Top Clinton official: Blacks will come around to Hillary if she wins the nomination

Harold Ickes is a no-holds-barred campaign official who will do anything for his candidate to win the Democratic nomination.

And if Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are close in delegates, he says he will push hard for superdelegates to choose the former First Lady, even if Obama is leading her in pledged delegates.

In a story by Roger Simon on Politico.com, Ickes is asked if such a plan of action will lead to a fractured Democratic Party, especially among African Americans, and he basically says, "No big deal."

“There will be some hurt feelings initially,” Ickes said. “But in a very tight election, Barack Obama will swing in behind Hillary Clinton and black people will vote for her and she will be able to bring in Hispanic voters also.”

Harold, you might think you know black people. But as someone who has a radio show targeting black folks in Chicago (WVON-AM); a blog on a black female website (Essence.com); a commentator for a black cable network (TV One); run three black newspapers (Houston Defender, Dallas Weekly, Chicago Defender); a black website (BlackAmericaWeb.com) been a news editor of a black national magazine (Savoy Magazine); and filed reports for a black radio network (American Urban Radio Networks), I know my people far better than you.

And I can guarantee you that if Sen. Obama is leading among pledged delegates, and the superdelegates throw the election to Sen. Clinton, she can bank on a loss in November.

Why? Her negatives are already at high levels, ranging between 42 and 44 percent. That means that she can ill-afford any slippage in any key demographic.

Clinton can't afford to lose even 3 to 5 percent of black voters, who are the base of the Democratic Party. If she loses that amount, she loses the election.

Black turnout is critical. A disenchanted black electorate could stay at home, thus having the same effect. I've even gotten calls from yellow dog Democrats, many who are still angry with Bill Clinton's references to Rev. Jesse Jackson when Obama won the South Carolina primary, who have said they will vote for McCain before they vote for her.

These are folks who are also able to write pretty big checks, so they are no joke.

I got an email Monday night from a prominent and well-paid African American woman who said: "My 16-year-old, the one who 3 months ago had nothing to say or do with politics, now says if Clinton wins she's campaigning for Ralph Nader."

This is not folks who are overemotional about Obama. The view that the Clintons will stoop to any level is strong, and I would not misjudge this if I'm Ickes.

My suggestion to Clinton? You better move ahead of Obama among pledged delegates or you will face a crisis unlike any other you have ever encountered. Yes, even THAT crisis.

Harold, you might think you know black people, but I know them a little better than you. This will be a no-win situation for Hillary Clinton. So you better win it fair and square, and not depend on the superdelegates, or there will be hell to pay, and the Democrats will guarantee a McCain presidency.

Question of the Day: If Obama leads Clinton among pledged delegates, but hasn't received the 2,025, and the superdelegates put Clinton over the top, will you support her in November?

Comments

[nic]

Nope. I will vote, and actively campaign...for Ralph Nader. No question.
I've always had tremendous respect and admiration for Nader. I regret not voting for him in the past two elections...and honestly, if he'd announced his campaign LAST winter, I'd be campaigning for him right now.

As it stands, I keep wondering why he's entered the race at this hour, given that he'll be unable to raise enough money & support to really compete...

I think he's in it now to help Obama. Hear me out on this...Clinton has succeeded in marginalizing Obama in the minds of millions...among her supporters are legions of self-proclaimed liberals who will absolutely refuse to vote for someone they perceive as a black Muslim terrorist (blame Clinton's campaign).

McCain, in the general election, will portray himself as a giant slice of apple pie...a war hero...a REAL American, and portray Obama as everything opposite. Many of Clinton's diehard supporters WILL vote for him (thnk about it, if they were really concerned with platforms, they wouldn't be supporting Clinton now!)

I think Nader realizes this, and he will offer those racist voters an alternative. He is an American institution of sorts himself. He will fracture the opposition vote, just like Edwards did. Mark my words...with the nature of this particular race, he will take more votes from McCain than from Obama, ultimately nudging our guy into the White House. I could be way off base here, but I think that's the plan.

[Jennifer]

Absolutely not. If Hilary Clinton wins the democratic nomination, even if she is ahead in votes, I will never, never vote for her. She thinks that it is her God given right to be the president of the US. I think not.

[nic]

Hey, by the way, did anyone else catch Pat Buchanan on MSNBC last night, comparing Obama to Kunte Kinte?! It was the most offensive and disgusting comment I've heard/seen on TV this entire campaign season...I hope there is someone else as outraged as I am about it.

[Sandra]

Absolutely NOT!

[Richard]

I will vote for McCain. After the Somali garb and Bill comments, there is no way that I would vote for Hillary.

[Richard]

I will vote for McCain. After the Somali garb and Bill comments, there is no way that I would vote for Hillary.

[Crecilla]

Support Hillary under 'superdelegate' circumstances? Absolutely not. That supposition is unacceptable. This is less about Sen. Obama and more about true democracy. The last time I checked, the will of the people is at the very essence of democracy. "Stealing" the nomination will, unquestionably, alientate voters and split the party. The ideals of fairness and justice do not prevail when the will of the people is deliberately ignored. News flash to Hillary Clinton -- the presidency is not a birthright. If she does not garner the majority of the votes, she should not be the democratic nominee. If superdelegates independently select the nominee, then what is the point in candidates campaigning and Americans voting? Do not insult our intelligence, Mr. Ickes. Manipulating superdelegate votes will defintely result in a fractured party. To suggest otherwise is -- as Bill Clinton puts it -- "a fairytale."

[Victoria]

I would NEVER under any circumstance support Hillary Clinton!!! They are NASTY!!!! She along with all her surrogates.....

[Carolyn]

As an elected delegate from New York for Senator Obama it would be difficult to vote for Senator Hillary Clinton under these circumstances. Why support a repeat of what the rebublicans did to us in 2004? The opressed soon become the opressor. As Rev. Jesse Jackson said on Saturday at the SOBU, when we are on a level playing field, we always succeed. Let's keep the ground level.

[Carolyn Williams]

If the superdelegates put Clinton over the top, I will vote for McCain. I am a democrat for Obama; worked in his campaign in Maryland. If he receives the most pledged delegates and Clinton gets the nomination, I will become more politically active than ever in exposing those elected officials who betrayed their constituency by showing that they do not understand the meaning of representative government. Have elected officials like Maxine Waters ever heard of "government of the people, for the people and by the people"? Passing a test on the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence should be required of all elected officials. How about Civics 101?

[Reecie]

In the words of Sophia in The Color Purple "heeeeeell no"! But, I don't think it will come to that. After March 4th it will be a wrap for her and hopefully she will throw in the towel.

However, if Clinton or anyone thinks that Black people are just going to fall in line they are seriously mistaken. There isn't a chance in hell that the corrupt McCain is getting my vote either though. I strongly believe that it is important to vote, but I will stay home if Obama is not at the top of the ticket!

[Zenovia, Greenville SC]

Yes. The only reason! I repeat the only reason is because this war needs to end! Our folks are dieing out there, and so is our economy and we have lost focus on the real fight. For no other reason would I vote for her at this point. Sen. Clinton has become so divisive that if she were to win the WH, she wouldn't get anything done, because she has recently chopped off any rep. support that she may have had, and the dems. will simply tolerate her. She has 35 years of political bedfellows, that will all have their hands in her pocket in Nov. saying "it's time to pay up". Also I believe how you run your campaign is a direct reflection of how you will run the White House, hers has not been a good one.

Next the success your presidency squarely depends on the people you surround yourself with (your cabinet) and so far if you look at her campaign she has not chosen wisely.

As a side note: The unfair attacks against Michelle Obama, with reference to her senior paper at Princeton, considering that she is not the one running nor has she ever run for elected office, her personal life should be off limits. I say, if they keep this up ,then Chelsea becomes fair game!

[Kit]

This election year I will not be casting my vote for a Bush or a CLINTON! The Democrats will fracture the party so bad I don't know when they would regroup. I have heard some Republicans say "if the Democrats loss the White House this year, it would be a give away". I beleive that because the country is moving toward a Democratic White House but not at all cost. There would be a total revolt in the African American community. It would also cause a revolt within that white-base that Obama has been carrying. This might be one year that Nader really had a chance at the White House!

[SJAY]

Vote for Hillary? Un-uh. Negative. Will not. Shall not. Not gonna happen.

I am disgusted with the Clinton political machine right about now. I will become a McCain-ocrat if she steals this election from Obama. Ooooh! I don't even want to think about the ulcers that anger would create.

[Thelma]

What will our people do when he doesn't get the nomination or if he and others are jailed with Rezko? Will you Roland assume some responsibility for hoodwinking, bambozzling and the tricking of African Americans? read it
From The Times February 26, 2008
Mansion 'mistake' piles the pressure on Barack Obama
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article3433485.ece

[Barbara]

If the superdelegates give Senator Clinton the nomination, I will not vote for her. I am too disgusted with the Clinton's willingness to "DO" and "SAY" anything to win!

[Songbird]

Roland, if Hillary Clinton manages to steal the democratic nomination, the only way...again THE ONLY WAY that I would vote for her in November is if she has Obama as her running mate. And we all know that there's not a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. Other than that, I'm voting for McCain.

[splintered_race]

She continues to put her foot in her mouth time and time again, but this one cannot be explained away. In any context she is basically suggesting that once we "get over it" so to speak we'll all pull the level for her as if it is the "sensible" thing to do. Wrong again. What would be the difference between she and Bush? Her tactics are the same: fear amd winning at all costs. But just as she failed to plan past Super Tuesday, she has also neglected actually getting to the White House. She cannot and will not get past McCain. The base she may have garnished in light of a RESPECTABLE campaign is now lost to her--a sizable portion of her own party nonetheless. Crossover? Forget it. And Republicans would rather die first. I give her credit for one thing, the connections she has made over the past "35 years" have undoubtedly been loyal ones. No candidate for which more than half the country said they would never cast their vote, far in advance to the initial announcement would have made it this far if not for those connections. And just as those pundits pointed out all her high negatives more than a year ago, all the reasons people could not stand her I will point out that I would most certainly be among those who would. not. dare. Nader '08 if not Obama!

[Al]

I told my wife last week that if Hillary wins by the hypothetical you posed in the article or any other situation, I will not vote her. My plan is to start a write-in campaign for Barack Obama. What she and her camp have done during this nomination season has been a total turn off to me.

Her trying to present herself as experienced is just insulting and does not stand up to the smell test or the facts. If she counts the time she spent in the White House as the wife of the president as relevant experience for leading the nation, than that should mean that if my dad was a brain doctor I should be qualified to do brain surgery just because I've seen him do it time after time. And if she wants to count her time in the senate as what makes her experienced and ready to lead on day one, the fact is that she has been in the senate for only four more years that Barack Obama. I do not discount the fact that you learn from being in the line of fire with someone i.e. your spouse but this should be presented by the candidate and reported by the media in it's proper context.

I think that the Clinton's are smart people who have played on the loyalties of Blacks to our loss. While the Clinton presidency overall was much better than the George W. Bush presidency on most levels, my examination of the policies of the Clinton Administration have informed me that we have suffered because of welfare reform and new sentencing guidelines among others. We gained more from the Johnson Administration i.e. the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, than anything the Clinton's gave us in the appointment of Blacks to government positions that are not for life, summits on the issue of race (which I think was important), or moving into Harlem.

I saw a story on TV yesterday saying that if there are major losses in Ohio and Texas Hillary may/should withdraw from the race so she can "leave with dignity and graciousness." Well, she left those two virtues in the trash can when after coming in third in Iowa, Camp Clinton decided no option should be left off the table in order for them to win.

[Lynne '08]

Roland, sad to say, Ralph Nader would get into office and not quite know or understand how! Because of the many lives that were given as well as taken, for me to have the right to vote, I HAVE TO vote. Can't do it for the Clintons; not for a war hero either; so thank you Ralph Nader for jumping in the mix to give me an alternative if Billary get the nomination unfairly+...

[Postive Obama]

If the supers hand this election to Clinton, they better pray that she has job line up for them in Washington, because all of them will be without them when they turn home. I not voting for Hillary! If they give it to her I will personally start my on grass root group to make sure that we get them out of office. I will make calls, and ask my friends to make calls, and ask my friends, friends to make calls until ever superdelegate has to either start a company to have a income, write a tell-all book, or go bad to work. I will be BUSH 43 all over again. Listen up Super Delegates because the American People will only say this once "We voted for Obama"! "We Want Obama in November!"

[Jay]

I had this conversation with my mother yesterday after the Clinton campaign released that photo of Obama. That was the last straw for me and if she wins, I will vote for Nader.

[Lynne '08]

Y'all, depending on and taking the black vote for granted is what I, as a 54 yobf have learned thru this process. I would've unequivocally voted for Hillary if Barack (& Billary) did not show up; but because he & they did, I have been educated about the Clintons and the Tavis Smiley's of the world. For the life of me, I cannot understand the mindset of Black folks who think (on or beneath the surface), that a white person would have their best interest at heart; or at best, understand my issues. Wake up Black America! Billary's mocking of Obama won't bring me to her side, I can only look at her in disgust.

[Swiffht]

The sad truth is no matter how the democratic party sabotages Obama's candidacy, the huge majority of black folks will support and vote for Hillary Clinton. And Roland, it wouldn't surprise me if you joined that parade - with a little "urging" of course. That's the way the game is played!

[Jay]

Roland,

Your friend Jack Cafferty is a FOOL! I counldn't stop laughing at his comments yesterday and I know you wanted to do the same. Tell Jack that I love him and keep it up. Your blog and the Cafferty File are the highlights of my day.