Obama calls Clinton divisive figure

[ProSense]

Obama calls Clinton divisive figure

By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer

DENVER - Democratic White House candidate Barack Obama on Wednesday said rival Hillary Rodham Clinton is too polarizing to win the presidency and she has taken positions shared by President Bush and Republican candidate John McCain for political expediency.

Obama depicted Clinton as a calculating, poll-tested divisive figure who will only inspire greater partisan divisions as she sides with Republicans on issues like trade, the role of lobbyists in politics and national security. At the same time, he elevated McCain, fresh off victory in Florida's crucial primary, as the likely Republican nominee.

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"It is time for new leadership that understands the way to win a debate with John McCain or any Republican who is nominated is not by nominating someone who agreed with him on voting for the war in Iraq or who agreed with him in voting to give George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran, who agrees with him in embracing the Bush-Cheney policy of not talking to leaders we don't like, who actually differed with him by arguing for exceptions for torture before changing positions when the politics of the moment changed," Obama said.

"We need to offer the American people a clear contrast on national security, and when I am the nominee of the Democratic Party, that is exactly what I will do," he said.

The Clinton campaign said Obama was abandoning his pledge to run a positive campaign by making misleading attacks on her record.

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Obama drew more than 10,000 people to his speech at the University of Denver. They packed a hockey arena and crammed into two overflow rooms and still were lined up outside to get in. Colorado is a caucus state, one of 22 to hold nominating contests Tuesday, and is one of a handful of states where the Obama campaign is predicting victory. Clinton has the advantage in several others, while several are still up for grabs.

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Friends

[busymom]

1. Just more politics of hope from nobama.

[bowens43]

Just more truth from Obama.

[neutron]

57. Obama has been the most devisive candidate in U.S. History

I could not BELIEVE he started out the last debate with an attack on Clinton.
On DR. MARTIN LUTHOR KING'S BIRTHDAY. Totally disrespectful.
And his last speech in NC was racially driven.

I'm convinced Kennedy stepped in to make sure Obama didn't take things
in a bad direction.

[grrr050]

16. Same O' same O' from the Ghandi of Unity

Didnt he guaranteed that no matter what happens, his supporters will not go to Hillary.

[Big Blue Marble]

27. What is the matter with Gandhi?

He was one of the great figures of the Twentieth Century.

I am sure that Obama would be humbled by your comparison.




Spell check: Gandhi has a h.

[Tellurian]

25. What a crybaby! he's missing his..

pooh bama!

[Little Star]

30. Mr. Uniter?

[Tellurian]

43. Bambi has to face Hillary awl awone... Thursday night..

he's already missing John Edwards.

Now, he'll have to do his own dirty work.

[Yossariant]

38. Two threads on my screen. "Obama calls Clinton divisive figure" and

Hillary Announces - Voices Across America: A National Town Hall Webcast with 21 Super Tuesday states

:rofl:

And the Brits say we don't do irony. :nuke:

[Nedsdag]

58. Boy!

The truth really hurts, doesn't it?

"Your gal" divides more than she unites.

[book_worm]

2. It's true she is polarizing.

[aquart]

6. Unlike Obama who unites us all in love and peace.

He's a uniter, not a divider.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. .

:spray:

[John Q. Citizen]

20. Everyone except you, aquart. What's so funny about peace love and understanding?

[bowens43]

3. Talk about an understatment.

Hillary is EASILY the most divisive politician in the country.

[BlackVelvet04]

4. And saying that is sooooooooooo

unifying. :eyes:

[tandem5]

haha nt

[judaspriestess]

32. no shit blackvelvet

I thought the same thing.

[BlackVelvet04]

45. It's amazing...

the unifier is slamming the other candidate and calling her divisive? :rofl: :spray:

[demo dutch]

5. This will help the surge of McCain. Indies are getting turned off by this kind

of campaigning by both Dems. We're going to need the Indies to make it happen.

[Tarc]

7. Obama turning into an ever more Bitter Betty?

Whodathunk?

[Qutzupalotl]

8. When reading anything by Nedra Pickler,

might as well skip her "summary" and go right to the actual quotes.

She is a spinner for the right, that one. I wouldn't trust her "analysis".

[LibraLiz1973]

9. That's rich, coming from him

[rinsd]

10. Because implying your opponent is racist is all about unity!

"It is time for new leadership that understands the way to win a debate with John McCain or any Republican who is nominated is not by nominating someone who agreed with him on voting for the war in Iraq or

"who agreed with him in voting to give George Bush the benefit of the doubt on Iran"

Yes it was such an important issue, he decided to campaign in Maine instead...even when the original vote was held.

"who agrees with him in embracing the Bush-Cheney policy of not talking to leaders we don't like,"

Oh look another lie by Obama about Hillary and diplomacy.

"who actually differed with him by arguing for exceptions for torture before changing positions when the politics of the moment changed," Obama said."

From someone who supposedly came from the left and has done nothing but run to the middle that is hilarious

[BeyondGeography]

29. Send Bill out there to set the record straight

We'd enjoy hearing from him again.

[VolcanoJen]

33. ROFL

That was funny. :-)

[BeyondGeography]

42. I loves me some fairy tales

[jasmine621]

11. Pulling the old "polarizing card" again. Keep saying it over and over again

and this gives the Republicans all they will need come the GE if Hillary wins the nomination.

[abburdlen]

21. Sorry to tell you

her high negatives aren't because Obama points out she's polarizing.

Most of the country formed their opinion of her long before this campaign started and a good number of them don't view her favorably.

[jasmine621]

23. Polarizing is as polarizing does and speaks. nt

[pampango]

34. Many Hillary supporters seem to be proud that she is "polarizing" in the sense

that she will be better than Obama at bashing Republicans over the head and taking back control of the country from them. Her strategy seems to rely more on promoting an "us vs them" (Democrats vs Republicans) (good guys vs bad guys) than Obama does. I would expect some of her supporters to prefer a "polarizing" (read - confrontational, partisan, direct) approach to Republicans over a "kumbaya" approach which they might pin on Obama.

And some of the "polarizing" effect she may have is more the fault of Rush and the RW boys than it is her fault. To them she is the "devil they know" while Obama is in many ways the "devil they don't know" or at least not as well yet.

[SPKrazy]

12. they're both devisive

equal to each other in that regard

[John Q. Citizen]

13. He's right.

[Egnever]

14. More than 10k

Wow!

[Metric System]

17. "Obama depicted Clinton as a calculating, poll-tested divisive figure"

Is this the politics of hope? Getting away from the old style of politics?!? :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[Dawgs]

18. Is he wrong?

:shrug:

[Tom Rinaldo]

19. Which, virtually by definition, is a pretty divisive statement to make

Obama seems interested in pursuing unity with fair minded Republicans, approaching that dialog with a substantial percentage of his own party base angry with him over how he regards and lables a leading Democrat who they feel speaks for them. It doesn't take a genious to see the problem with that. Get your own house in order Obama, relations inside your own party, before you go seeking unity across the aisle, or they will be able to take you to the cleaners and we will pay the bill.

[Azathoth]

22. Obama is now saying what many, many Democrats have been saying for some time

It's nice to see that the gloves have come off, and Hillary is finally being called out on what she is.

[oasis]

48. "The Great Pretender" was supposed to usher in a new kind of politics. Remember?

[TheDebbieDee]

24. Divisive, polarizing.......

These are two words that most Americans don't commonly use.

Divisive and polarizing are words that repukes starting using several years ago to describe Hillary Clinton.

Why can't DUers understand that when you use the words divisive and polarizing you're repeating the repuke meme.

These words been implanted into your subconscious (sp) and when her name is mentioned you repeat the words divisive and polarizing like some well-trained dog.

I'm not buying the hype and neither should DUers. At least make the repukes come up with new words to describe Sen. Clinton - don't do the repukes jobs for them!

[Metric System]

47. Obama has now bought into and is promoting a RW talking point. I am absoltely disgusted with him n/t

[BeyondGeography]

26. Sounds like he's finally finding his voice

[VolcanoJen]

28. More than 10,000?? And some still waiting outside???

In Denver!!???!!!

That's incredible!

[Altec]

31. Obama is Distorting Iraq Vote Again

I agree that Hillary can be divisive, but Obama is distorting Hillary's Iraq Resolution vote for the umpteenth time. She didn't vote to go to Iraq, she voted for inspectors to finish their job in hopes of preventing a war. At the time, I believe that was a smart move when it comes to our safety. Obama is allowed to distort things for sake of argument, but anytime Hillary does it she is the status-quo attacking.

[AtomicKitten]

35. dupe

[AtomicKitten]

36. So, you really think the IWR was a "smart move when it comes to our safety?"

The IWR was a blank check; make no mistake about that. The IWR abdicated Congress' war-declaring powers to one man - a dipshit.

Hillary never bothered to read the NIE before casting that vote. If she had, she would have read the plethora of caveats that proved the rush to war was based on bullshit.

She should not be rewarded for that cynical, politically-motivated YES vote that gave Junior a blank check that he promptly cashed. It demonstrated her utter lack of judgment as a leader.

[abburdlen]

44. welcome to DU

if Clinton wanted to make sure the inspectors could finish their job she could have voted FOR the Levin amendment rather than against it.

Bottom line, she trusted the Bush administration rather than her fellow Democrats that voted against the IWR

[jenmito]

53. Begala and Carville BOTH said anyone who voted for the IWR not thinking Bush would use it to go to

war is an idiot! (paraphrasing, but same idea) And more than half of Congressional Dems. voted against it knowing exactly that. She obviously voted for it to look "tough."

[goldcanyonaz]

37. The anointed Obama has become boorish.

[Azathoth]

40. After 12 months of Hillary treating this thing like a coronation...now Obama is the 'anointed'?

:rofl:

[ProSense]

61. Exactly! n/t

[Barack_America]

39. I only read the direct quotes anymore.

I swear, the amount of spin and shit these reporters are trying to kick up in this election is insane. I no longer trust any of their "interpretations" of what the candidates say. I only pay attention to the direct quotes.

[anamandujano]

41. He has to talk like that to run down the clock.

Why can't he be positive, like he claims he is, and talk himself up?

After he spews about hope, inspiration and a new politics, he has too much time left and must say anything to keep from giving us details about why he is qualified for the job.

[oasis]

52. "The Great Pretender" has gotten so full of himself that he's changed course

on all that uplifting stuff. Obama reminds me of the main character in the movie "A face in the Crowd" with Andy Griffith.

[truebrit71]

46. Absolutely spot on. Of course the rabid clintonistas can't see the forest for the trees...

...but that's to be expected from them....

[jefferson_dem]

49. Not even debatable.

n/t

[goodgd_yall]

50. There goes the Unity message. n/t

[jenmito]

55. He has to get the nomination before being able to unite the country. Duh.

[Nimrod2005]

51. She is

[Rageneau]

56. He might as well -- especially since Hillary is not allowed to fight back.

[Araxen]

54. Nice to see Obama go on the offensive for once..

He'll need to be on offense for the big debate. This is going to be the biggest debate of the entire election this year, imo.

[Raffi Ella]

59. lol

How ironic.

[ProSense]

60. Hillary on Bill

Hillary on Bill