Obama Campaign In Disarray? Making Political Hay Out of Bhutto Assassination?

[wyldwolf]

It’s hard to believe that Barack Obama’s campaign could be in such disarray that its campaign manager, David Axelrod, would use the tragic, horrific assassination of Benazir Bhutto to take, as CNN’s anchor just said, a “swipe” at Sen. Clinton. Writes Taylor Marsh, “The Obama campaign is in a panic. Mr. Axelrod’s reprehensible statement is meant to deflect the spotlight and rescue his candidate, because as people think about the implications of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination one thing comes to mind and it isn’t the leadership experience of Barack Obama.”

Taylor quotes The Page, which reports, “David Axelrod, Barack Obama’s top strategist, told reporters after the speech that Clinton will not benefit from a renewed conversation about foreign policy in the wake of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination in Pakistan.” Clinton will not benefit? Is Axelrod so desperate he’d make a swipe like that right after Bhutto’s assassination?

In stark and relieving somber contrast, the New York Times blog posted this story, “Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Bhutto“:



http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2007/12/27/obama-campaign-in-disarray-campaign-making-political-hay-out-of-bhutto-assassination/

[DemKR]

1. Desperation is what I call it :) No no no you ain't seen nothin' yet hehe

[sniffa]

2. that's almost as bad as Evan Bayh's statement

[annie1]

20. Bayh didn't point out Obama. just sayin'.

[sniffa]

28. oh right. that makes it classier

:thumbsup:

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. Fairly or unfairly, CNN is making a big thing of the Axlerod remarks.

[MadBadger]

16. Wolfie is having an orgasm over this.

[jenmito]

22. Notice how he failed to point out that it was in response to a question about how this will affect

or help Hillary???

[bluewisdom]

33. you bet your ass!

:mad: low as they go...

[MadBadger]

4. Guess Taylor hasnt been paying attention to Evan Bayh today.

[zulchzulu]

63. Would you expect a batshit crazy for Clintonianisms to be fair?

Taylor Marsh is the Ann Coulter of the Hillary campaign.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. these jerks don't give up, do they?

four, count em, four different liberal blogs, and they pull the same shit.

[ClarkUSA]

Larry Johnson, a Clinton bootlicker like Taylor Marsh et al, is behind this blog

It's The Mark Penn stenographer Echo Chamber effect.

[polichick]

6. Thanks for the lovely picture!!!

I agree that Axelrod made a big mistake.

[Joe the Revelator]

7. Evan Bayh = Team Hillary's amazing hypocrisy

[TeamJordan23]

8. Taylor Marsh....

Enough said.

[BeyondGeography]

9. Taylor Marsh?

:boring:

[hayu_lol]

23. What a fantastic picture...

ah well, back to the task at hand. Those who defend Axelrod and/or Bayh are out of line.

The death of a leader like Bhutto calls for statements/condolences from principal political leaders only.

The surrogates from all candidate's camps should have kept their mouths shut at such a time. They did not. Unfortunately, the candidates themselves suffer as a result.

We Americans have become deaf and dumb after years of listening to the words of unidentified sources. This time it backfired and dirtied all concerned.

[BeyondGeography]

30. I agree

and this too shall pass. The media deserves its share of the blame as well. They were fearmongering and handicapping this as a big win for the establishment hawk candidates while the blood was still running in the streets.

[earthlover]

48. Taylor Marsh is a Hillary supporter and he claims the Obama campaign is in disarray....

How the fuck would he know?

[KennedyGuy]

10. Definition of "Hope", Look he did it too!

[JackORoses]

60. definition of hardheaded and ignorant

Bayh's statement was of his own making trying to turn Bhutto's death into a plus for Hillary.

Axelrod is asked a question about this which directly mentions Hillary, and Axelrod gave an honest answer.

He didn't bring Hillary up, the reporter did.

Axelrod simply pointed out that this should not be used as an example of Hill's Foreign Poicy 'skills'.

[BenDavid]

11. Obama should give a public apology to Senator Clinton, and

fire axelrod. "Once again, Barack Obama and his campaign not only prove that they are willing to say anything and take any opportunity to point a finger at a fellow Democrat, but they do so revealing their abject amateur status of their own national security thinking.

The politics of hope was always a mirage, but today it revealed what an unmitigated fraud the notion was from the start. It also reminds us all that hope in regions like Pakistan will only get people killed and make the world a more dangerous place through thinking of politicians like Barack Obama who obviously is offering no insight, while hoisting speculative solutions that are in their infancy of formation." quotes attributed to Taylor Marsh.

I don't see how this helps Obama. It can only hurt. Even if there is a connection between Iraq and Bhutto's death, this can only hurt. You don't blame your opponent for a political murder for which there is no direct connection between the assassin and your opponent.

Ben David

[jenmito]

19. HE WAS ANSWERING A QUESTION!!! Unlike Bayh, who made it a political issue on his own.

[TankLV]

34. Ahh - still making excuses for YOUR candidate's INEXCUSABLE behavior, I see...

First it's pandering to homophobic bigots...

now it's this...

hard to keep count of Obama and his bots' outrages...

[jenmito]

39. Excuses? No. Stating the facts that you don't want to hear.

I'm not a "bot." But you're something else...and it's not a good thing.

[Tellurian]

36. Of course, it points to Obama's un-qualification for his presidential bid..

and Axelrod is trying to get out in front of the political backlash that will ultimately be aimed at Obama pointing out his lack of experience as a BIG NO Vote for the forthcoming caucus.

Unfortunately for Axelrod, he made a huge error using Bhutto's death as a political football against Hillary, Obama's formidable opponent. Their thinking and remarks are unAmerican and frankly inappropriate at a time when condolences are the
"only" order for the day in this instance.

Obama and his team will pay dearly for this opportunistic display of divisive partisanship.

[earthlover]

49. Intellectual dishonesty here....

Nowhere did Axelrod BLAME anyone. He was making the point that the iraq war has consequenses. As Wes Clark and others have pointed out for years, invading Iraq was taking the eye off the ball for al queda in other parts of the Middle East and destabilizing the region. To point it out that the destablilization was responsible for Bhutto's death is to point out the obvious. And, since the question was about Hillary, it was entirely appropriate to contrast Obama's prior warning about iraq destabilizing the middle east with Hillary's cheerleading for the most destabilizing event for the Middle East in years.

But to say he BLAMED anyone is putting words in mouth. And the Hillary Herd repeats it like lemmings marching into the sea....

[jenmito]

54. It's not the first time that poster has posted something intellectually dishonest.

And when he's corrected, he ignores it and keeps repeating the misinformation.

[jenmito]

12. He was answering reporters' questions who pressed him on whether the killing could help Hillary!

That is not making a statement out of the blue like Evan Bayh did.

[annie1]

18. i agree, the news should actually be how grotesque it is that the reporter....

would ask such a grotesque question. but i also think axelrod should know how to handle questions like that. it was a mistake, and pols and advisers make mistakes, that's all.

[oasis]

13. A person with a name like Barack Hussein Obama cannot benefit from a muslim dustup.

Let's be realistic here.

[jenmito]

26. Yes he can. Moreso than anyone else.

[earthlover]

55. here is yet more crap from the "Democrats Against Democrats" chapter

Come on! Obama can speak because what he has said is more important than his name....Hillary is weakened because her name is more important than what she said when she voted for the IWR

Obama benefits for thinking Democrats. Those in the herd support the iwr cheerleader.

[annie1]

14. NYT Blog right now is sorta odd for that. They could have just....

talked about that statement hil made while at her recent campaign stop when she was visible shaken by the loss of Bhutto. But i guess it takes all kinds. :P

[jenmito]

15. Wolf Blitzer just showed Axelrod making the statement and NOT the reporter's preceding question.

That's BS!

[MadBadger]

17. Im trying to find out the question

[jenmito]

24. It's on this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=3893763&mesg_id=3893763

[ccpup]

27. welcome to the Spotlight

What? You expected the Media to play fair and be nice to Obama or something? Axelrod said something -- even in response to a question -- that is so easily manipulated as to be both laughable and incredibly damaging for his Candidate. In fact, it makes one wonder about the experience of those advising or speaking for Obama and if they are, in fact, ready for the Big Time.

And right before the Iowa Caucus. You think they'd be watching their words very, very carefully right about now.

[bluewisdom]

37. they are cocky and know it all's...

especially obama.:wtf:

[jenmito]

43. Obama's cocky because he knew what would happen if we invaded Iraq?

And because Bhutto agreed with him regarding his policy towards Pakistan?

[jenmito]

42. He answered the question perfectly. He was right to remind people she voted for the IWR and all the

experience in the world won't help her judgement.

[Nailzberg]

21. You lost me at Taylor Marsh

[CyberPieHole]

25. Senator Clinton has the experience and the wherewithal to handle these sensitive issues...

unlike Obama who is so inexperienced that he tries to make hay out of a human tragedy.

[ccpup]

31. I just can't get over one of his Advisers

making such a monumentally stupid statement -- even if it was in response to a question -- RIGHT before the Iowa Caucus. It clearly shows the Obama Campaign isn't ready for the Spotlight, isn't ready for the Big Time of a General Election and to nominate Obama is to do so at our own peril as Democrats.

The MSM and the repugs would make mincemeat out of him, unfortunately. And with "slip-ups" like this, it wouldn't be hard to do.

More time spent in National Politics would be a very good thing for Obama if he's interested in running again.

[durrrty libby]

35. Hopefully, the uninformed will finally get it

[earthlover]

57. So let's get this straight...you think Obama is making political hay....yet...

you say that Hillary has the experience Obama lacks. Yeah...right....

As to Hillary's "experience"....Hillary cited her "experience" as a reason to vote for the IWR.

So much for Hillary's "experience".

Hillary's campaign has BECOME the Clinton opponents of the 90s. When Bill ran, he was castigated by the reps for his lack of experience. And all sorts of mud slinging. Now Hillary castigates her opponent for lack of experience and her campaign does the same sort of mudslinging.

Sad, that....

[LittleClarkie]

29. But it's okay for Team Hillary to make political hay

apparently

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/12/hillary_backer_bayh_assassination_reminds_us_that_we_need_hillary_lest_gop_paint_dems_as_weak.php

[ClarkUSA]

32. What Obama Campaign Manager David Axelrod REALLY said in response in reporters' questioning....

Today after Barack Obama's closing argument speech in Iowa, Obama adviser David Axelrod parried questions from reporters who pressed him
on whether the killing could help Hillary.

Here's one key exchange:

REPORTER: But looking ahead, does the assassination put on the front burner foreign policy credentials in the closing days?

AXELROD: Well, it puts on the table foreign policy judgment, and that's a discussion we welcome. Barack Obama had the judgment to oppose the
war in Iraq, and he warned at the time it would divert us from Afghanistan and al Qaeda, and now we see the effect of that. Al Qaeda's resurgent,
they're a powerful force now in Pakistan, they may have been involved -- we've been here, so I don't know whether the news has been updated,
but there's a suspicion they may have been involved in this.

I think his judgment was good. Senator Clinton made a different judgment, so let's have that discussion.

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/12/obama_adviser_bhutto_assassination_reminds_us_that_hillary_made_wrong_call_on_iraq_war.php

[Gman]

38. Obama's become a very good political suicide bomber

He takes out a lot of his supporters and staff with him.

[sniffa]

40. but is this part of his pity campaign?

[Gman]

45. Interesting question...

it could be a stealth pity move. If so, it's brilliant!

[sniffa]

46. i think a thread about this is called for

:thumbsup:

[earthlover]

50. Yup it is a pity campaign...pity POOR Hillary whose vote got criticized....

and rightly criticized

[PresidentObama]

41. Who would have guessed? Wyldwolf using this for political gain?

[Cameron27]

44. Wyldwolf isn't running for office,

and what's posted on DU won't make a difference in this primary. What an Obama campaign manager said after the assasination is in the news and deserves to be discussed.

[sniffa]

47. i'm not shocked

:rofl:

:thumbsup:

[earthlover]

52. This entire thing is about political gain for Hillary

Bayh cheerleads for Hillary after the assassination. THe media focus on how it helps Hillary because of her "experience". Axelrod is asked about whether Hillary's experience will help her in light of the assassination. Axelrod points out that the destabilization caused by iraq is responsible for her death. Hillary Herd lies and says he BLAMES Hillary for the death. Hillary Herd has an orgasm of hatred to spew at Obama. Next week they will deny the whole thing.

[Cameron27]

56. The assasination may sway voters to look

for someone with more experience, like Biden, Dodd or Clinton and that's what the media's focusing on. Obama's problems are his own. When Chris Matthews, his biggest media cheerleader calls his response cold, then he'd better rethink his and his campaign's demeaner towards this tragedy.

Clinton's statement was personal, touching and meaningful and had absolutely nothing to do with Barack Obama.

[earthlover]

58. It should benefit Biden...but Hillary? Not after the iwr.

[Cameron27]

59. I don't know that it will benefit anyone,

the pundits are just speculating as usual.

[Perry Logan]

51. AXELRODGATE THREAD #2

[earthlover]

53. You mean 222?

The Hillary Herd is really busy with their BS today!

[AtomicKitten]

61. Clap your hands and believe!

[Cha]

62. It's not hard to believe

that you post something so egregiously inconsequential as a hillary surrogate.