So what do you suppose Bill Clinton was thinking when he said Obama Is Just Like Jesse Jackson?

[still_one]

I do not support Hillary, but I think Bill Clinton is unwise to continue to pursue this course

Didn't they learn anything from the South Carolina primary?

[Bicoastal]

1. When did he say that, and in what context? nt

[grantcart]

4. msnbc is playing it over and over

they are talking about it now they asked him a question in the middle of the day and he just popped this out

[still_one]

5. I got it off Raw Story, but I do not know if it is accurate or not

http://www.rawstory.com/

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/01/bubba-obama-is.html


So I would be curious if this actually happened or not

[ingac70]

7. Those weren't his exact words...

but some folks seem to be pushing that they were...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/26/bill-clinton-obama-is-ju_n_83406.html

[City Lights]

8. Josh Marshall has the video:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/064875.php

[grantcart]

2. It was an incoherent answer to the question

Obama raised that he was having to campaign against both of them.

No they didn't learn anything. They have no measure of Obama and the juxtapostion of Bill and Obama is showing

the clintons as having no class

[still_one]

9. The margin of victory in South Carolina for Obama should tell them that Bill

didn't help them

[BenDavid]

3. and what happened to Jesse afterwards? Sure obama will win

a couple to four states on 2/5.....

[grantcart]

12. well the point was a strange answer to a completely different question

Jesse never won the primaries they were very small caucuses then.

Jesse Jackson didn't have more votes or more delegates than his competitors had when he won. Obama does.

Also the timing was different it wasn't up close to a huge super Tuesday in 9 days with no competitive primary in between.

[still_one]

15. Sorry Ben, but you really don't see it do you. It is race baiting

and if looked at how much Obama won in South Carolina, you should see that tactic will backfire on your candidate

[NOLALady]

6. I guess I'd like to know Clinton's view of

Jesse Jackson. Is that considered a compliment or a complaint?

[EFerrari]

10. I think he meant Jackson didn't get the nomination.

But I didn't hear him say it or to whom or in what context.

[still_one]

17. They will say, of course it is a compliment, but I think they are sending a subliminal

message to spread division and propagate race division

Jessie Jackson is a controversial figure, and Bill Clinton knows exactly what he is trying to tap into in my opinion

I also believe that it will backfire on their campaign if he continues this nonesense, even if Hillary gets the nomination, he may alienate enough people not to bother to vote if she does

[EFerrari]

29. You're right, of course. That is the subtext.

Good old Bill. Why doesn't he go back to playing golf with Poppy.

[lurky]

27. I remember conflict between them.

Two enormous egos. One planet. Something's got to give.

[ecstatic]

11. I'm very disappointed in Bill this time. This was clear cut

on MSNBC they said he brought that up out of nowhere, unprompted. Is he drunk or what?

[skooooo]

14. ditto that. nt

[still_one]

18. He knows Jackson is a controversial figure, and he is trying to divide

If he really wants to help Hillary, he should focus on what he believes she can do for America, instead of this racial inuendos

He knows how to handle the media, and he knows exactly what he is doing, but I believe it will be a negative for Hillary's campaign if it continues

[ecstatic]

26. But what's eerie about it is that he could have easily snuck in his inuendo in response

to a relevant question, or at least while free styling in a speech. Why was he so eager to get his meme out in such a random way? Am I naive to give Bill the benefit of the doubt and seriously wonder if his health is OK? His rabidness of late reminds me of what happened to dear old Zell 7 or so years ago.

[still_one]

28. It is hard for me to believe that Bill says anything that he didn't mean to say /nt

[tammywammy]

19. Agreed

Very disappointed.

[HereSince1628]

13. Obvious. He was thinking that Jesse Jackson also attended a Madrassa

That was sarcasm, ya know?

This primary race is so ridiculous, it just keeps on giving opportunities to write punch lines for SNL.

As a kid we peewee footballers were expected to be modest in victory and gracious in defeat.

It's good to see that the grown-ups have really taken that lesson to heart.

[LittleBlue]

16. I can't believe he said that. If she is the nominee

what are black voters supposed to do? Vote for someone who race-baited their way into the General?

[still_one]

21. That is what I am thinking. Does he want the black voters to sit out the election

if Hillary wins the nomination?

If so, the Democrats most likely will lose if mccain is the repuke candidate

[killbotfactory]

20. Because Bill is an asshole

[pscot]

25. true dat

n/t

[Sparkly]

22. Jesse Jackson won in SC (twice I think), but didn't win the nomination?

:shrug:

[Proud2BAmurkin]

23. that's what he said. Seemed clear to me

:shrug:

[Bright Eyes]

24. Yeah he did win twice in SC.

The former president also drew fire today by comparing Obama's South Carolina victory to that of another black politician who won the state's Democratic presidential primaries in 1984 and 1988. ``Jesse Jackson won South Carolina twice,'' Clinton said, according to the New York Times.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=abBgzvTHNidM&refer=home

[lurky]

31. The first time he blew it by

making a bunch of really nasty anti-semitic comments (for instance, called New York "Hymie-Town" in front of a Washington Post reporter). Got a lot of negative attention for being close to Louis Farrakhan, who actually threatened the reporter who broke the above story. The whole thing was a mess.

During the second run, he actually won more primaries, but he was still pretty controversial and was perceived negatively by a lot of people. He also had never held public office, which was a big criticism I remember hearing.

I think it's pretty clear that the comparison between the two candidates and their campaigns doesn't stand up to much scrutiny.

[still_one]

32. but the association of that negativity is what Bill is trying to tap into

and he knows exactly what he is doing

[Sparkly]

36. The only "comparison" was that they both won SC. nt

[FrenchieCat]

39. No, the only comparison is Jackson was Black like Obama.

because Clinton could have used Edwards, a more recent example of someone who won SC and lost the Nomination...but that's not who he selected. Bill was trying to marginalize Obama, once again. He hasn't learned a thing!

[milkyway]

30. He meant that Obama's just another black politician that can't win a national campaign.

Sure "they" can win in states with a heavy black population, but they can't win elsewhere.

He's saying that Obama won Iowa before the Clintons decided to turn Obama into "the black candidate." Bill's assuming there's a lot of closet racists that won't vote for Obama. Such an uplifting message.

[still_one]

33. That cuts to chase, and I believe is a stupid tactic because he will

alienate the African American voter, which he may need if Hillary wins the nomination

[Sparkly]

35. I don't understand how The Clintons "turned Obama into the black candidate."

:shrug:

And if he was saying Obama, like Jackson, won in SC but it's not over yet, how is that shocking and disgraceful? (Which is what the talking heads were saying earlier.)

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MzShellG]

41. what's not to understand?

The underlying point he was making is that a black man can not win the GE, regardless of a SC victory. He 'made' him the 'black candidate' by comparing him to a black man who is controversial in the MSM.

[FrenchieCat]

42. Slightly disappointed Sparkly, if you don't get the inference.

Why didn't Clinton use Edwards as the example of someone who won a state and still lost the nomination? Because that's not what Clinton was referring to. It would seem that you would get this without anyone having to draw you a picture!

[PondoNavyNuke]

34. Did he say it that way? Or are you taking it out of context?

maybe you can link to a quote

[MzShellG]

37. Cleary he was underhandedly, yet so obviously, injecting race....

Into the issue. Firstly, his answer had nothing to do with the question. Let's not try and pretend he wasn't comparing Obama to Jackson because they are both black. It was a thinly veiled label he was attaching to Obama in an a attempt to undermine his huge win. Otherwise, WTH else was that all about, really?

[FrenchieCat]

43. of Course!

The question was, Is Barack such a good candidate that he needs you and Hillary going up against him?

It was a question meant to provoke. Problem is, Bill didn't handle it well.....

his answer, Jesse Jackson won two primaries in SC.

:wtf:

[loveangelc]

40. sad.

[johnnydrama]

44. yup

South Carolina is that black state where a black candidate can win the Democratic nomination, but it really doesn't mean anything for the regular part of the Democratic primaries.

Thanks Bill.

[Marie26]

45. Let's hope so

Well, consciously he was probably thinking that this would help HRC's campaign & minimize Obama's victory. But I'm really starting to wonder if Clinton is subconsciously sabatoging her campaign. In one sentence, he managed to insult African-Americans & the entire state of South Carolina. Brilliant strategy there, Bill. He's famous for his political instincts, yet he's managed to offend, alienate and annoy voters almost every time he talks during this primary campaign. I hope Hillary's campaign shuts him up & reins him in - he's turning off voters big-time.