FROM YOUR COMMENTS, "RAB" notes below...
"One thing that seems to afflict both Clinton and Obama right now is the way anything said by anyone connected with their campaigns -- or even alleged supporters unconnected to their campaigns -- is being laid at the feet of the candidates themselves."
I AGREE, but only to an extent.
IN THE INSTANCE of the BOB JOHNSON speech, which I find so objectionable, however:
a) Hillary Clinton was on stage with Johnson when he made his speech.
b) She did not and has not rebuked his speech.
c) The Clinton campaign itself issued Johnson's defense, that his reference to Obama "doing something in the neighborhood" that was so shameful that Johnson dare not speak it aloud was not AT ALL a reference to Obama's experimentation with drugs, but instead a reference to Obama's work as a community organizer.
I TRUST YOU WILL JOIN ME IN AGREEING THIS EXPLANATION IS UTTERLY IMPLAUSIBLE
and d) today, Bill Clinton again came to Johnson's defense, saying we must take Johnson at his word.
THERE IS NO QUESTION in my mind what Johnson was actually referring to. And in this case his candidate has not only tacitly endorsed his attack, but explicitly defended it.
Presumably they also defend Johnson's later attack, which has gotten less play, but which I find DOUBLY FOUL and very sad indeed...
JOHNSON: “That kind of campaign behavior does not resonate with me, for a guy who says, ‘I want to be a reasonable, likable, Sidney Poitier ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.’ And I’m thinking, I’m thinking to myself, this ain’t a movie, Sidney. This is real life.”
THIS TECHNIQUE, suggesting that the Obama is not the RIGHT KIND of black person for the job, is unfortunately not new.
"You have to learn to be an African-American, and we don't have time to train you."--Then incumbent mayor of Sharpe James discussing his rival, Cory Booker, in 2002.
HOW DID their rivalry finally play out? If you don't know, I don't want to spoil the movie for you:
THAT IS ALL
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6 comments:
Bill Clinton, why hast thou forsaken us?
PS: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was a great movie.
I support HRC but the "doing something in the neighborhood" line was quite disgusting. The sooner the campaigns move away from these tasteless comments the better.
I still think my description is accurate overall, but you're absolutely right about this example.
I believe Aaron McGruder effectively summarized Bob Johnson's views on serving the black community several years ago. Sad that this is the type of person Clinton wants speaking for her campaign.
Campaigns make mistakes in who they allow to speak for them all the time. For example, I feel it was ill-advised of Obama to go on daytime television and get the Official Oprah Seal of Approval.
Fact is, both campaigns are seeking the all-important Black Vote, and they're both doing it on eggshells. I think Sen. Clinton would say something about Johnson's comments if she weren't afraid of what she'd step on.
Not to thwart your efforts to sleep again, but if you'd like more details on just how stomach-turning Bob Johnson is, please direct your eyes to this very thorough (and thoroughly disturbing) profile in The New Republic: http://tinyurl.com/ypauyw
Apologies in advance, as it's likely to make you sadder, and should also render when she took the stage largely irrelevant.
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