me under the bus!"
Posted on 05/05/2008 11:34:03 PM PDT by Red Steel
Tomorrow evening we will know the outcome of the Democratic primaries in two important states that could decide the political fates of Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
In Indiana, a primarily white state, we will know whether white voters, who are close to 75 percent of the population of the U.S., accept Senator Obama's explanation of why, after first stating, "I can no more disown him [Wright] than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can disown my white grandmother," he now rejects Wright after Wright's appearance before the NAACP and the National Press Club.
Obama went on to explain: "The person [Wright] I saw yesterday was not the person that I met 20 years ago. His comments were not only divisive and destructive, but I believe that they end up giving comfort to those who prey on hate and I believe that they do not portray accurately the perspective of the black church. Now, I've already denounced the comments that had appeared in these previous sermons. As I said, I had not heard them before. And I gave him the benefit of the doubt in my speech in Philadelphia, explaining that he has done enormous good in the church.
“But when he states and then amplifies such ridiculous propositions as the U.S. government somehow being involved in AIDS, when he suggests that Minister Farrakhan somehow represents one of the greatest voices of the 20th and 21st century, when he equates the United States wartime efforts with terrorism, then there are no excuses. They offend me. They rightly offend all Americans. And they should be denounced. And that's what I'm doing very clearly and unequivocally here today."
He has not explained why he sat in the church’s pews for 20 years without complaint.
Do voters accept his explanation on Tim Russert's "Meet the Press" on May 4th, when he said: "Well, you know, previously, there were a bunch of sermons that had been spliced from a collection of sermons for 30 years. And that's not who I thought he was. That's not what I thought defined him. He's somebody who's a Marine, he's somebody who has served on city colleges boards, somebody who was a respected pillar in the community. And so I thought it was important to--for him to explain or at least provide some context for some of the things that he had said previously. But when he came out at the press conference of the National Press Club, not only did he amplify some of those comments and defend them vigorously, but he added to it. He put gasoline on the fire. And what that told me was not only was he interested in using this platform to continue to make statements that I fundamentally disagree with and that offend me, but also that he didn't have much regard for the moment that we're in right now here in the United States where we can't be distracted or engaged in this divisive, hateful language?"
Or, do voters believe, as some do, including me, that Obama cut his ties with Wright because of Wright's attack on Senator Obama in which he made clear that Senator Obama, in his opinion, was like every other politician, a hypocrite who is willing to say whatever will get him elected? Wright said at the National Press Club on April 28th, "We both know that, if Senator Obama did not say what he said, he would never get elected. Politicians say what they say and do what they do based on electability, based on sound bites, based on polls, Huffington, whoever's doing the polls. Preachers say what they say because they're pastors."
The interview with Tim Russert, regrettably, did not touch that area of their disagreement.
I believe that, if he is the Democratic candidate for president, Senator Obama will lose in November. There are many people in the Democratic Party and its leadership who feel that way. They are told that, nevertheless, the party must accept Obama even if he arrives at the convention with fewer committed delegates than needed to win the nomination. They say that to deprive him of victory under all of these circumstances would so enrage his supporters that they would either stay home in November or cross party lines and vote for Senator John McCain.
Many superdelegates who will be making the decision to nominate the Democratic candidate will be told that they will permanently damage the party by causing a defection of the black vote if they deprive Obama of victory. There is no doubt that were the superdelegates to do what they were appointed to do - provide to the best of their ability a candidate who is perceived to be best able to win in November against the Republican candidate - they will be vilified by many Democrats if they do not select Obama.
A lot is riding on tomorrow's vote. If Indiana goes for Obama, the ballgame is over and he will be the candidate under any and all circumstances. If North Carolina also goes for Obama, that will be the icing on the cake and we will still call his black support, even if it exceeds 92 percent, as it has in some other states, racial pride.
But politics is a complex business. If Clinton carries Indiana and then goes on to win Kentucky and West Virginia, her chances will greatly improve. Stay tuned. It ain't over till it's over.
Edward I. Koch, who served as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989, is a partner in the law firm of Bryan Cave.
“Old Ed knows the score inside the Dem party.”
Yes, every word he said is true about this.
“Anyone know what Rush told his listeners in Indiana and NC to do tomorrow?”
He said today, full speed ahead with voting for Hillary.
Ding ding ding! I think you’ve got it!
; ~ )
bttt
“Many Hillary voters will be just as upset if she doesn’t get nominated as the supposed angry blacks for Obama.”
But they don’t represent the HUGE demographic (and fanatical, militant) voting block that BHO’s supporters do. HRC’s are “kinder, gentler” and much more likely to go with the flow ultimately, for the good of the party. (Plus, they wouldn’t want to be perceived as Racist)
Rush is taking this whole silly thing just a little too far and himself a little too seriously.
Ed Koch is a pretty good feller. I’ve always liked him and respected him as one of the few, true, honest Democrats on the national stage.
The fact is, the closer the primary is to a tie, the more damage that will be inflicted on both candidates. If it still isn’t resolved going into their convention its going to get really ugly.
That’s exactly what Rush is hoping for. And that doesn’t help either dem candidate in the long run.
Rush's objective and mine is a contested convention with the possibilities of a 68 style riot outside. It would be sweet.
Rush’s objective and mine is a contested convention with the possibilities of a 68 style riot outside. It would be sweet.
______________________________________________
How many injuries would be acceptable for you and Rush?
I was wondering the same thing myself.
How many businesses burned would they be pleased with?
In a way, Rush and that Wright fellow have alot in common.
They both run their mouth too much and enjoy the limelight.
I think there will be a brokered convention and most likely a Clinton/Obama ticket.
Neither one of them individually can beat McCain, because it splits the party too much. And Obama as veep, the first Afro American vice president, is a far more likely ticket than Obama as CIC.
If it plays out like I think it’s going to, Hillary will be getting sworn in next year.
And if Fatbo had kept his large orifice shut, she’d already be heading back to Arkansas or whatever to use Shout on the stains on Bills shirts.
None, (I hope).....but any would be of THEIR own making....and the disorder would be a microcosm of what the DHimms have been doing to this country since dooosh bag LBJ's war on poverty tore apart the black family and America in general.
and my Shadenfruede would be well satisfied.
I say keep this going as close to the convention as possible.
The second the media thinks that they Obama may have it locked up, they will clamp down on all news about him.
Don’t think that somehow they are going to keep reporting on all of this stuff if there is no primary fight. He will be back to his vapid, platitudinous speeches, and they will be back to their fawn-a-thon.
“Koch: If Obama wins on May 6, he is the nominee and will lose in November.”
Children and old people can tell the truth. The rest of the rat party lies.
me under the bus!"
I can not stomach voting for Hillary even though it will continue the democrats pain.
No it won’t! It will leave Obama as the candidate with a split Democrat party.
Hasn’t Ed Koch endorsed John McCain for President? I think I read it somewhere.
I believe [President Hillary] is exactly what Rush wants to happen. The Clinton’s were a gold mine for his show.
I, too, am uneasy about Operation Chaos, but I seriously doubt that he wants Hillary to win the general election. If Hillary wins the nomination, plenty of conservatives will consider that it would have been unlikely without Operation Chaos - and, should she win in November, will blame Rush for it. And that would set him back millions of listeners.But who do we blame for McCain winning the Republican primary - and what do we do about it?
That's the real question.
I think the stats are exactly opposite: Boy Wonder BO’s black supporters have said they WILL vote for the Dem nominee no matter what (and isn’t THAT a sad commentary on their political importance?), while the Shrill One’s supporters have threatened to not vote or vote McCain in the general if she is not the nominee.
Then there’s that whole “woman scorned” demographic that is VERY good at holding grudges.
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