Eugene Robinson blasts Clinton for naked appeal to white voters

Washington Post: The Card Clinton Is Playing

By Eugene Robinson

Friday, May 9, 2008; A27

From the beginning, Hillary Clinton has campaigned as if the Democratic nomination were hers by divine right. That's why she is falling short -- and that's why she should be persuaded to quit now, rather than later, before her majestic sense of entitlement splits the party along racial lines.

If that sounds harsh, look at the argument she made Wednesday, in an interview with USA Today, as to why she should be the nominee instead of Barack Obama. She cited an Associated Press article "that found how Senator Obama's support . . . among working, hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening again. I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on."

As a statement of fact, that's debatable at best. As a rationale for why Democratic Party superdelegates should pick her over Obama, it's a slap in the face to the party's most loyal constituency -- African Americans -- and a repudiation of principles the party claims to stand for. Here's what she's really saying to party leaders: There's no way that white people are going to vote for the black guy. Come November, you'll be sorry.

How silly of me. I thought the Democratic Party believed in a colorblind America.

In private conversations last year, several of Clinton's high-profile African American supporters made that same argument to me -- that America wasn't "ready" for a black president, that this simple fact doomed Obama to failure, that a Clinton Restoration was the best result that African Americans could realistically hope for. Polls at the time showed Clinton leading Obama among black voters, a finding that reflected not only Clinton's greater name recognition but also considerable skepticism about a black candidate's ability to draw white support.

Obama did prove he could win support from whites, of course, beginning in Iowa. He and Clinton effectively divided the party into demographic constituencies. Among the groups that have tended to vote for Clinton are white voters making less than $50,000 a year; among those who have turned out to vote for Obama are African Americans, whose doubts about his prospects clearly have been allayed.

Assuming that Obama is the eventual nominee, he will have some work to do in reuniting the party. But there's no reason to think he won't succeed -- unless Clinton drives a wedge between important elements of the party's historical coalition.

Lower-income white Democrats may well defect to John McCain in the fall if Obama is the nominee, Clinton is arguing, whereas African Americans -- who have been choosing Obama by 9 to 1 -- are going to vote for the Democratic nominee no matter what. Thus, she claims, she can better knit the party back together.

Let's examine those premises. These are white Democrats we're talking about, voters who generally share the party's philosophy. So why would these Democrats refuse to vote for a nominee running on Democratic principles against a self-described conservative Republican? The answer, which Clinton implies but doesn't quite come out and say, is that Obama is black -- and that white people who are not wealthy are irredeemably racist.

The other notion -- that Clinton could position herself as some kind of Great White Hope and still expect African American voters to give her their enthusiastic support in the fall -- is just nuts. Obama has already won a majority of the Democratic primary contests; within a couple of weeks, he almost certainly will have won a majority of the pledged convention delegates and will be assured of finishing with more of the popular vote. Only in Camp Clinton does anyone believe that his supporters will be happy if party leaders tell him, in effect, "Nice job, kid, but we can't give you the nomination because, well, you're black. White people might not like that."

Clinton's sin isn't racism, it's arrogance. From the beginning, the Clinton campaign has refused to consider the possibility that Obama's success was more than a fad. This was supposed to be Clinton's year, and if Obama was winning primaries, there had to be some reason that had nothing to do with merit. It was because he was black, or because he had better slogans, or because he was a better public speaker, or because he was the media's darling. This new business about white voters is just the latest story the Clinton campaign is telling itself about the usurper named Obama.

"It's still early," Clinton said Wednesday, vowing to fight on. At some level, she seems to believe the nomination is hers. Somebody had better tell her the truth before she burns the house down.

Comments

[Jody Gaddy]

"Lower-income white Democrats may well defect to John McCain in the fall if Obama is the nominee, Clinton is arguing, whereas African Americans -- who have been choosing Obama by 9 to 1 -- are going to vote for the Democratic nominee no matter what. Thus, she claims, she can better knit the party back together."

Most white democrats think exactly like her and Bill - they take the black voters as their dummies with no other place to go.

This is why Bill and Hillary had the guts to display their racist mindset in NH and NC. This is why Hillary is still tapping to racism as the ONLY means to derailing Obama.

The important thing to note here is that many black fools like Charles Rangel, Andrew Young, Bob Johnson, Tavis Smiley, Pastor James Manning, etc, help to fuel this racism against the black voters in America. These self-hating blacks benefit economically by helping to forge alliances with racists in DNC. As long as these black haters have jobs in US and State Congress, they could care less about the issues important to black voters. This is why you hear nothing about the plight of the victims of Katrina in Louisiana.

"Let's examine those premises. These are white Democrats we're talking about, voters who generally share the party's philosophy. So why would these Democrats refuse to vote for a nominee running on Democratic principles against a self-described conservative Republican? The answer, which Clinton implies but doesn't quite come out and say, is that Obama is black -- and that white people who are not wealthy are irredeemably racist."

Exactly. Hillary and Bill are sending coded messages to these illitrate whites to not vote for Obama in the general election. She knows that it is over for her, but she wants Obama to lose so that she can run in 2012. But she is mistaken and delusional because Obama will be the president for the next 8 years.

Her skills in managing money and people are woefully below that of my 12 year old kid.

She was and is still part of the reason why many low-income whites lost their jobs to Mexico - she made millions of dollars from NAFTA and lied about this.

[Gina]

Nothing surprises me about this woman anymore, nothing. She can forget about trying to run in 2012 because she is DONE, over and out. And I pray everyday that Sen. Obama does not ask her to be his running mate. My motto is "Anyone but Over-the-Hill".

[Angela]

Someone needs to tell Hillary Clinton to wake up and smell the mocha latte'. Blacks are looking for a change and not the same. If she is the nominee, we won't vote for her because she is just a GW Bush in drag! So if McCain wins, without the help of our vote, so be it! We have been raised to sacrifice to make due.

Blacks are very forgiving people, but if she messes this up for Obama, she can surely note that she won't get the Black vote in 2012 or any time thereafter! Her day of reckoning will come, and everything she has said will come back to bite her in the butt.... HARD!!!

[David's Girl]

Desperation breeds insanity and delusion. Note to Hillary: Give it up. Let it go. Your fight has been (at times) admirable, but you can't win.

She's like a cockroach. Por que? The fat lady has sung and the cows have come home.

[nic]

My favorite part is the insinuation that only white Americans are "hard-working" Americans.

[Jody Gaddy]

Here is Charles Rangel. He is now waking up to the reality that Hillary and Bill are racist pigs. What many blacks new before NH and SC, he is realizing today - that Bill and Hillary are racists.

The only problem I see with Rangel is that he helped to fuel this recent racist remark by Hillary. These people (Rangel, Andrew Young, Bob Johnson, James, Manning, Tavis Samiley, etc) helped to give Hillary the impetus and license to act like this. Incidentally, this is why she has been going down. For this, I say: Thank you to all self-haters of the black race.

===================================

Clinton: Playing the Race Card?
Friday, May 09, 2008 9:25 AM
By Domenico Montanaro

The New York Post: “Clinton played the race card yesterday as she dismissed Barack Obama as a candidate who will have a hard time winning support from ‘white Americans.’ It was the most starkly racial comment Clinton has made in the campaign, and drew quick condemnation from some Democrats.

“ ‘I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on,’ she told USA Today in an interview published yesterday. She referred to an Associated Press story on Indiana and North Carolina exit polls ‘that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me.’ She added, ‘There's a pattern emerging here.’”

Here’s what some said in response: “Muriel Offerman, a North Carolina superdelegate who has not disclosed her choice, said, ‘That should not have been said. I think it drives a wedge, a racial wedge, and that's not what the Democratic Party's about.’ Asked about Clinton's comments, Massachusetts superdelegate Debra Kozikowsi said, ‘That's distressing. I'm not even sure how to respond to that.’”

The New York Daily News: “Hillary Clinton misplays race card while Barack Obama is treated like rock star.” “[S]ome of her supporters -- including Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Manhattan) -- slammed the comments. ‘I can't believe Sen. Clinton would say anything that dumb,’ Rangel told The News as he headed to the House floor, where earlier he had embraced Obama. The bitter words came as both candidates looked ahead to West Virginia's primary Tuesday and pressed their talking points -- Clinton insisting she was in the race to win, while Obama argued he could have the nomination wrapped up when Oregon and Kentucky vote on May 20.”

Peggy Noonan also believes Clinton played the race card in her USA Today interview. "If John McCain said, ‘I got the white vote, baby!’ his candidacy would be over. And rising in highest indignation against him would be the old Democratic Party. To play the race card as Mrs. Clinton has, to highlight and encourage a sense that we are crudely divided as a nation, to make your argument a brute and cynical ‘the black guy can't win but the white girl can’ is -- well, so vulgar, so cynical, so cold, that once again a Clinton is making us turn off the television in case the children walk by.”

“‘She has unleashed the gates of hell,’ a longtime party leader told me. ‘She's saying, “He's not one of us.”’

John Edwards said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that he disagrees with Clinton’s “white Americans” comment and that she's got to ask herself, "Where are the lines?" He added, “I think it’s fine for Hillary to keep making the case for her. But when that shifts to everything that is wrong with him, then we’re doing damage instead of being helpful.”

And did Edwards tip his hand on who he’s backing? He called Obama the "likely nominee.” And we’ll chalk this one up to his Southern accent, but he said he "voted for 'em on Tuesday.” (Sounded an awful lot like "him.")

Also… “I think Barack Obama’s doing pretty well without my help.” Edwards also said, “He is clearly the likely nominee at this point.”

Edwards said he may choose to publicly declare for one of the candidates, but he’s keeping it to himself “just for now.” He added, though, that he doesn’t think his endorsement matters except to “people like you all” [the media]. He wouldn’t answer if he and his wife, Elizabeth, voted for different people.

Here’s the New York Post’s headline to Charles Hurt’s column: “Desperate Hillbillies threaten to break up party.” “Well, now these racial politics have spilled out into the public and are splintering longtime, devoted Democrats into separate camps. It's become the ‘working-class whites’ versus the ‘eggheads and African-Americans.’

More: “With no one left to cry to, Sen. Clinton has gone nuclear and she's getting kookier by the minute. Yesterday she was toast. Today, she's looking more like scrambled eggs.”

Politico's Smith on Clinton's blunt talk about her white support: "Now, the press has talked about the race in these terms constantly, so I won't feign shock. But it's a bit strange to hear it so bluntly from the candidate's mouth, and probably not a great way to endear herself to African-American voters. And it's also noteworthy that the blunt talk on appealing to whites surfaces the day after the last round of primaries in which there's a substantial number of black voters."

The New York Times reports it's possible Clinton will give herself more money. "Clinton advisers said Mrs. Clinton was committed to spending more of her own cash on the campaign if necessary, although they spoke optimistically about a rise in fund-raising if she prevails in Tuesday’s primary in West Virginia." More: "Clinton had been increasingly relying on Internet donations this spring from new and small-amount contributors; the day after she won the April 22 Pennsylvania primary, the campaign brought in a record $10 million online. But Hassan Nemazee, one of Mrs. Clinton’s national finance chairmen, put the amount she collected online in the 24 hours after the Indiana and North Carolina primaries at only “$1 million-plus.”

Interestingly, the Times makes the point that Obama's big spending in PA for his nine-point loss actually may have dealt a devastating financial blow to Clinton. "Obama spent $9 million on television advertisements in North Carolina and Indiana, including a last minute $170,000 purchase in the expensive Chicago market, which extends into northern Indiana. By contrast, Mrs. Clinton spent about $4.7 million in those states, according to CMAG. Even more, said Evan Tracey, spokesman for CMAG, the fact that Mr. Obama was able to pump $10 million into media purchases in Pennsylvania in April, even though he did not win that state, forced Mrs. Clinton to spend $5 million, cash she could have used in Indiana and North Carolina.”

Yesterday, Terry McAuliffe said "seven figures." That doesn't quite confirm the million dollar Internet haul but...

During a three-state whirlwind tour yesterday of half of the remaining primaries, Clinton has altered her stump speeches on energy slightly to address the specific needs of those states, NBC’s Lauren Appelbaum notes. While Clinton emphasized coal technology in West Virginia (a topic normally included in a list but rarely specified on), she discussed wind power at more length in South Dakota. "When we get 52% of electricity from coal in the United States, coal is not going anywhere," Clinton said to applause in Charleston, WV. The New York Senator did emphasize the necessity for clean coal technology but assured the audience, which was sure to have included a good percentage of coal miners, that coal mining would not be eliminated.

None of the coal talk was anywhere to be seen in an expanded rally in Sioux Falls, SD four hours later. Instead, the focus was on wind energy production. "It's been said that America from the Dakotas down to West Texas is the Saudi Arabia of wind," Clinton said. "And, you know, that's not just Washington political hot air talking; that's actually a fact, that if we harness the wind coming off of these plains and we had an electric grid system with the distribution system to transmit it from right here in South Dakota across our country, we would be moving toward clean renewable energy."

Why go on? The New York Daily News: “Whatever happens, it's a profile in true grit. But why is she still in a race that with each passing hour appears more doomed? Admirers say she's genuinely driven to make America a better place. Critics attribute her doggedness to the consuming ambition, thirst for power and streak of narcissism she shares with her husband.”

“Movie mogul and Hillary Rodham Clinton backer Harvey Weinstein told House Speaker Nancy Pelosi he would stop fund-raising for Democrats if she refused to support new primary elections in Florida and Michigan, it was reported yesterday.”

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/05/09/999566.aspx

[Dustee]

Here's another way to look at Hillary Clinton. It clears up a lot of things about her - for me at least.

http://www.tnr.com/story.html?id=64032fab-d36d-44b8-817c-6ba2f88f732d

[Michael7]

Roland,

The only reason Sen. Clinton is still in this race is that she believes she can win, and if not, to damage Sen. Obama as much as she can before the election, hoping that he will lose in November and she can tell the party leaders, "I told you so" and run again in 2012.

Now her logic is delusional, smacks of arrogance and downright stupidity, but hey, she is a Clinton and that is how they roll! It is all about them, the hell with the party! They remind me of a spoiled child that cannot have their way at the playground and will take their ball, the only ball, and go home if they cannot play in the game.

Here is a article worth reading. http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/james_poulos/2008/05/nuclear_option.html

The undeclared superdelegates need to get some backbone and begin to declare en masse for Sen. Obama to end this race by May 20 before this crazy woman inflicts more damage on the party as well as herself.

[NKC]

Hillary Clinton has selective memory. Obama won 32 states to her 16 states. Are blacks not the minority in this country, placing third behind whites and latinos? The last I check, Iowa, Idaho, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Utah, Nebraska and Maine are not "black" states. If she has such a "winning coalition", why are the whites in these states not voting for her? And if I were white and a Clinton supporter, I'd be mad that she sterotypes her electorate as an uneducated white working class.

[NKC]

By the way, if the shenanigans of Hillary Clinton destroy the democrats chance in November, she can forget her career in politics. She will not have the "I told you so" card to play in 2012. People will NEVER forget her hysterical presidential run this year.

[Ms Lynn]

This is a well written article. I live in Indiana and I prayed for a victory for Obama but he did well considering the history of this state. (Reality). I watched over the weeks as the words of another man - not Obama was given so much air play to try to weaken his candidacy (Reality -It did). And I want to see the media give airtime to this shameful cry for her unfair fight to be picked the Democratic Nominee. I am so turned off by this primary bid for the Whitehouse it is making me Bitter. But after this weeks win in NC and yes he won Indiana in my eyes, (despite the mudslinging - he won the big ones Lake & Marion County)he appeared refreshed, confident and like he has a second wind to Take his energy to motivate the people all the way to the White House. He will the next President of the United States, and Hillary, McCain and anyone who is against it knows that he is the one to bring change about in this country. And I really believe all the talk of trying to get a gas tax holiday did spark the oil traders to raise the prices - there's a no win situation with that unless we cut down on our usage and dependency of oil. But I just want to say that you have a right to choose who you want to and the Clintons are all about division. It's arrogance and it's being a Sore Loser. It's just not her time, and a shared ticket - Please she doesn't deserve it, there are lots of other loyal democrats that can fill that space. This is Obama's year and I support him and I know he will be our next President. He will be like the phoenix that will rise from the ashes.

[rikyrah]

Interestingly, the Times makes the point that Obama's big spending in PA for his nine-point loss actually may have dealt a devastating financial blow to Clinton. "Obama spent $9 million on television advertisements in North Carolina and Indiana, including a last minute $170,000 purchase in the expensive Chicago market, which extends into northern Indiana. By contrast, Mrs. Clinton spent about $4.7 million in those states, according to CMAG. Even more, said Evan Tracey, spokesman for CMAG, the fact that Mr. Obama was able to pump $10 million into media purchases in Pennsylvania in April, even though he did not win that state, forced Mrs. Clinton to spend $5 million, cash she could have used in Indiana and North Carolina.” ***************

I want to pull out this point. I was reading a piece on HuffingtonPost.com right after the Pennsylvania Primary. This writer said, the reason that Obama went so hard in Pennsylvania, wasn't because he EVER thought he could win Pennsylvania..

No, the reason why he went SO hard in Pennsylvania, was because he wanted to BANKRUPT Hillary Clinton, because the time period after Pennsylvania was so compact, that there would be no way for her to financially recover.

At first, I didn't believe this guy. But, looking at how things have gone since Pennsylvania, I believe this gentleman is correct.

Obama spent that much time and money in Pennsylvania to:
1. set himself up for the General Election in November
1 a) bankrupt Hillary Clinton

When someone writes a book about this campaign cycle, I do believe they will have an entire chapter on Pennsylvania, and this will be one of the turning points of the election.

As for Eugene Robinson - if he had just called her the racist that she is..the column would have been perfect.

[simplycharming47]

Eugene Robinson blasts Clinton for naked appeal to white voters.

Wow..Sho' you right!!..This lastest episode of Hillary's must have really worked through Eugene Robinson's ENTIRE NERVOUS SYSTEM "cuz he got off" in his scathing commentary to Queen Hillary.. Way to go Eugene!

I also must say how much I thoroughly enjoy the intellectual A-S-S wooping Eugene Robinson puts on the Crypt-Keeper (better known as) Pat Buchanan night after night!! PRICELESS!!

[Aggie]

We need to make something clear about this demographic group that Clinton is targeting. They are known as Reagan democrats. For more than 20 years since Reagan, although they are card-carrying democrats, they have voted in the general election for republicans. They always vote in the primary for the weakest democratic candidate. Then in the general election, they vote republican. What they are asking Obama to do, is what no democrat has been able to do in the last 20 years. Bill Clinton did not win with this demographic group, as they all voted republican.

But look at what Obama has done with this demographic group. They are the reason he won North Carolina, and almost won Indiana. They are the reason he was able to cut Hillary's lead in Pennsylvania to 9 points. But his people are real, they give him money and will be there for him in the fall. Hillary's people will be voting republican, not for her. Nor will she have the black vote. Nor will she have all the young people who have recently been brought into the fold. And women are rapidly abandoning her.

[Cyn]

The Clintons have been doing this all along. Bill Clinton going to all those small and rural towns. I remember then saying that he gives a speech and then goes out and talks with the people in the audience without a microphone and I am sure he is saying that and worse.

The Clintons need to do as Tyrone Davis said - Give It Up and Turn It A Loose

[Colacola3]

Thank you, Mr. Robinson.

[Michael7]

Roland,

Here is today's article from Bob Herbert of the NY Times on Sen. Clinton's racist remarks to the AP.

Brother Bob is on point.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

May 10, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
Seeds of Destruction
By BOB HERBERT
The Clintons have never understood how to exit the stage gracefully.

Their repertoire has always been deficient in grace and class. So there was Hillary Clinton cold-bloodedly asserting to USA Today that she was the candidate favored by “hard-working Americans, white Americans,” and that her opponent, Barack Obama, the black candidate, just can’t cut it with that crowd.

“There’s a pattern emerging here,” said Mrs. Clinton.

There is, indeed. There was a name for it when the Republicans were using that kind of lousy rhetoric to good effect: it was called the Southern strategy, although it was hardly limited to the South. Now the Clintons, in their desperation to find some way — any way — back to the White House, have leapt aboard that sorry train.

He can’t win! Don’t you understand? He’s black! He’s black!

The Clintons have been trying to embed that gruesomely destructive message in the brains of white voters and superdelegates for the longest time. It’s a grotesque insult to African-Americans, who have given so much support to both Bill and Hillary over the years.

(Representative Charles Rangel of New York, who is black and has been an absolutely unwavering supporter of Senator Clinton’s White House quest, told The Daily News: “I can’t believe Senator Clinton would say anything that dumb.”)

But it’s an insult to white voters as well, including white working-class voters. It’s true that there are some whites who will not vote for a black candidate under any circumstance. But the United States is in a much better place now than it was when people like Richard Nixon, George Wallace and many others could make political hay by appealing to the very worst in people, using the kind of poisonous rhetoric that Senator Clinton is using now.

I don’t know if Senator Obama can win the White House. No one knows. But to deliberately convey the idea that most white people — or most working-class white people — are unwilling to give an African-American candidate a fair hearing in a presidential election is a slur against whites.

The last time the Clintons had to make a big exit was at the end of Bill Clinton’s second term as president — and they made a complete and utter hash of that historic moment. Having survived the Monica Lewinsky ordeal, you might have thought the Clintons would be on their best behavior.

Instead, a huge scandal erupted when it became known that Mrs. Clinton’s brothers, Tony and Hugh Rodham, had lobbied the president on behalf of criminals who then received presidential pardons or a sentence commutation from Mr. Clinton.

Tony Rodham helped get a pardon for a Tennessee couple that had hired him as a consultant and paid or loaned him hundreds of thousands of dollars. Over the protests of the Justice Department, President Clinton pardoned the couple, Edgar Allen Gregory Jr. and his wife, Vonna Jo, who had been convicted of bank fraud in Alabama.

Hugh Rodham was paid $400,000 to lobby for a pardon of Almon Glenn Braswell, who had been convicted of mail fraud and perjury, and for the release from prison of Carlos Vignali, a drug trafficker who was convicted and imprisoned for conspiring to sell 800 pounds of cocaine. Sure enough, in his last hours in office (when he issued a blizzard of pardons, many of them controversial), President Clinton agreed to the pardon for Braswell and the sentence commutation for Vignali.

Hugh Rodham reportedly returned the money after the scandal became public and was an enormous political liability for the Clintons.

Both Clintons professed to be ignorant of anything improper or untoward regarding the pardons. Once, when asked specifically if she had talked with a deputy White House counsel about pardons, Mrs. Clinton said: “People would hand me envelopes. I would just pass them on. You know, I would not have any reason to look into them.”

It wasn’t just the pardons that sullied the Clintons’ exit from the White House. They took furniture and rugs from the White House collection that had to be returned. And they received $86,000 in gifts during the president’s last year in office, including clothing (a pantsuit, a leather jacket), flatware, carpeting, and so on. In response to the outcry over that, they decided to repay the value of the gifts.

So class is not a Clinton forte.

But it’s one thing to lack class and a sense of grace, quite another to deliberately try and wreck the presidential prospects of your party’s likely nominee — and to do it in a way that has the potential to undermine the substantial racial progress that has been made in this country over many years.

The Clintons should be ashamed of themselves. But they long ago proved to the world that they have no shame.

[Jody Gaddy]

I listened to the exchange between Brazile and Paul Begala on CNN in which Begala made the statement: "We cannot win with eggheads and African-Americans. OK. That's the Dukakis coalition, which carried 10 states and gave us four years of the first George Bush. President Clinton, you know, reached across and got a whole lot of Republicans and independents to come."

Compare this attitude to the behavior of Hillary in the Ohio debate in which Hillary pressed Obama to reject and denounce Farrakhan on behalf of the Jewish population in USA. Compare to the situation in Texas in which Hillary used an old Mexican woman to state that no Hispanic will vote for a black man. Compare to the fact that Mexicans and Asians in California refused to vote for Obama.

Did you notice a pattern and why the pattern? I will not say all I want to say here until the election is over. Here some questions concerning Jewish bias:

What is the population of the Jewish people in USA compared to the population of African-Americans?

What is the population of African immigrants compared to Jewish immigrants in USA?

Why is it that the Jews are respected, protected, and appealed to while the blacks are used as the dumping ground in every election in USA?

How many Jewish people are in top positions in Hillary’s? How many are in top positions in Obama’s campaign?

How come we hear nothing from McCain or Hillary or Obama about the need to defend and protect and give military and economic aids to African nations as a pretext for getting elected while Israel is always at the center of the discussions for these things? Talk to Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Kendrick B. Meek, Charles Rangel, Andrew Young, Bob Johnson, Pastor James Manning, or to Shelia Jackson-Lee. They will all inform you about the need to defend and protect and give military and economic aids to Israel; but they will be ASHAMED to mention the same about African nations. Israel is about 6 million in population. Nigeria ALONE is about 160 million people strong. If the crude oil from Nigeria does not flow into USA, you will pay $50 per gallon for gas for your car; Israel has no such a critical resource to offer for US economy. Why this blatant disregard and disrespect for African nations with more to offer to America than Israel?

[Drevelyn Minor]

Bill Clinton Switches to Obama!

In what some Democratic Party insiders are calling a particularly ominous sign for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, former president Bill Clinton today became the latest superdelegate to switch from Sen. Clinton to her rival, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill).

Sources close to the former president said that Mr. Clinton had been mulling such a defection for weeks, as early as the night of the Iowa primary, but that he only decided to make his decision public today.

“The American people want change,” Mr. Clinton said at a press conference in New York. “Lord knows I do.”

The former president said that “sometimes, at the end of a race, you have to put an old horse down,” adding, “I’m not speaking metaphorically.”

Mr. Clinton fueled speculation that he was seeking a role in an Obama administration, saying, “I know my way around the Oval Office, and I know how the super-secret double-lock works.”

The former president said he would relish a return to the White House, calling his tenure there “good times.”

For her part, Sen. Clinton said that the defection of her husband would not deter her from staying in the race, adding, “To my knowledge, he’s the only white voter Sen. Obama has.”

The New York senator denied that she was playing the race card, arguing, “Every other member of my family is supporting me, and by the way, they’re white.”

Elsewhere, a defiant John McCain said that his wife will not release her tax returns, “and neither will my girlfriend.”

http://www.borowitzreport.com /

[bridgette]

I have said this for years, it is time for black people to leave the democratic party. If you look at hispanics, asians, and other minorities they don't belong to one specific party they vote for the person that can do the most for them and their communities. We have voted for this democrats for years without holding them to anything why wouldn't they think we owe them. We have treated them like we owe them. I am an Independent and I will stay that way. I am going to listen to everybody and make my decision from their. Every Republican is not a racisist and just like now maybe black people will see every white Democrat is not a non-racisist. Hilary Clinton is appealing to lowest denominator and that is fear.

She is constantly saying we don't really know him and you know what's that's about. Well guess what we don't really know her either. I say if they still the nomination don't not vote because you should you don't necessarily have to vote for her, you can vote for Ralph Nader just not her. Make a statement.

[Justice0713]

I am aware that the majority of African-Americans traditionally vote for the Democratic party; however, I question whether it is just blind following of the party. I truly believe that we have voted for the democratic candidate as the lesser of two evils in most instances because their platform issues have been many of the issues that are of most concern to African-Americans. We have not been champions of gun rights, abandoning affirmative action, or a trickle down economy; those are not our issues. In the realization that we are 12% of the U.S. population, I wonder if we had 6% supportive of the Republican party and 6% supporting the Democratic party, then would we have a strong voice in either party to actually affect change and have our issues heard? As far as Clinton, I don't know who she is. She is obliterating sovereign nations; proud that white people won't vote for a black man; and championing gun rights. Her issues are no longer aligned with mine and I would say they are not aligned with most African-Americans. Therefore, if somehow she stole this election, I believe that many will not vote for her because of her new stance on issues not because they are mad that she won.

[Drevelyn Minor]

"Hard Working White Voters need to "WAKE-Up" and those African Americans (BACK DOOR SUPPORTERS) we know who you are!!

J. C. Watts a Black Republican speaks ~ Colleague and Friend of Drevelyn “D” Minor ~

I personally supported and hosted a fundraiser for Mr. Watts at my home in San Francisco the first time he decided to run for a political position in the Republican Party. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The statement below was written by: J. C. Watts a Black Republican and I bet you he has solid information on what he has chosen to share with the public.

J.C. Watts is a rare breed, a black Republican, the first elected from a southern state in over 120 years. Instead of joining the Congressional Black Caucus (obviously primarily Democratic in nature), he was chosen chair of the House Republican Conference (1998). Since retiring from Congress he has headed J.C. Watts Companies, a consultant in business strategies, and is active on several corporate boards. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I must add this; the Republican Party Members (White Men) clearly demonstrated their racist acts toward this young Black Man. He was too young to retire on his on…. ~~~~~~~~~~

Mr. Watts Wrote: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ed Rendell, the state's Democrat governor and the very effective spokesman for Clinton's campaign there, generously praised Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam 11 years ago. This is an issue because for so many people, Farrakhan is poisonous. It is safe to say his tone makes many voters nervous. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rendell, who was then the mayor of Philadelphia , praised Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam's Philadelphia leadership at a rally in 1997. He expressed his "respect for the nation of Islam" and praised local Islam leader Rodney Mohammed for "the intensity of his beliefs, for the decency of his soul, and for the strength of his courage." ~~~~~~~~~~~
Through her relationship with Rendell, Clinton and her team have as close -- or closer -- a tie to Farrakhan as does Obama. ~~~~~~~~~~~
However, it was Obama who got tied to the Farrakhan wagon, and not Clinton. She got a pass. I found it interesting that Rendell was not asked to distance himself from Farrakhan or the Nation of Islam in order to support Clinton . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nor should he have been asked to. Clinton was not asked to distance herself from Rendell for his praising of Farrakhan, and the notion was never raised by the media or anyone else. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We often read columns, watch the news and listen to debates with our own biased political filter. Republicans and Democrats alike are guilty of this. We usually don't like the comments made by an analyst unless they lean toward our point of view. As is said in politics, there are three sides to every story. ~~~~~~~~~~~~
Your side, my side, and the truth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the case of the tangled web between Obama, Clinton and Farrakhan, we didn't get Obama's side or the truth. We got Clinton 's side. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bottom line is this: Neither Louis Farrakhan or Jeremiah Wright should determine this election, no more than certain endorsements of John McCain should determine the general election. ~~~~~~~~~~
I am more concerned about who can keep America safe from terrorists, who can create opportunity for all, who has the best plan for educating our kids (1.2 million kids drop out of school every year), and who best understands that real change doesn't require just talk, but real, genuine change. ~~~~~~

Hillary Clinton and Farrakhan Positive Relationship ~ it appears in the African American Communities that Louis Farrakhan or Jeremiah Wright are “BACK DOOR SUPPORTERS” of Hillary Clinton. ~~~~~~~

White Americans I pray you will "WAKE UP" and see the games the Clintons are playing with them ~ it's shameful! ~~~~~~~ It’s all about money and control..~~~~~~~

Note: Hillary and Billy Clinton wishes to get back in office "By Any Means Necessary." That makes me nervous! ~~~~~~

Drevelyn “D” Minor is voting Senator Obama! ~~