Hillary or Obama?

[criddic3]

I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here, but I do think that Ferraro's comments are unfortunate.

[Damien]

Clinton made a general remark distancing herself from Ferraro's remarks, but Ferraro is still on the team. Unlike Samantha Power who was let go after calling Clinton a "monster" (which, unlike Ferraro's stupid remarks. hapens to be true).

Is that loser Feraro (unlike Barack Obama, and despite her star power, she couldn't get elected to the U.S. Senate. And she tried twice) so completely unaware that she would never have been a vice-presidential candidate had she not been a woman?

As Daily Kos pointed out, this stance is nothing new for Ferrao. (By the way, Ferraro represented Archie Bunker's congressional district.) Back in 1988 she said: "If Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn't be in the race."

To which Jackson replied, "We campaigned across the South . . . without a single catcall or boo. It was not until we got North to New York that we began to hear this from Koch, President Reagan and then Mrs. Ferraro . . . . Some people are making hysteria while I'm making history."


And next it was Clinton campaign mamager, Maggie Williams, who, because she's an African-American, was sent out to huff that it was Obama's campaign who was injecting race into the campaign, caslling criticism of Ferrao's racism "false, personal and politically calculated attacks on the eve of a primary. These attacks serve only to divide the Democratic Party and the American people."

Talk about chutzpah! WHat unmitigated gall! This Clinton person and her vile cabal will do anything, say anything to get elected.

Unsurprisingly, it's Keith Olbermann who gets it exactly right. From tonight's Countdown:

HOWARD FINEMAN: It's clear to me the Clinton people aren't going to back down. As you saw, they sent Maggie Williams out with a statement to defend Geraldine Ferraro who's defending herself. So this is the fight the Clintons want, the way they want to fight it.

KEITH OLBERMANN: So the senator wants a clearly racist, clearly equal-opportunity-is-not-a-good-thing, that's-the-only-reason-he's-here kind of statement interjected into the campaign? It's not just somebody not judging a negative to something? This right now, this reaction right now is intentional?

And a bit later, discussing the Clinton campaign strategy.

OLBERMANN: Does it not have disaster written all over it, or are we living in South Africa?



Edited By Damien on 1205299812

[criddic3]

I agree that Ferraro's statement was taken out of context. She doesn't strike me as a racist, and only meant that some Democrats may be overlooking his flaws in the hopes of electing the first black President. Neither being black or being a woman is a disqualifier for the job in my view, but she did have a point. Making history should not cloud judgment on the merits of a candidacy.

I also believe that Clinton's comments about Obama taking the 2nd slot actually may have made the "dream ticket" even less likely than before in either direction.

[Big Magilla]

Todd, the McCain remark is old news. Even the article indicates it was said during the Texas primary race. Why are they bringing this up now?

More damaging to Clinton is her comment that Obama woudl make a good VP. If he isn't ready to be Prsident how can he be ready to be a heartbeat away? She really put her foot in her mouth on that one.

The Ferraro comment was taken out of context, not that that excuses it, but Clinton and other of her supporters have voiced their disapproval.

[kaytodd]

These two stories are heartbreaking. It's not that I thought Hillary was the most ethical person in the world. I know she is ambitious. But I thought she would realize that she has so much to offer the nation and her party even if she does not become president. But she and her followers are apparently willing to throw out their decency and character, to burn her bridges with the Democratic party leadership and to hurt Obama's chances in November (not that they would be that great in the best of circumstances) in her lust for that nomination. I did not expect Hillary to publicly declare she believes McCain would be a better president than Obama. I also did not expect Geraldine Ferraro, a top level official in Hillary's campaign, to make racist statements denigrating Obama's career and achievements.

I understand Ferraro made comments of a similar tenor about Jesse Jackson during the 1984 presidential campaign. An Italian born and raised in a working class home in Orange County New York makes crypto-racist comments. I'll bet you New Yorkers are shocked!

I guess Hilary and her supporters are really pissed. Hillary deserves this nomination! We have been so mean to her since 1992.


http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs....2.shtml

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs....7.shtml



Edited By kaytodd on 1205290614

[criddic3]

What's funny is the back and forth about a possible joint ticket. Bill Clinton was hyping up the possibility of Obama as VP, but now Obama says "you won't see me as a VP candidate."

[Big Magilla]

This is hilarious.

I just caught an interview on CNN with the young girl whose picture is used in Hillary's infamous "phone ringing at 3 A.M." commercial. The picture was taken eight years ago when she was a TV extra. It is owned by Getty Images so she has no control over its usage, but she wants it known that she is now a soon-to-be 18 year old precinct captain for Obama in Washington State. She would love to do a counter commercial with Obama.

[kaytodd]

WTF do I know? I cannot believe what is happening tonight. Obama is obviously not a political superstar yet but I do not see how he managed to perform so poorly tonight. Hillary ran a desperate sounding negative campaign but it did not look to me like her dirt was sticking. Obama had his problems the last couple of weeks but nothing that seemed serious to me. I never saw him seem unduly frazzled in any interview; he seemed as relaxed and confident as ever. His organizations in tonight's contest states appeared to be in place. I am curious to hear the opinions of the cable talking heads.

Hillary must be happy. I thought her campaign was over. I do not see how the party leadership can try to force her out of the race now by having the superdelegates abandon her en masse. Obama did not take care of business, despite a huge financial advantage. Did not see this one coming.

[kaytodd]

Mccain will easily Beat Obama in a general election, Obama is nothing more than another George Mcgovern or Mike Dukakis.

I don't see Hillary having a better chance against McCain anymore. I don't know what will happen tonight, but Hillary has run an incompetent and unfocused campaign and has lost twelve (Obama won the Vermont primary today) contests in a row to Obama. i never would have imagined this at the beginning of this year. Something is wrong with her campaign and the way she is communicating with voters. I don't see her turning this around during the general election

[avril94]

Mccain will easily Beat Obama in a general election, Obama is nothing more than another George Mcgovern or Mike Dukakis.

[criddic3]

criddic!!...you're still around?? You stuck it out even though almost everyone here disagrees with you and gives you shit for it?! Wow, never thought I'd say this but I'm actually impressed. You probably don't remember me, I used to post here a bit and stopped posting almost two years ago, but I certainly remember you.

Seriously anyone who threatens to leave the board, or shut down the board, or loses their temper over something someone says, or has their feelings easily hurt should actually take a lesson from...(gulp!) CRIDDIC. The guy has been ridiculed throughout his tenure on this board (deservedly so, I mean no offense buddy, but the things you say are sometimes offensive, often uninformed and mostly ridiculous) and still he's here. Wow.

There's something to be said for fortitude.

Well, thank you Nik. Yes, I remember you. I stayed because it isn't a good enough reason to leave when you encounter disagreement. That would be childish.

[Sabin]

Of course you'd say that, Nik. You're the same person. LOL.

[Steph2]

Steph2 -- you're kind of awesome.

Ah...you must be gay then.

(Thanks)

[Nik]

I'm voting McKinney too,

After reading your wonderful and wonderfully leftist posts over time Johnny Guitar, that's more than enough reason for me to vote for her.

[Johnny Guitar]

I'm voting McKinney too, assuming she ends up on the ballot (NY). Maybe even if she doesn't. Nader's great but I think he's worn out his welcome as a gadfly candidate--high time for him to step aside.