Live by the Sexist/Race Card, die by the Sexist/Race Card.
Posted on 01/11/2008 2:51:15 PM PST by neverdem
The stunning political earthquake in New Hampshire on Tuesday and its aftershocks are opening a wrenching fissure in Democratic politics -- raising the prospect of a bitter campaign with racial and gender undertones that could damage Democratic presidential hopes in November by alienating an important voting bloc -- African Americans or women.
Though the respective celebrations over Barack Obama's Iowa win and the resurrection of Hillary Clinton's campaign at first obscured signs of trouble, it has become apparent that together they inflicted wounds that may be difficult to heal.
In the days leading up to Tuesday's voting, the Clinton camp launched a vigorous assault on Obama's lack of experience, a point driven home stridently by former President Bill Clinton. He focused on Obama's credentials, insisted that Obama's voting record in the Senate on Iraq funding was no different than Sen. Clinton's and declared, "This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I've ever seen."
That prompted a sharp rebuke on CNN from Donna Brazile, a Democratic strategist: "For him to go after Obama using 'fairy tale,' calling him a 'kid,' as he did last week, it's an insult. And I tell you, as an African American, I find his words and his tone to be very depressing."
Hillary Clinton drifted into the same troublesome waters by asserting that Obama was raising "false hopes" and saying that it took President Lyndon Johnson to enact the civil rights agenda pushed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. That churned up blogosphere speculation about what she meant. The fairest reading seems that she suggested practical politician Johnson got a civil rights bill passed that the more eloquent President John F. Kennedy couldn't get through Congress. Still, the bottom line was that the reference to King opened Clinton to criticism that she had shown disrespect to the civil rights martyr.
Michael Eric Dyson, a former DePaul professor and author of Is Bill Cosby Right? Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Its Mind?, on MSNBC described the Clinton camp's criticism of Obama as carrying an "implicit racial subtext."
Clinton's challenge in the weeks ahead will be to hone her attacks on Obama in a way that doesn't alienate African Americans.
But Obama has a similar challenge in finding a way to go after Clinton without offending women.
Though no one has made much of it, I wonder how the last candidates' debate affected female voters in New Hampshire. First, Obama and John Edwards avoided harsh words for each other while directing sharp barbs toward Clinton. Then the issue of Clinton's likability came up, juxtaposed with the affection Obama elicits among his supporters. As Clinton talked about how Obama is easy to warm to, Obama chimed in she was "likable enough." He came across as churlish and condescending, more mocking than sincere.
If Clinton's famous choking up was a key moment in the campaign, generating support from women, Obama had set the stage for it during that debate.
Female voters also are thought to have been pushed to Clinton's side by media questioning of the authenticity of her emotional display. Now, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Obama's national campaign co-chairman, has joined in, saying on MSNBC, "those tears also have to be analyzed." He suggested "her appearance brought her to tears" when she never showed that kind of emotion over the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe in predominantly black New Orleans. When directly asked if the tears were faked, Jackson replied, "I wouldn't say that."
Jackson noted that South Carolina's primary is coming up Jan. 26, and African Americans constitute close to half the Democratic vote there and "they see real hope in Barack Obama." It remains to be seen how these wounds will play out there and on Super Tuesday when 20 states hold primaries or caucuses. If a long fight produces irreconcilable bitterness on the losing side, the larger question becomes what will be the fallout for the historic hopes to elect the first African-American or female president?
Campaign's racial, gender undertones could alienate blacks or women.
shuntley@suntimes.com
I disagree. Fights almost always produce stronger candidates.
Mark Levin who is pretty smart said he wanted Hillary to say in the race when some would have been happy to see her drop out because he said he wanted the two of them to continue to cut each other up.
I don't see it that way, in this case. if Hillary is nominated, I believe that there will be substantial bitterness among liberal Blacks. The reduced Dem turnout will more than offset those Republicans who will stay home because a "RINO" is heading the ticket.
I think Hillary! saying that the Obama camp hadn’t done their ‘spade work’ didn’t help either.
Ah the beauty of racism and sexism, long a Republican stronghold, not moving to the Dems. (that was mockery, by the way)
live by PC gender/race politics, die by PC gender/race politics. Sounds fair to me...
Yeah, well being split in two won’t equal the multiple divisions on the right. If they have to do it, this is the year. Republican bridges are a burning.
I disagree. Having two special interest going at each other's throats is a wonderful spectacle. Each group thinks its their turn. Each group has become accustomed to and dependent upon affirmative action. Come November, one group is going to be less motivated. They asked for it. They will get it.
That’s true. At this point, we’re more divided than they are. IMO, Thompson might be the only GOP “unity” candidate. All of the others have alienated at least 25% of the base for one reason or another.
This is so funny. For once, the Dems are going at each other hammer and tongs and leaving us alone. Let’s grab a beer, pop some popcorn, and watch the fight. Should be a good one!
Not true...Republicans voted to end slavery plus the dirty Dems smeared GOP with false accusations... Remember James Byrd dragging death during 2000 elections blamed on Bush? Outrageous lies painted on GOP by rotten Dems tricking the sheeple into believing this crap.
It serves the useful purpose of highlighting Dem liberal hypocrisy on race and sex identity politics. They act like we’re supposed to elect the Victim in Chief.
I think Hunter could unite us but no one apparently has the courage to move over and support him. So Huckabee is my second choice and come what may about how everyone else votes. It's your vote. Do what you want to do. That's where I'm at at this point.
Depending on just how much blood letting they do it could be a Hillarious summer. lol
You're dreaming. Blacks will turn out to vote for the Dem candidate. They vote the plantation no matter who the massah is. Conservatives leaving over a McCain or Giuliani nomination will be far more massive.
Maybe they will gut each other and bleed out and both die. Naw, we couldn’t get that lucky could we?
They will kiss and make up and run as a ticket, as long as Hill is on top.
“I think Hillary! saying that the Obama camp hadn’t done their ‘spade work’ didn’t help either.”
When I heard her say that, I took it as clintonesque for the “N” word.
Right about the campaign being bitter. Wrong about it damaging the dems. The media will cover up for them, and try to make a mind-numbed public forget all the things the dems do.
TRL
From the Hillary war site:
[quote]Hillary Poll Leads:
January 7, 2008 Franklin Pierce New Hampshire poll: Clinton 31%, Obama 34%, Edwards 20%, Richardson 6%[/quote]
You would think that they would be smart enough to change the title when they have to post a number of polls that show she is NOT leading.
Didn’t Bill also say something about B. being only ‘half black’.
More from her hillaryis44 site. REZKO For Dummies
Ah, she is drawing the intellectual class to her site.
... In olden days, corrupt Chicago politicians would simply take a bag full of money. Usually the bag of money was passed under the table while corrupt politician and corrupt fixer lunched or dined. Those were simpler times.
Ah, the pot calling the kettle black. So how do corrupt Arkansas politicians do it Hillary?
... Now imagine this: A Chicago politician, in modern day Chicago, who wants things he can’t afford. Wifey likes expensive things and wants a big mansion to live in. What new clever system would said modern day Chicago politician devise? Said Chicago politician first acquaints himself with ethics laws and how to skirt them.
I mean, how much cheek do you have to have talking about the corruption of a fellow politician when your PAWS are in it up to the the neck.
...Yes, you have to turn your back on freezing Chicago constituents, African-Americans mostly, but hey, it’s the Chicago way.
Ouch... The final insult, they think that the black vote belongs to them.
The democrats will all kiss and make up and be in the same bed together come November, maybe before. They have no principles or values and only desire power for the purpose of pushing their leftist, cancerous agenda more than any other consideration. They’re single minded about getting back in the White House like roaches are single minded about occupying a cheap apartment room.
Let the donkeys commit suicide. Enjoy the show!
mark for later
“This whole thing is the biggest fairy tale I’ve ever seen.”
This is the real code that is being sent.
They have evidence that Obama is a closet Homosexual. Bill was just warning him not to go any further in any attacks on the beast.
Brushfires all over the blogosphere on this. Apparently the Clintons have riled up the Obama-rama ding dongs with their ‘racist’ attacks.
Maybe she’ll limp to victory without them...heh heh heh. >;)
But then Hildy will just convince Obama to run as her VP and all, politically, will be forgiven.
Even though Obama would be the least powerful VP in history.
You obviously didn’t read my mockery comment.
So I guess we just assume that whites and men cannot possibly ever be alienated ?
The Real McCain Record Obstacles in the way of conservative support.
BBC: US reveals new Iran 'incidents' - previous incident with warning shots fired...
From time to time, I’ll ping on noteworthy articles about politics, foreign and military affairs. FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
My liberal, anti-war sister is currently "ticked at" the NY Times for running several articles that she felt attacked Hillary.
I explained to her that I have not subscribed to the Times in years because I felt my subscription money was, in essence, a campaign contribution to whichever candidate the Times happened to be supporting.
However, things aren’t going all that well on the Republican side so far.
I have always thought this was Obama’s secret. I bet there’s a lot of guys out there from his college days who know this. I bet his wife knows it.
And if the eventual Republican nominee is smart enough to name Michael Steele as his running mate, we’ve got it made!!
Does he have a wide stance?
I cannot wait till it’s a one on one debate with Hillary and Obama........PLEASE.....with no other distractions the two going at each other......I’d pay to see that.
Thanks for the ping!
the prospect of a bitter campaign with racial and gender undertonesUndertones? Sounds like the overriding overtone, eh? This is the same struggle which went on in the aftermath of the Civil War -- the suffragette movement (or its precursor) wanted black support for the vote for white women, assuring that as soon as women had the vote, the black vote for men and women would follow, because the country would be much more moral after that.
Thanks for the ping.
The Clintons know they can slap the blacks around and they'll come back for more. Anyone remember Sister Soulja and welfare reform?
Sister Soulja was a hate filled rapper, and the pathology wrought by welfare was undeniable. Dissing Obama, manchild in the promised land, could really do a number on the donkeys, IMHO.
It's worse than that for her. She alienates just about everybody with her zero charisma factor.
You're right about Sister Soulja - but Clinton's timing - his rather fortuitous comment shortly before an election - came across as white southern code. You're also right about welfare reform - some of the more damaging and perverse incentives were reformed away - something Newt and congressional Republicans pushed on Clinton. But credit where credit is due, he did sign it... and he had included the idea in his campaign. I guess my point was the Clintons are no where near as loyal to their black constituents as those same people are loyal to them. It would be nice to believe that if Obama is defeated with Clintonian tricks, blacks wouldn't back Hillary - but I find it hard to belive...
Live by the Sexist/Race Card, die by the Sexist/Race Card.
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