Obama: "Swift-Boating" Wouldn't Sink Me

[sabra]

Source: CBS News 60 Minutes

Tells 60 Minutes His Campaign Against Clinton Will Be Limited To The Facts


(CBS) Sen. Barack Obama could withstand any last-minute "swift-boat" attacks from Republicans on his race or past drug use because winning the grueling contest for the Democratic nomination will make him the "toughest, baddest candidate on the block," he tells 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft.

Obama was interviewed on Wednesday in Washington for a 60 Minutes report to be broadcast on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Asked by Kroft if he will be able to endure attacks from "swift-boating" Republicans who may use his race or his youthful drug use against him, Obama replies, "Whoever wins this Democratic primary...they're the toughest, baddest candidate on the block. And if I beat Senator Clinton, then I will be more than capable of beating the Republicans. And if I don't, then she'll be the nominee and (race or past drug use) will be a moot point."

But the senator from Illinois vowed not to use such tactics himself to beat Hillary Clinton. Kroft's question on whether he would pull out any "Clinton skeletons" prompted Obama to say, "We don't play that. I mean, one of the rules that I laid down very early in this campaign was that we will be fierce competitors but we will have some ground rules. And one of the ground rules for me is that we battle on policy differences, and that if we draw a contrast between Senator Clinton and myself, then it is based on fact," he tells Kroft.

Then Obama promises, "We're not going to fabricate things. We're not going to try to distort or twist her positions."


Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/07/60minutes/main3804268.shtml

[jasmine621]

1. Are they going to interview hillary too? nt

[Faygo Kid]

2. Looking forward to seeing it. And voting Obama two days later.

Finally, I get to vote on Tuesday. Hillary backers are free to be unhappy about this two days before the Potomac Primary. Can't totally blame them, but I'm looking forward to it anyway.

[harrytruman]

10. ha.............

the best Jesse's boy can do is whine about where Hillary's money came from.....
"I've seen the mountaintop!!...."....give me a freaking break.

[QUALAR]

3. Vet and More Vet

Patrick Fitzgerald might. Obama needs closer vetting. That's one reason we have super delegates to prevent another Eagleton fiasco.

[coalition_unwilling]

22. So Ted Kennedy's and John Kerry's endorsement carries no

weight with you already????

[Seabiscuit]

32. How much weight did it carry in the primary in Massachusets, their home state?

How much weight did it carry in California, where Obama's 13 point lead turned into a 10 point loss despite gala appearances by the Kennedys, Shrivers, Schwarzeneggers, and Kerry on behalf of Obama just before the primary?

[UTUSN]

4. Yo, KICK those endorsers!1 n/t

[jlake]

5. He is so naive it boggles my mind.

The battle against Hillary is a love fest compared to what the Republicans will do.

[AX10]

7. True.

He is naive to think that the GOP wants to play nice with the Democrats.

[boricua79]

16. he doesn't think they're going to play nice

he's just confident he can withstand it.

I would be too. Some people know how to fight (Obama) and others don't (Kerry). Confident men don't telegraph their "toughness". They just are, and it comes out when it has to come out.

[bpeale]

8. scary looking into the face of stupidity, isn't it?

[tyne]

11. That's interesting.

Bill says Hillary and McCains run would be so civil that it'd put people to sleep.

Who was he talking to...and now who is naive?

[jlake]

12. That was a bizarre comment from Bill - I don't think that Hillary or Bill

actually believe that. But Obama really believes that the Republicans like him.

[Seabiscuit]

33. Of course the Republicans like him. Hasn't he been dancing cheek to cheek with Reagan's

skeletal remains for a month or so by now?

[ikojo]

13. Democrats and the media are loath to criticize

their darling John McCain. Seems he gets a free pass on almost anything (including being part of the Keating 5) because he was POW. It's sad he was a POW but that experience does not render him a saint nor entitle him to a free pass.

[nels25]

24. A short list

Hillary will have to face the following (in no real order) grenades from the GOP.

Gasp she is a liberal..

Rose Law Firm Billing records,

FBI files in the basement of the White House.

Travelgate.

Vince Foster.

Whitewater.

Hiring Private detectives.

Billary.

you get the idea.

Is fair, of course not.

Will the GOP use it??

You now the answer to that!!

:grr:

[jlake]

25. I know what the GOP will do. Obama just seems to think that He will get a pass

I don't know why he has that idea.

[muryan]

26. He doesn't think hes going to get a pass

he just knows that he can handle it.

[jlake]

30. He says that it won't be as bad as the primary.

HE DOESN'T GET IT

[Nevernose]

31. What do you want him to say on the subject?

"You know, screw it. If the Republicans try and swiftboat me, yeah, I'll try and fight it, but it won't matter because they'll just win anyway. Why does anybody vote anymore anyways? Stay home, play with the dog."

OF COURSE he's going to sound tough on the issue.

For the record, as a Democrat I'm like a kid in a candy store: America comes out on top no matter who wins the Democratic primary.

[AmandaRuth]

6. yeah,. just ask Don Siegleman

or Al Gore. Or Susan Mcdougal. I could go on, but I will make myself sick

[Dhalgren]

9. Man, he actually thinks Clinton's campaign has been rougher than

what is coming this fall. It just seems so bizarre...

[Vinca]

14. The most they can drag up on Obama is the dealings with Rezko and

since McCain is their candidate, Rezko = the Keating affair. They don't want to bring it up. In addition, they don't want to go after Obama's heritage because they'll piss off all the people of color (which includes McCain's own daughter). If Hillary's the candidate, they've got a treasure trove of mud to sling (not to mention the alleged photos) and they don't care if they piss off women because Republican women will vote for the candidate they're told to vote for.

[boricua79]

17. honestly, there is just not much more they can run on

they tried Cult comparisons
they tried Hitler comparisons
they tried "he's black and Muslim" comparisons
they tried Osama = Obama
they tried "his middle name is Hussein".

They've tried all the dirtiest tricks in the books, and guess what...the American people, even in solidly white states, are willing to vote for a black man with a weird, very unAmerican name.

If I was Obama, I'd be DAMNED confident.

[boricua79]

15. "we don't play that"?

as in....

Homey Don't play that! :)



God, I love Obama. A president with some SOUL.....

[AndyTiedye]

18. How is He Going to Fight the Swift-Boaters?

How will he prevent them from drowning out his message with a torrent of lies broadcast from the Mighty Slime Machine?

[boricua79]

19. by having a good group of assistants

to help him fight off every slime against him, and by making sure that he gets his message out. Being "above" the fray gets you Kerry. He needs to fight it, and fight it hard.

[AndyTiedye]

20. Fight It HOW? Remember THEY OWN ALL THE BROADCAST NETWORKS

…except for AAR and Pacifica, and somehow I don't think that is going to be enough.

Of course they can buy advertising, at a million dollars a minute.

The other side will be getting all the airtime they want for free.

[boricua79]

21. Both of them would get it

that's a fact of life that he has to live with.

And if it's between Obama or Hillary on taking on the Republicans, I don't think Hillary would last more than a minute.

So I'm still betting on Obama.

[coalition_unwilling]

23. If Reupkes try to "swift boat" Obama, I think McInsane's connection

to Charles Keating and the S&L bailout comes into play in a big way. Has tremendous "oomph power" this year, in the wake of the sub-prime crisis and proposed bailouts therein.

[ohio2007]

34. Actually, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"

Will Hillary take the gloves off if the chance of getting back into the oval office slips away ?

I wouldn't be suprised if 'undisclosed' sources slip documents in to the FOX news room.

[Seabiscuit]

27. Oh yeah?? Obama is naive to think that the Republicans play by the rules ...

Howard Dean never did anything to deserve this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4-vEwD_7Hk


It doesn't matter whether you're clean or not (although it helps) the Republicans forte is to willingly distort and distract your message. The commercial on this link was extremely effective across the country (which also by the way, the media promoted as well). The General Election is going to be hell.

[bluestdogest]

28. Yeah, but when big dog starts poking holes in your boat,

you are already sunk.

[Rockerdem]

29. I like that he doesn't whine

He projects a toughness that I haven't seen in a Dem candidate since RFK. None of the crybaby crap. None of the damsel-on-the-railroad-tracks in distress drama queen shit.