick on his underware]

Pie in the sky predictions by a guy who was dis-barred
for life because he commited purgery and obstructed
justice are worth as much as current shares of lehman
bros.Lets face the hard facts...Bill Clinton came out of his
clumsy participation in his wife's campaign as a race-card playing political dinosaure and Obama blew it when
he ignored Hillary in choosing a running mate. Try to imagine how she feels about beeing dumped in favour of
the Delaware wind bag who stands to get eviscerated
by Gov Palin in the vp's debate.What goes around comes
around and the Chicago offspring of this nation's most
corrupt political mafia will go down in history as the biggest political flopsicle.

[Andy]

This is awesome for McCain and the deathblow for Obama! Clinton said the same thing about his wife months ago. Pure hype on his part. The Obama campaign is sputtering and losing altitude because people are starting to realize that the emperor has no clothes.

[bill]

fred jones,

you sound like a wing-nut

[marc]

There's a very true saying that states that you shouldn't stock your hope chest full of worthless values and that's all McCain's campaign has been running on all summer. In the end American people are going to vote for someone who at least has a clue how bad our economy is and how bad it's getting. Obama gave yet another phenomenal speech on Dave Letterman pointing out that we need to focus on real issues, life changing and life affirming issues. Anyone who's willing to continue to waste 10 billion dollars a month on Iraq and thinks that their job is secure, in an economy that is further headed down the drain should definitely vote for McCain.

[Michael A., Esq.]

OBAMA- IT'S LIKE ASKING THE PAPERBOY TO MANAGE THE LA TIMES.

(Come to think of it, that might not be such a bad idea, given the Times' present condition.)

[Vince]

Even Barack [middle name redacted] Obama's supporters realize that there is nothing to him. He is the quintessential "empty suit," a sort of portmanteau candidate into which his admirers are invited to pour all of their hopes and fantasies, rather than evaluate what is really inside his mind, his character, and his record.

Today Mark Monford, a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, suggests that Obama's candidacy is based not on his politics, not on his record, not on his qualifications, but on his very being:

[Lark]

May God protect the United States of America if Obama gets in. It is so obvious he is an empty suit, has questionable past and associations with people of dubious character, and frankly when he speaks does not sound convicted or sure of what he is speaking about. Noticed his views change according to what group he is talking to. Does not build confidence in the listener. What does Obama believe in besides putting himself on a pedestal? Feel he needs to grow up and gain more experience. Even two-faced Bill Clinton said that convincingly just a few months before. Is there no pride when he and Hillary now say he is ready for the presidency when everyone really know how they feel. They all lost my vote, and of many others. Was shocked yesterday when 3 die-hard democrats told the group I was meeting with that they have gone over to McCain!

[theo]

right-wing are so gullible to demagogues who say one thing and do another. rah rah rah... ignorance is bliss.

obama is an elitist and bad because he wants to give average americans 3 times more tax cuts than mccain?

where bracket do you fall under? enough already.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidates_taxproposals_tpc/?postversion=2008061113

……………… MCCAIN …………. OBAMA
Income ……. Avg tax bill ……. Avg. tax bill
Over $2.9M …. -$269,364 (-4.4%)… +$701,885 (+11.5%)
$603K and up…. -$45,361 (-3.4%)… +$115,974 (+8.7%)
$227K-$603K…… -$7,871 (-3.1%)…….. +$12 (+0.0%)
$161K-$227K…… -$4,380 (-3.0%)….. -$2,789 (-1.9%)
$112K-$161K…… -$2,614 (-2.5%)….. -$2,204 (-2.1%)
$66K-$112K …… -$1,009 (-1.4%)….. -$1,290 (-1.8%)
$38K-$66K …….. -$319 (-0.7%)….. -$1,042 (-2.4%)
$19K-$38K …….. -$113 (-0.5%)……. -$892 (-3.6%)
Under $19K ……… -$19 (-0.2%)……. -$567 (-5.5%)
http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/11/news/economy/candidates_taxproposals_tpc/?postversion=2008061113

[John Brown]

The man caught with his pants down is now a psychic?

[trudy]

Pamela is either smoking a controlled substance, or is wealthy.

Here's the truth about Obama's tax plan. Unless you are wealthy, you will be better off with Obama than McCain.

Here's a simple calculator (plug in marital status, no. of earners in household, no. of kids) to see how each candidate's plan affects your taxes:

http://alchemytoday.com/obamataxcut/

[dave]

'always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.'
- john quincy adams

[BuckBurris]

What America needs to focus on is how the Republicans -- and John McCain is very definitely a Republican who has supported his Leader 93% of the time and on all major issues! -- have changed and how they are changing America.
It goes well beyond their secrecy and their attack on our Constitution.
We have the choice of thinking and voting our American values and interests or voting like Mississippi and expecting that the future will bring us Mississippilike wages and benefits. (FritoLay pays Mississippi workers $5 less per hour than they do Illinois workers doing the same thing.)
America has been steadily becoming more like Mississippi over recent decades. I think that needs to change.
I am a Mississippi born and bred recneck and I approlve this message!

[thedude]

You can always tell which side of the fence these posts come from. If they are simple, idiotice and completely unrelated then it has to be republican. If they are clever, insightful, and relative to the topic then it has to be a democrat.

[SeanF]

May God help us all if McCain wins. It will be the end of the great experiment.

[Mkamka]

Just so you can have a little more knowledge of how the world of Washington works....
Bill Clinton is the one who has ruined our economy (as well as the whiners that need baled out and don't take responsibility for themselves) with a lot of actions he took. And if you don't believe me- you need to get more educated on policies. It has taken years for this mass of bad choices and policies of Clintons to take effect- and here it is. He totally ignored signs of invasions on our land (9/11) as well. It takes a conservative to get things into shape...and they don't whine.

[BJ]

UH HUH... what else did you expect him to say? Obama is gonna lose big?

Well, it's not gonna be a big loss, but a loss nonetheless. Just as you can put lipstick...

[Ken]

He's really rushing out to stump for Obama...Sept. 29th?! It's obvious he really wants Obama to lose. At this point it's all about Hillary in 2012. Hillary will spend a significant more amount of time doing NOTHING than helping Obama. HIllary would be up double digits right now!

[Fred Jones]

WHAT IS THE TRUE NATURE OF OBAMA’S SO-CALLED “RELIGION?: The problem I have with Rev. Wright's church, is that Rev. Wright, by his own admission, preaches black liberation theology, which is a very racist theology based upon the conflict between the "black oppressed" and the "white oppressor". That is why, for example, Rev. Wright portrays Jesus as black, and his murderers as “garlic nosed” “white people,” because that is the only way that the story of Jesus will fit with his theology. That is also why so many of his statements are framed as black and white issues (e.g. "rich white people"; “world in need being run by white people's greed”; Natalie Holloway was a "white girl" who "gave it up" on an Aruba beach; “white” America got a wake up call after 9/11; the "garlic nosed" Italians in the time of Jesus who killed the “Black Jesus” were "white people"). Consistently making the point that Jesus was black and his murderers were white is very much like the bigoted fundamentalist Christians who continually make the point that the "Jews killed Jesus." We all know what that is code for; that means that the Jews are evil, as a group, and responsible for the murder of Jesus. Rev. Wright, Obama’s 20 year “mentor and spiritual adviser,” is guilty of the same type of bigoted rhetoric.

I would recommend to all those interested that they research black liberation theology, and in particular, the writings of James H. Cone. Rev. Wright acknowledges that Cone is one of his theological mentors, and the church's website recommends his book "Black Theology and Black Power." I have the book, and have read it cover to cover. Here are just a few quotes from the book about this theology:

(1) “To be Christian is to be one of those whom God has chosen. God has chosen black people." (2) "While it is true that blacks do hate whites, black hatred is not racism." (3) "All white men are responsible for white oppression." (4) "Theologically, Malcolm X was not far wrong when he called the white man "the devil." (5) "If there is any contemporary meaning of the Antichrist, the white church seems to be a manifestation of it." (6) "Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community. Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."