Racial Tensions Roil Democratic Party

Politico:

A series of comments from Senator Hillary Clinton, her husband, and her supporters are spurring a racial backlash and adding a divisive edge to the presidential primary as the candidates head south to heavily African-American South Carolina.

The comments, which ranged from the New York Senator appearing to diminish the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement - an aide later said she misspoke - to Bill Clinton dismissing Sen. Barack Obama's image in the media as a "fairy tale" -generated outrage on black radio, black blogs, and cable television. And now they've drawn the attention of prominent African-American politicians.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[independentrepublicrat]

I feel sorry for the Clintons. This blantant race baiting by the Clintons themselves as well as their campaign, advisors, and supporters---such as the infamous media whore Bob Johnson---is beyond offensive and pathetic. I hope that the black community brings about a reckoning if she is successful in her electronic vote tampering and injection of racial division to steal the democratic nomination. I say it here and I will say it everywhere there is a black pair of ears to hear me. If she gets the nomination in such an unscrupulous and Bushian manner, blacks should vote with all the might and power of their constituency for either Huckabee or Bloomberg. If they can't hold their noses long enough to vote republican, then stay at home on election day in November and don't vote for Hillary at all. MLK and supporters eventually took a stand and stopped riding the bus when forced to sit in the back and black people should not stay on the racist, electronic vote tampering Hillary train in the general election. The Clintons are expecting that no matter what racist, divisive tactics they use against Obama, blacks will have no other choice but to vote democrat; however, there is another choice and it is to not vote for Hillary or at all in a general election. Now is the current generation's time to make a stand against this kind of racism and oppression that the Clintons are harkening us back to. Make a stand against supporting her ilk in November if she steals her way to the nomination with the most deplorable racial tactics.

[ajax2]

Bill is playing to the rednecks much too early.

[iknowmorethanu4sure]

clinton - obama - they are all redundant - America is slowly disintegrating before our eyes......wake up!!! We the people - hah - now THAT is the true fairy tale.....The 80% are being strangled and are beggining to wake up to this realization and the other 19% will be aware before too long...and then what?.....

[wildhorse]

GOOD GOING BRAZILE.

SAY GOODBYE TO THE WHITE VOTE!

[mrogers2007]

This discussion proves one thing: Neither Clinton nor Obama is electable. They are too divisive!!!! With their stupid gender and race issues already dividing the Democratic party, the Republicans are counting up their electoral votes even as we speak.

Neither Clinton nor Obama can carry the three key states democrats needed in 2004: Ohio, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Not to mention the south where women and blacks are still expected to stay in their places.

Who can carry the south? JOHN EDWARDS can carry the south. Who can carry Ohio & Pennsylvania? JOHN EDWARDS can carry Ohio & Pennsylvania (with his economic message). He might be able to carry Florida as well. He's as liberal as the rest (the dems are like peas in a pod, philosophically and policy-wise).

Ask yourselves this: "Which democrat does Karl Rove LEAST want to go against in November 2008?" He's got a bazillion ways to chew up and spit out Clinton & Obama. But how would he fare with Edwards? Not so well.

Ignore the frontrunner hype! It may well be Rove-inspired and RNC-funded. They are drooling at the prospect of savaging these two with their divisive issues in the general election.

DON'T BE FOOLED BY KARL ROVE AGAIN. If you like any of these democrats, you have to like them all. SO ... vote for a democrat who can carry the heartland of good old racist, sexist America. I'm serious. This is too important to screw up again.

[fourex]

Is Bill playing the Redneck card. Newt likes the strategy.

[Lisette]

The Clintons are bad for the Democratic party. These 2 old dry bones.

[poopdeck]

Yesterday Keith Olbermann played the entire remark of Bill Clinton. Bill was absolutely correct. He did not call Obama's image a "fairy tale" as falsely suggested by the posting but Obama's deceitful anti-war claims. Why is it that Obama's supporters cannot accept the truth that his position and acts on Iraq were essentially identical to those of Senator Clinton once Obama got into the Senate. Both have been paymasters for the war in Iraq.

[johnnyjust]

Racism, sexism.
Doesn't matter to me how either one of them lose.

[supergranny]

racism? gimme a break. Go ahead and hate the next president of the United States, but racism is not her agenda. Obama is selling fairy dusting and his bright shiny potentials which aint gonna fly for what's in store for this country.

[wildhorse]

THE CLINTONS INVENTED POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.

NOW THEY'RE GETTING A TASTE OF THEY'RE OWN MEDICINE.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!

[wildhorse]

THE CLINTONS INVENTED POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.

NOW THEY'RE GETTING A TAST OF THEY'RE OWN MEDICINE.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND!

[Canukistani]

For those who are for Obama and/or just against Hillary, there are certainly enough (or more than enough) legitimate reasons to criticize her without Bill's Fairy Tale comment being spun as being racist. Hearing the comment in context makes it pretty clear that his intent, was probably misleading, at least I thought so, but it certainly wasn't racist. Yes, it can be spun that way, but not without a preconceived agenda in the first place.

I wish people could learn to have legitimate disagreements without feeling the need to jump to the wildest possible, most extreme point of view at the first available opportunity. I know some of you find it fun, but you will have to live with each other when all this is over.

[degjack]

The media will do or say anything to slime the Clintons -- even make up "news" like this lame fairytale story and Hillary's MLK remarks.
Blacks are solidly behind the Clintons. You gotta come better than this b.s. to dislodge their support.

[Steamboater]

It's getting to that very edgy point where any criticism of Obama is viewed by too many of his supporters as racist. This is going to insure a democratic loss come the general election. Dems need to realize what's at stake.g., the supreme court nominees, abortion rights, gay rights, the economy which is nose-diving, social security etc. Forget the Iraq war because neither Clinton or Obama will end our involvement there. That's a dead issue with these two.