Carter says NO to Clinton VP

[Growler]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/04/uselections2008

Barack Obama should not pick Hillary Clinton as his vice-presidential nominee, former president Jimmy Carter has told the Guardian.

"I think it would be the worst mistake that could be made," said Carter. "That would just accumulate the negative aspects of both candidates."

Carter, who formally endorsed the Illinois senator last night, cited opinion polls showing 50% of US voters with a negative view of Clinton.

In terms that might discomfort the Obama camp, he said: "If you take that 50% who just don't want to vote for Clinton and add it to whatever element there might be who don't think Obama is white enough or old enough or experienced enough or because he's got a middle name that sounds Arab, you could have the worst of both worlds."

more:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/04/uselections2008

[SoonerPride]

1. IOW "Hillary Clinton is toxic."

And her poison rubs off and will kill his campaign.

[phrigndumass]

52. Right on the nose :)

:thumbsup:

[kentuck]

2. Jimmy Carter is a wise man...

I would not discount his words lightly.

[jasmine621]

32. I wish he could run again. He is truly wise.

No one realizes that Obama is where he is today largely because of Hillary hate. The last primaries demonstrate that when the Hill haters realized that Obama might be a real threat they began to change their voting and ther speech. Now they are stuck with a man who might steal the whole prize and they don't know what to do. But some Obama supporters will give them a way out by continuing to stoke the hate Hillary fires that will turn off enough voters from Obama to give McCain the victory. I don't see one sourthern state that Obama takes except VA. The 16 years of bashing the Clintons and through this primary have sealed the Dems promise for the future...they will not be able unify the party nor the nation. This is a nation divided by race and even Obama can't change that. And by demonizing the best hope for the Dems to defeat the GOP machine in the south, the future is pretty clear. And now with this free-pass speech at AIPAC, the war machine is gearing up for the wars to come. I expect incitement of the Muslim world and despair from the Arab world. Not going to make gasoline life any easier.

[leftynyc]

36. No reason he couldn't run again

He lost his re-election bid and only served 4. He'd get creamed but he could run.

[jakem]

3. Carter is a smart man.

[BklynChick]

4. this is how Gore should use his important voice NOW as well.

[guruoo]

18. Gore has yet to endorse?

[BklynChick]

40. not yet.

[Junkdrawer]

5. You KNOW Rove et al have a ton of crap they're planning to dump on Hillary...

Why else would they fight so hard to see she gets the nomination?

[Window]

6. I'm in agreement with President Carter.

[JVS]

7. LOL! Nice old Jimmy Carter putting the kibosh on the idea. Gotta love it.

[stevenleser]

I wish he wouldn't have said that.

If he had such thoughts, he should have phoned Barack or Axelrod and quietly said so. At a time when we are trying to reach out to the Clintons and their supporters, this kind of public on the record statement is exactly the opposite of what we need.

[JVS]

9. I think he is old and respected enough to deliver the reality check that is needed.

[kenny blankenship]

8. Blessed are the peacemakers.

[WeDidIt]

10. If it was just Hillary, it wouldn't be a problem

The problem is, Bill comes along for the ride, and that's a huge negative.

[mac2]

13. You won't get much support by bashing Bill.

Stand on your own hind legs.

[LordJFT]

17. I hate to rain on your parade, but Bill's not so popular anymore

[mac2]

21. Ya and who did that?

At least the didn't remove our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Or force his religious agenda on us. He fought against war in Iraq.

I don't see the major candidates doing anything of that sort.

[LordJFT]

25. He did not fight against war in Iraq, I don't know where you got that from

[Spider Jerusalem]

26. Epic fail.

You're embarrassing yourself. Just stop.

Clinton defends successor's push for war
Says Bush 'couldn't responsibly ignore' chance Iraq had WMDs

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 Posted: 7:55 AM EDT (1155 GMT)

(CNN) -- Former President Clinton has revealed that he continues to support President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq but chastised the administration over the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison.

"I have repeatedly defended President Bush against the left on Iraq, even though I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over," Clinton said in a Time magazine interview that will hit newsstands Monday, a day before the publication of his book "My Life."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/06/19/clinton.iraq/index.html

[guruoo]

43. "I think he should have waited until the U.N. inspections were over,"

[Spider Jerusalem]

46. that's not the meat of it.

'Continues to support...Bush's decision to go to war'.

THAT is the crux.

[Catherina]

50. What a joke. He bombed Iraq daily for 8 yrs straight. Quit burying your head n/t

[City Lights]

11. I agree!

:yourock: President Carter!

Recommended.

[mac2]

12. Who the crap thinks that Carter has an opinion that we

should honor? Carter is gone and is no longer in office but you wouldn't think so. He speaks for who? His own power.

[Lucky 13]

14. WOW. The same could be said about Bill, by your standards.

[jgraz]

15. Carter is a statesman, pure and simple -- something a Clintonist will never understand.

[SoonerPride]

19. tick tock tick tock

time's almost up.

[Spider Jerusalem]

20. You must have him confused with Bill Clinton.

Helpful hint: Jimmy Carter hasn't used his post-presidential years to become filthy rich while engaging in questionable business deals.

[mac2]

24. No but he belongs to those secret behind closed door

world order groups. He's the elite. Very few who become President who aren't. When does that stop?

[JVS]

27. "World order groups"

Do you realize how redonkulous you sound.

[ForeignSpectator]

39. Right... and Bill Clinton and Poppy Bush just play golf together for humanitarian purposes... n/t

[TBF]

34. WTF? Carter is not only a former president, but a humanitarian.

While Bill Clinton has been lining his bank account with speeches, Mr. Carter has been involved with philanthropy like Habitat for Humanity.

Only.six.more.days.of.this.crap.

[mac2]

53. Trilateral Commission

Meets behind closed doors making decisions for us and dividing up the world for their own power and wealth. Like it or not too many of our leaders belong to it. Including Carter.

He should remove himself if he believes in democracy and open government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilateral_Commission

[JackORoses]

16. Right On, Jimmy!

[futureliveshere]

22. Well said Mr. President. There is no way HRC will be the VP.

[TwilightGardener]

23. I agree, Jimmeh!

[Mudoria]

28. I would imagine a wise old man like Carter knows a

thing or two about losing campaigns.

[TBF]

29. Heh. President Carter has a way of cutting through the crap quite nicely.

He is absolutely correct, as always.

[NoFederales]

30. Emphasis added to my own thoughts. nt

NoFederales

[B Calm]

31. I respect Jimmy Carter and god only knows where we would be right now

if Raygun and Bush hadn't made a arms for hostages deal. . .

[invictus]

33. K & R

[nyccitizen]

35. Man, sometimes I think Jimmy Carter is wrong on just about everything...

I don't like the idea of Hillary Clinton on the ticket but polling data pretty much says the opposite of what Carter has said.

Between this and his recent dealings with Israel/Palestine, it seems like there isn't an issue Carter can't put his foot in his mouth over. Nice guy, but sheesh...

[crickets]

44. Which polling data would that be?

Gotta link by any chance?

[Khaotic]

37. Spot on Jimmy

You know exactly what we know.

Hillary is toxic.

Goodnight Hillary, she better focus on keeping her seat in 2012 in NY.

[mloutre]

38. James Earl Carter was the first president I ever worked for

at the campaign level.

Barack Hussein Obama is the most recent.

What a long, strange -- and, especially now, wonderful -- trip it's been.

[klook]

41. A Clinton on the ticket inspires

the knuckle-draggers like nothing else to come out and vote for a Republican, any Republican, even the "moderate" :eyes: McCain.

Pres. Carter's reasoning is correct on this, although I agree with another poster that maybe it would have been better to voice his concerns in private instead of airing party dirty laundry to an international newspaper. But he's been around long enough to know the most effective approach, so maybe he's right on that also.

[greguganus]

42. kick n/t

[crickets]

45. I respect Jimmy Carter more and more as time goes by.

I'm a little surprised he said anything, but it seems he's being his usual honest and open self. That's the great thing about being an ex-president and respected elder statesman. You can go ahead and say the stuff that other people might only tap dance around. He hits the nail right on the head. WTG, Jimmy.

[Hoof Hearted]

47. Carter has been holding a grudge to his bosom for over a decade.

He should go back to his charity work. He's proved to be quite extraordinary at that. He hasn't done so well at politics since shortly after his final election.

[Crunchy Frog]

48. Jimmy Carter is an exceptionally wise man.

I hope Obama takes him seriously.

[Raksha]

49. He's right--it would compound the negatives of both of them. n/t

[Catherina]

51. Thank you President Carter n/t