Racial Undercurrent Is Seen in Clinton Campaign

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... an important development in the 2008 Democratic battle may be the building backlash among African Americans over comments from associates of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton that could be construed as jabs at Sen. Barack Obama's race.

These officials, including Clinton aides and prominent surrogates, have raised questions or dropped references about Obama's position on sentencing guidelines for crack vs. powder cocaine offenses; on his handgun control record; and on his admitted use of drugs as a youth. The context was always Obama's "electability." But the Illinois senator's campaign advisers said some African American leaders detect a pattern, and they believe it could erode Clinton's strong base of black support.

From the "Tom Joyner Morning Show," Dec. 14:

Tom Joyner: "Yeah, man, they are coming after you now. So the story about the Clinton campaign putting out this statement not to vote for Barack Obama because he used drugs, and then yesterday I understand that she apologized and the campaign worker quit."

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Obama: "Well, I think everybody knows, because I wrote about it in a book 10 years ago. . . . and part of the reason I wrote about it and I talk about it in schools is because I want young people out there to know that if they make the same kinds of mistakes that I made that they can get over it and that they can move on. . . ."

From columnist Derrick Z. Jackson of the Boston Globe, Dec. 15:

"That leaves open as to how far the Clinton campaign, whose poll leads have evaporated in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina, will go to stereotype Obama as not only naive, but cast him in a sinister light in a nation where black drug use and criminality is exaggerated in the media . . . ."

" 'I don't think these strategies are very subtle,' Obama said. 'I won't speak to the racial element of it because I think, you know, if I were a white candidate, obviously, somebody suggesting falsely they were a drug dealer, it's never good.' But in sum, Obama, who has written about his teenage drug use in his memoirs, said, 'There's been a series of these kinds of tactics that at some point we've just got to send a clear signal this is not what we're about.' "

From Black Star News of New York, Dec. 19:

"So the Clinton campaign decided to use the race card. A senior campaign official, Billy Shaheen, the co-chairman of Hillary Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire, warned voters that Obama might not be the suitable candidate because were he to win the Democratic nomination, those nasty Republicans could bring up the fact that Obama has admitted to using marijuana and cocaine in his youth. Might the Republicans not even ask whether Obama had also been a drug dealer? This was clearly playing to the deep seated stereotype that some white people harbor -- of Blacks as natural born criminals and drug dealers."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7122201762.html

[Fandango 1,439]

I think O's playing the race card as well, tbh.

Bringing up drug usage and voting record is certainly relevant. The drug dealer angle gives me pause, though.

[rebeccajo 14]

Clinton and Obama both have skeletons in their closet and neither should cast stones.

But it's politics. If Clinton wants to make borderline racist comments, then Obama can play the race card for all I care.

Love and War.

[athena_ny 1]

Clinton and Obama both have skeletons in their closet and neither should cast stones.

But it's politics. If Clinton wants to make borderline racist comments, then Obama can play the race card for all I care.

Love and War.

Agreed.

And Clinton has been playing dirty politics, as far as I'm concerned. Saying Obama just wants to be president to fulfill a lifelong dream because in third grade he wrote something titled "When I Grow Up I Want To Be President" etc. I ask, who DIDN'T write that?

That's just one example

But then again, apparently the Florida primary won't count, so neither will my vote. Like that's not insulting.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Clinton and Obama both have skeletons in their closet and neither should cast stones.

But it's politics. If Clinton wants to make borderline racist comments, then Obama can play the race card for all I care.

Love and War.

Agreed.

And Clinton has been playing dirty politics, as far as I'm concerned. Saying Obama just wants to be president to fulfill a lifelong dream because in third grade he wrote something titled "When I Grow Up I Want To Be President" etc. I ask, who DIDN'T write that?

That's just one example

That is crazy, especially since Hillary is perceived as being overly ambitious herself.

[athena_ny 1]

Clinton and Obama both have skeletons in their closet and neither should cast stones.

But it's politics. If Clinton wants to make borderline racist comments, then Obama can play the race card for all I care.

Love and War.

Agreed.

And Clinton has been playing dirty politics, as far as I'm concerned. Saying Obama just wants to be president to fulfill a lifelong dream because in third grade he wrote something titled "When I Grow Up I Want To Be President" etc. I ask, who DIDN'T write that?

That's just one example

That is crazy, especially since Hillary is perceived as being overly ambitious herself.

Believe me, I know.

Going for the NY seat in the Senate was just a play in the game of political chess. To set herself up for the presidency...

They released a press release about it (Clinton) then when they got heat, said it was a joke.

[GaryC 7]

This is great. Oboma can't attack Clinton without cries of sexism and Clinton can't attack Oboma without cries of racism. Our PC society has come home to roost.

[Fandango 1,439]

This is great. Oboma can't attack Clinton without cries of sexism and Clinton can't attack Oboma without cries of racism. Our PC society has come home to roost.

Gotta love it

[Ban Hammer 13,364]

This is great. Oboma can't attack Clinton without cries of sexism and Clinton can't attack Oboma without cries of racism. Our PC society has come home to roost.

Gotta love it

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Hillary looks more and more like the Titanic. You remember that unsinkable ship?

[Ban Hammer 13,364]

Hillary looks more and more like the Titanic. You remember that unsinkable ship?

where is all this farking water coming from?