Clinton Putting Historical Standing In Jeopardy With Latest Attack
Posted by Ashish on 05.08.2008
Defining herself as the candidate of White America could leave Hillary as a villain in the history books...
I'm left scratching my head today at Hillary Clinton's decision to go back on the attack when it is painfully clear that she can't win. And it's not just that she is on the attack again, it's her line of attack -- that she is the candidate of White America. Clinton went back to her South Carolina race-baiting stance today by saying that "hard working Americans" support her and that Obama can't win them over. I guess African Americans aren't hard working Americans. I guess college educated people aren't hard working Americans either. And surely college students aren't hard working Americans either. Because Obama's won all those groups. And every national poll shows his support among lower income whites is at the exact same level as John Kerry's in 2004. If Obama holds Kerry's support among low income whites, and adds his record level of support from college educated people, young people, and African Americans, guess what? He wins easily.
Clinton is taking a major risk here and I'm shocked the people around her are letting her do so, not just because she has nothing left to gain at this point from taking such a risk, but because she is now risking not only her political future, but her historical standing. This isn't about the nomination anymore, she's already lost that. How is this going to look in the history books, thirty years from now, when people recall how the Clintons refused to quit even though they couldn't win and their main reason for going on was to do their best to try and highlight the racial divide between white and black? How will it look when they refuse to let the first African American nominee move forward without doing their absolute best to turn lower income whites against him?
The Clintons have already had their legacy hurt badly by their behavior during this nomination fight, but it was still minor in the overall picture. But if this race-baiting stuff continues, the Clintons will be viewed as villains in the history books 20-30 years from now, especially if Obama goes on to win the Presidency.
I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Clinton already got an earful from the people around her about her comments today. I'd still be surprised if she doesn't quit within ten days of the last primary on June 3rd.
I had been suspicious of Hillary's state of mind for quite some time now. I am
now convinced; Hillary Rodham Clinton has lost it. I predict that her campaign
team and the Party's Superdelegates will demand she step down before this
weekend is up. God bless America.
Posted By: The Baron (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 03:54 PM
It might help if you provided a source or a link as to where you got this piece
of information. Where did she say this? Who quoted her? Where was this
published? I've been looking at most political news sites and haven't found
where she said any of this. Not that I don't believe you but most sources have
been saying more of the same since Tuesday, that Clinton's camp has been mostly
silent.
Posted By: Knutcase (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 03:58 PM
the clintos provide a lesson in self destruction
Posted By: loki (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 04:08 PM
Comming to DVD soon, The Self-Destruction of Hillary Cliton!
Posted By: Drew (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Knutcase,
The interview that Ashish is referring to can be found at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-07-clintoninterview_N.htm
Posted By: Andrew (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 04:58 PM
I'd just like to point something out here about your flawed column. White
DEMOCRATIC voters seem to have been voting AGAINST Barack Obama, and not simply
in favor of Hillary Clinton. This can be easily determined by looking at how
they viewed Clinton and her trustworthiness (not very good). Another indicator
is the large amount of White voters who say they WILL NOT vote for Obama if he
gets the nomination (around 50% in both states). This, of course, is NOT out of
bitterness about their candidate (Clinton) but out of a simple anger at the fact
that the Media and the Liberal establishment has FORCED an unprepared African
American candidate down their throats. These same voters have constantly
qualified themselves in the exit polling as “moderate” and “conservative”
Democrats, and they all have gone to Clinton by a margin of 70%, the same
demographic that is expected (more than likely) to go with John McCain in the
general election (the so-called Reagan Democrats), in the same manner that
Black people have “all” gone to Obama, irrespective of his policy issues (not
very good nor original ones by any standard).
Posted By: McCain'08 (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 05:21 PM
Ashish, get over yourself. This is one of your dumbest posts yet.
So Hillary says she's the candidate of "hard-working Americans," and
now she's a racist? What?
Granted, some of the other stuff (the LBJ comment, Bill's thoughts on Jesse
Jackson) came off as a little racist (I don't think the Clintons are
racist--just like Obama, they're politicians that will do just about anything
to win, including subtly playing on racial tensions), but you're reading WAY
too much into it if you're extrapolating her saying she's the candidate of
hard-working Americans as her somehow saying that blacks and college-educated
people (I'm one, and I'm not voting for Obama, though I wouldn't vote for
Clinton either) aren't hard working.
What is she supposed to say? That she's the candidate of lower-income,
less-educated white people (and don't forget Hispanics and older voters)? Come
on. "Hard working" is about as PC as she can be with that.
Unless she actually says or implies (a lot more than what you've cited) that
blacks aren't hard working, put the race card back in the deck.
You're a pretty good political analyst most of the time (though you apologize
for Obama too much and don't seem to grasp that Obama has a much different
challenge in the general election than he did in the Democratic primaries, as
the previous commenter pointed out with regard to the "Reagan
Democrats"), but this is just a waste of time. Find some real news to talk
about.
Posted By: John (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 06:34 PM
Oh good grief. You media folks are ridiculous!! She's merely stating the
obvious. She's not racist. Look at the polls and the election results.
Helloo...she's speaking the truth. Its Americans who dont like to hear it!
How do we ever expect to get past race in this country if we can't even speak
the obvious. How absurd!
Posted By: Amber (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 09:47 PM
Hillary isn't dropping out. I can sum up her stance with a quote: "My
last breath, I spit at thee." The Wrath of Khan will look tame next to
the Wrath of Clinton.
Posted By: Jason (Guest) on May 08, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Amber,
So, it's just true that black people and college students/degree-holders don't
qualify as "hard-working americans?" That's just obvious?
Posted By: MDK (Guest) on May 09, 2008 at 09:50 AM
Ashish, don't bother with John. He pretends to analyze this issue but he quotes
sparingly. John avoids admitting that Hillary, in repeating the previous
quotation from a newspaper article (see LINK below) went on to quote the
statement as follows: "...that found how Sen. Obama's support among
working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how
whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."
Hillary herself borrowed the newspaper quotation in full, thereby attributing
it to herself. And in the quotation, Hillary repeats not just John's quote
above, "hard working Americans" but rather: "...working,
hard-working Americans, white Americans.." Hillary could not help but
highlight "white Americans," and this is where the race card comes
in, something that she and Bill are now notorious for in this campaign. Please
note that Ashish NEVER said or implied that Hillary was racist. NOW, I do not
subscribe to any notions that Hillary and Bill may be racist. Hillary and Bill
are above such petty and silly emotions. However, they are NOT above playing
the race card at all, something that has manifested itself several times in the
campaign. And, if John does not remember or does not know of this, I'm sure that
you Ashish are more than qualified to give him several examples. I certainly am.
God bless America. And the LINK I promised follows:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-07-clintoninterview_N.htm
Posted By: The Baron (Guest) on May 09, 2008 at 07:26 PM
Amen. Hillary crossed the line with a blatantly racist appeal. It is time for
her to quit.
Posted By: Tom H (Guest) on May 10, 2008 at 11:14 AM
