SPAM: What "those people" are saying

[Joemailman]

Within minutes of exiting South Carolina, Bubba compared Obama's landside victory with that of Jessie Jackson's in '88.

Obama has gotten roughly 3/4 of the African American vote in the last two primaries. Obviously he is the black people's champion. There is nothing wrong with theorizing there may be white misgivings, and no harm in saying it if you are a nobody like me.

I believe that the criticisms of the Clintons voiced by the black columnists are groundless. The Clintons' attacks on Obama's suitability for office have not been a bit racially based, they are normal campaign positioning. But now Bill has blatantly played the race card. It effectively legitimizes their suspicians.

I wonder if it is too late in the campaign for Hillary to divorce Bill.

Sounds like he slipped up and said what he'd been thinking, but figured he better not say. A little like Mel Gibson's drunken anti-semitic tirade.

[MadScientist]

Within minutes of exiting South Carolina, Bubba compared Obama's landside victory with that of Jessie Jackson's in '88.

Obama has gotten roughly 3/4 of the African American vote in the last two primaries. Obviously he is the black people's champion. There is nothing wrong with theorizing there may be white misgivings, and no harm in saying it if you are a nobody like me.

I believe that the criticisms of the Clintons voiced by the black columnists are groundless. The Clintons' attacks on Obama's suitability for office have not been a bit racially based, they are normal campaign positioning. But now Bill has blatantly played the race card. It effectively legitimizes their suspicians.

I wonder if it is too late in the campaign for Hillary to divorce Bill.

Bill has been putting this crap out there for a while, trying to paint Obama as just the black candidate. Combine that with the lying that they both have been doing about Obama's record and Clinton will have a very tough time winning over the Obama supporters, let alone any independents. If it's her vs. McCain, McCain will win easily. She won't even win Wisconsin (she has very little support in Madison, and a democrat must get a big turnout in Madison and Milwaukee to win Wisconsin).

[Harlan Huckleby]

Bill has been putting this crap out there for a while, trying to paint Obama as just the black candidate. Combine that with the lying that they both have been doing about Obama's record.

Whaoooh, Nellie! Bill attempted to paint Obama as the black candidate on exactly one occasion: his Jessie Jackson remark as he boarded the plane out of South Carolina. The other accusations of race-baiting were groundless whining by the Obama camp.

Lying? They stretched the truth on one occasion I am aware of, when they represented Obama's expressed admiration for Reagan as an endorsement of his policies. Obama had the opportunity to confront Hillary directly on this point during the last debate, and Clinton nimbly made him look bad.

McCain pulled a similar stunt on Romney, taking his use of the word "timetable" out of context and saying Romney was for a withdrawal from Iraq.

Both these instances are hardball politics, mildly dirty, worthy of some criticism. But pretty small beer, and easily corrected by the offended party.

But perceptions are more important than facts. A lot of people in the media don't like the Clintons, and more importantly, are moved by Obama's charisma. Bubba has been rough, and the media has spun the Clintons as sleazy, the perception is set. Obama has the momentum.

[MadScientist]

Bill has been putting this crap out there for a while, trying to paint Obama as just the black candidate. Combine that with the lying that they both have been doing about Obama's record.

Whaoooh, Nellie! Bill attempted to paint Obama as the black candidate on exactly one occasion: his Jessie Jackson remark as he boarded the plane out of South Carolina. The other accusations of race-baiting were groundless whining by the Obama camp.

Bubba's also made comments like 'I think a woman president is more of a change that a black man. Also putting out comments before SC to the effect that a black winning in a state full of black voters isn't a big deal.

Lying? They stretched the truth on one occasion I am aware of, when they represented Obama's expressed admiration for Reagan as an endorsement of his policies.

No, they also put out a flier that was a total distortion of Obama's abortion record. When her NH campaign manager was called on this, she said that it was just politics as usual.

If Clinton wins by making enough people think she's better, or by running a better organized campaign, there will be a lot of disappointment among Obama supports but they will rally around the democrat in the fall because the republicans are just so horrible. But if she wins by dividing the party by race and gender, and smearing Obama with lies and distortions (the tactics she's been using since NH), she will create deep chasms in the party which will take a hell of a lot of effort to repair, and many of the new people that Barack has brought in will just say 'Fuck it, I just won't vote for her or anyone if this is what politics is.'

[Harlan Huckleby]

Bubba's also made comments like 'I think a woman president is more of a change that a black man. Also putting out comments before SC to the effect that a black winning in a state full of black voters isn't a big deal.

Sounds believable. I heard a lot of awkward comments, but not these. I don't have any problem with these opinions, they are just too oportunistic for him to say them publicly. Odd that they evidently received little news coverage (and therefore didn't matter.)

No, they also put out a flier that was a total distortion of Obama's abortion record. When her NH campaign manager was called on this, she said that it was just politics as usual.

"politics as usual" - sounds like the NH campaign manager was an Obama plant! Obama's mole has penetrated the highest level. I didn't hear about this one either.