Obama: Hillary's Martin Luther King Remark Not "Racial" Comment

[rodeodance]

I applaud him for finally saying this---but he let this crap go on to long.


http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2008/01/obama_hillarys_martin_luther_king_remark_not_racial_comment.php

Obama: Hillary's Martin Luther King Remark Not "Racial" Comment
By Greg Sargent - January 14, 2008, 6:12PM

Barack Obama takes steps to defuse the racial and political tensions that have been uncorked by the battle between Hillary and himself over the meaning of recent remarks by the Clintons:

"I don't think it was in any way a racial comment," Obama told ABC News. "That's something that has played out in the press. That's not my view."

But, he said, the comment was revealing about her political character. "I do think it was indicative of the perspective that she brings, which is that what happens in Washington is more important than what happens outside of Washington," he said.

He said he believes the quote betrays a belief on her part, "that the intricacies of the legislative process were somehow more significant than when ordinary people rise up and march and go to jail and fight for justice."

He called that a "fundamental difference" between them.

...............

[cali]

1. yes, you really applaud him.

Oh, wait a minute. That's not what you're doing. You're taking a swipe at him. How shocking. I'd never expect that from you. I just love this kind of obvious post.

[rodeodance]

5. Please do not mess with my motives--I am truely glad he said that, yet I am

being critical of what I see as this comment coming late in the game.

[MethuenProgressive]

2. Took him long enough.

...

[sunonmars]

7. I think it was a case of

sit around and see if was going in his favour, when he saw it potentially damaging him, he suddenly condemns it as bull would be more like it.

[rodeodance]

9. I really do not know what he was thinking--but if he believed their was no

racial tones/comments, then, as you say, he should have spoken up sooner.

[sunonmars]

13. I think a lot of people are saying that

A lot of people i talked today, asked, why was all this bullshit being said about Bill and Hill being racist and then suddenly Obama says it wasnt but yet they perpetuated a culture that they were. A lot of white voters suddenly might look at that statement and think, what shit is he pulling and similarly, a lot of black people may look at it and go, well you practically implied they were being racist and now your not, what gives? Similarly a lot of black people may think he's gone soft by not pursuing it. He's walking a tightrope on this, not a good position to be in.

I know a lot of people are furious about it. If I was Hillary and someone attacked me tonight about it, i'd just say, well why did you leave it so long before you stopped it.

[rodeodance]

24. yes, I can see all those scenarios playing out.

[Mass]

3. So, now, Hillary can go and condemn Bob Johnson and Charlie Rangel.

And I will applaud her, though she was sitting next to Johnson and said nothing.

In the meantime, she can condemn the lawsuit in NV and the fact that NBC excludes Kucinich (nothing to do with Obama, but ...). And she will have made some progress.

[rodeodance]

18. Obama has his Donnie McClukin and Hil has her Bob Johnson-both are

albatrosses --.
I do not know about charlie Ra. ---new to me.

[annie1]

25. He's a congressman in harlem, he's been a congressman for 30 years...

or something. he and former ny senator moynihan got her to run for the senate in the first place.

[rodeodance]

27. Oh, sorry--I know who he is---but not what he said relavent to this issue.

[annie1]

31. oh. :D. sorry! :D

he got pissed that her remarks were misconstrued as racist by some in the obama camp and went off at the mouth.

[indimuse]

28. I say..What about Jesse Jackson Jr..He's Co chair for God sake!

:grr::grr::grr:

[annie1]

23. Rangel is nobody's surrogate. and Hillary is no one to condemn him.

[Mass]

26. You mean she is not entitled to her own opinion of what Rangel said.

[annie1]

29. he's entitled to his opinion and would have said it whether he backed her or not....

he doesn't say anything on her behalf, he says it as a 20 term congressman.

[BeyondGeography]

4. I say Obama should just drop everything and become a full-time apologist for the Clintons

[shaniqua6392]

6. Why did he let it go on for several days?

I did not think it was racial to begin with. He could have diffused the situation with the media rather than let it fester. Was he trying to see if the tension would garner him votes in South Carolina? I am a little disappointed as I get ready to hit the voting booth here in Michigan. I have never been so torn in an election and am not feeling the usual sense of pride in my vote this year. It just all seems so screwed up. I thought about staying home but I just don't feel right about that either.

[rodeodance]

10. No, don't stary home. I think--just a gut feeling--you will regret it if not vote. But

I sure wish Obama would have diffused this crap earlier.

There was a positive hopefullness-a spirit in the campaign for many of Obama's voters--I think in the long run, Obama took away some of the positiveness by letting it go on as he did.

[AX10]

12. Obama knew what he was doing.

He played the race card so that he could win South Carolina. It looks like it worked.

[shaniqua6392]

16. I don't have the heart to stay home.

I feel like the vote is all we have left any more. I guess I will meditate on it for an hour or so and go for it. Kind of a depressing day. Obama just showed me that he is no different than any of the others. They are all politicians after all and we should not expect a savior among them. Thanks for the pep talk though. I do appreciate it. Blessings and peace.

[JTFrog]

8. He wasn't about to play the victim card the way Hillary does now was he?

Good for him.

[rodeodance]

11. the victim card (Obama)--I really am at a loss by what you mean by this. Can

you elaborate some please.

[JTFrog]

14. He wasn't going to say she's picking on me cuz I'm a black man the way she said they're picking on

on me cuz I'm a girl.

That elaborate enough?

[rodeodance]

20. Thanks, I get is now.

[arewenotdemo]

15. M'kay.

[MethuenProgressive]

17. Threads calling HRC a racist over MLK comment get 100s of recs...

Thread where Obama corrects his supporter's misguided hatred - 1 rec.
*That's* the way Swiftboating works!

[annie1]

19. ah, good point. Rec'd.

[rodeodance]

22. Good observation--and yes, you are right.

[Connie_Corleone]

30. Well, I didn't recommend the thread because I already

recommended a thread last night with the same comments from Obama. That particular thread got a lot of recommendations. Also, I didn't like the part of the OP saying Obama took too long. Both candidates called for a truce yesterday.

And, I don't hate Hillary Clinton and never said her or Bill's comments were racist.

I've had more of a problem with her surrogates saying stupid things, not Hillary and Bill.

[LostinVA]

32. Exactly

[Connie_Corleone]

21. Supporters on both sides who can't help themselves from fanning the flames...

need to just shut up. I'm sick of it.

[MethuenProgressive]

33. kick - please rec this

:kick: