Obama Spokesperson Says There's A "Pattern" Behind Bill And Hillary's Race Comments

[babylonsister]

http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/obama_spokesperson_asks_is_there_something_bigger_behind_bill_and_hillarys_race_comments.php

Obama Spokesperson Says There's A "Pattern" Behind Bill And Hillary's Race Comments
By Greg Sargent - January 11, 2008, 5:54PM

This is pretty interesting. Check out what an Obama spokesperson said to The Politico about the backlash that's brewing in the black community to Hillary's recent Martin Luther King assertion and Bill's "fairy-tale" comment:

“A cross-section of voters are alarmed at the tenor of some of these statements,” said Obama spokeswoman Candice Tolliver, who said that Clinton would have to decide whether she owed anyone an apology.

“There’s a groundswell of reaction to these comments — and not just these latest comments but really a pattern, or a series of comments that we’ve heard for several months,” she said. “Folks are beginning to wonder: Is this really an isolated situation or is there something bigger behind all of this?”

What is this "pattern," this "something bigger," that the Obama spokesperson is suggesting might be lurking behind the Clinton comments? Anyone know what this is a reference to?

[Bicoastal]

1. Aaaaaaaaand that's enough DU for the day.

Bye.

[KittyWampus]

4. good idea... tiptoes out

[HeraldSquare212]

16. lol

[tammywammy]

31. LOL

:rofl:

[Proud2BAmurkin]

2. Wow, that's cheap, and right after I posted that I thought Obama would show leadership.

I thought it was only overzealous supporters, now it's the official campaign. Stupid move.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. You're one to talk.

:rofl:

[aquart]

6. He's a uniter, not a divider.

[babylonsister]

11. They've apparently had enough complaints they felt the need to

bring up all these 'coincidences'. That is leadership.

[durrrty libby]

22. Yes Jesse Jackson Jr was a fab spokesperson

We have video. I do hope we see a lot more of him.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x83084

[peacebird]

14. right after you posted this utterly unbiased gem?:

"Is it a racist comment to say someone is unrealistic about world affairs because they are inexperienced?"

:eyes:

I would say Obama has almost as much FIRST HAND experience in world affairs as Hillary. To say otherwise means you think that we are voting for "Hillary&Bill" the duo, not just Hillary the WOMAN <-- (after all the threads about how important it is to nominate someone based on gender?)

tsk tsk

Hillary simply does NOT have foreign policy experience. Neither does Obama. Neither did BILL CLINTON before we elected HIM.

[sniffa]

19. you are brilliant

[MadBadger]

3. i only like Obama cuz he's my hip and cool imaginary black friend. What Pattern????

[jefferson_dem]

I loves the way the "kid" "shucks and jives" too... Pattern? What pattern?

n/t

[sandnsea]

25. I bet he was behind the maui waui

I bought back in the 70's too!

[flpoljunkie]

7. What's apparent is Bill "stepped in it" and is working hard to try and repair the damage.

[aquart]

9. Guess he'll just have to move out of Harlem.

[TwilightZone]

8. How was the fairy-tale comment racist?

DU (at least so far) seems to be of the opinion that it wasn't:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4037351

30:1, at the moment.

[wndycty]

12. It implies that its a fairy tale to think a Black man will get elected president in the US

:kick:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. It implies MLK's "dream" is a "fairy tale."

Or it could be interpreted as such.

[TwilightZone]

26. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Clinton "fairy tale" statement had to do

with a limited world view because of lack of experience, in Bill's opinion.

He didn't make the MLK statement. Hillary did.

Aren't those two separate events?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

28. Except Obama doesn't have a lack fo experience.

That's just another slur.

It's not that I interpret Clinton's comments that way, but I see how others could. Yes, they're two seperate events. Lots of odd, fishy little seperates since Iowa, it seems.

[TwilightZone]

32. To be clear, I agree that he doesn't have a lack of experience.

He has plenty of experience; I think the experience meme is ridiculous. I don't mean to argue the validity of Clinton's statement.

I just don't see how questioning that experience by saying it's a fairy tale could be considered racist.

Even if we make numerous tenuous connections to other statements made, both by the Clintons and by supporters, in that massive context, I still don't see how this particular statement could be turned into "Bill thinks a black man getting elected president is a fairy tale."

Some of the other statements are definitely questionable, but this one isn't even in their ballpark.

[TwilightZone]

23. I don't see the connection.

Clinton was pretty specific about what he considered to be a fairy tale (world view based on experience), so I don't see how it could possibly be interpreted as a generic "a black man can't get elected" comment.

Had Clinton said something like, "Obama's campaign is just a fairy tale", then I could see making the connection, though it would still be a rather tenuous one, IMHO.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. I suppose it could be just a bunch of bad coincidences.

:shrug:

[sniffa]

17. of course it is

continuous race baiting and playing to the basest prejudices of America can't possibly be the reason.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. No, no, no.

That would be as silly as the idea of a vast, right-wing conspiracy.

[Yael]

30. This is why we need to protect the status quo

*nods*

[tammywammy]

35. Agreed Sniffa

How can anyone think otherwise??? :shrug:

[jackson_dem]

13. RIP the Obama campaign. 2/07-1/08

[MadBadger]

15. Seems to me, fair or not, the CLinton campaign is taking the brunt of the damage.

[babylonsister]

20. They're providing all the ammunition. Seems fair to me. nt

[jefferson_dem]

24. Why else would the Big Dawg go groveling to Sharpton?

They're hurtin'...worried about losing support from minorities in the primaries and/or the General.

[jackson_dem]

33. In the short run. You know how race works

The Obama campaign is successfully putting the Clintons on the defensive. Notice how all the talk today is about this and not her recent comeback win or her momentum? It will also help Obama in South Carolina but reducing Hillary's black support. In the long term this injects race into the campaign and that is not a good idea when three-quarters of voters were white and nine out of ten are not black. It isn't fair but this will activate the race "network" in the minds of many voters. This is what Drew Westen in his important book the "Political Brain" said would have happened if Harold Ford directly responded to the racist ad against him. He would, and I am paraphrasing Westen here, be perceived as an angry, whining black and we know what baggage comes with that. Obama's campaign may have made a sharp right onto this road.

I want Obama to lose because I want my candidate to win but I don't want it to be because Obama made a near-sighted strategic mistake about race of all things. :(

[babylonsister]

37. If you're so concerned, you should get the word to the Clinton campaign

to cut their shit out. There is no place for this in this election, but that doesn't seem to be stopping them. You think the Obama camp shouldn't call them on it?

[jackson_dem]

38. I don't support Clinton. Obama and Clinton doing this helps my guy

[babylonsister]

39. Your post reflected otherwise, but whatever. nt

[sandnsea]

27. Don't be so sure

I know it is hard as hell for white people to see racism, but once they do, they really get it. There is no way anybody should have been having a fit over that stupid "likeable enough" comment when the crap being spewed at Obama was barely reported.

[jackson_dem]

34. I hope you're right, and I am no Obama supporter

[Kahuna]

41. I love the threats of the Clinton campaign who think they can will

a general election without black voters. Remember this, Obama is young enough to run again. Hillary is not. Don't think that unless the Clintons clean up their act that black voters won't stay home.

[Cha]

29. If they are.. then time

to nip it. If they're just coincidently coming up with inuendos that people construe as subliminal messages then they better get some clues.

[suston96]

36. "Folks are beginning to wonder...." why Obama supporters are seeing racism where there is none....

[FrenchieCat]

40. Perhaps cause many don't walk around with their eyes squeezed shut......

as they ask, "what code language...I don't see nothin'? I don't know wadda talkin' bout?" :shrug: