Obama Damps Down Racial Controversy

Political Radar:

Sen. Barack Obama told ABC News Monday there is nothing in Sen. Hillary Clinton's record that would give him any cause for concern about her in terms of racial politics.

Asked how Obama interpreted two recent remarks by the Clintons that prompted an angry reaction from some in the Black community, Obama sought to damp down the racial dynamics of the controversy.

Read the whole story: Political Radar

Comments

[tkk]

01:06 PM on 01/15/2008

Arianna thinks it's awkward because it put Hillary in a good light.

[AnninCA]

11:48 AM on 01/15/2008

We are obviously in the wake of this snaffu, but it's alarming that such a small and accurate remark could be construed as offensive to so many people.

Makes ME nervous.

We do not need a divisive candidate right now. It appears Obama's race is not a plus after all.

[LeftLeanWing]

11:40 AM on 01/15/2008

After Bill Clinton left office, he and Bob Johnson traded professional favors. When Johnson was bidding to buy the Charlotte Bobcats NBA team, he asked Clinton to call league Commissioner David Stern and put in a good word for him, which Clinton did.

[RusStyles]

11:23 AM on 01/15/2008

Excellent response by Obama! There is such a clear difference between how these tow frontrunners run their respective campaigns. One discusses the inherent greatness of Americans; inspires us to be the best we can be; restoring the positive image we once enjoyed amongst our international friends, etc. Versus one who allows surrogates to dredge-up Obama's past drug use; pisses on the concept of hope; distorts his positions (old school below-the-belt politrix) and that's just the tip...And she's the so-called most experienced. This is why--when one has a skewed moral foundation--experience has limited to no value. Further, though Clinton is crafty smart; as far as raw intelligence Obama has the edge. I dislike saying it, but it's no accident that she appeals to lower educated individuals, as did Bush.

I hope tonight's debate doesn't turn into a UFC hoedown. I'm faithful that Obama will display his natural leadership ability and remain above the distracting bs.

[LeftLeanWing]

10:27 AM on 01/15/2008

"Well, now the fun part starts," Clinton said

Did She have fun ?....

We didn't.
MAKE HER STOP !

[Nyla785]

10:22 AM on 01/15/2008

This whole thing is staring to look like 'The Racial Divide That Wasn't' in the democratic party. Most of it manufactured by media to fill air time. It's a campaign, people. With little to really distinguish Clinton from Obama, there is going to be GREAT effort to massge the nuances into a big fight--but it isn't one.

[nuana]

10:07 AM on 01/15/2008

It has been evident that there are more than a 1000 comment-posters who in all their ignorance have been deployed to do nothing but negate Obama. They want their partisan leader's voice to be heard through their posts unlike their own.
How tragic and ignorant!

[NoRepresentation]

09:29 AM on 01/15/2008

I no longer want to hear from any African American how there are limits as to what they can do in this country. They have a chance to elect a viable African American candidate in Obama, yet choose to vote for the white one. Makes sense to me!!!!

[independentrepublicrat]

08:47 AM on 01/15/2008

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.

[Forwhatsitsworth]

08:41 AM on 01/15/2008

Ariana, did he damp it down or did he try to?
Arina, why do you hate Hilary so much?

[independentrepublicrat]

08:40 AM on 01/15/2008

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.

[Nonamnesiac]

08:37 AM on 01/15/2008

Warmongerer, free trader Obama is smart to lower the volume on warmongerer, free trader Hillary's sophisticated use of the race card in this instance, as she was directing the comment to convince moderate White voters, who believe equality has been attained and are uncomfortable with Blacks pushing for a real end to racism, -- an image Obama has endeavored not to cultiave -- that Obama was really part of the Jesse Jackson/Al Sharpton wing of the civil rights movement.

But her attack on him for having the same record on the war as she has is devastating to Obama. Obama attempts to elevate his pre-Senate anti-war remarks into proof that he differs from Hillary on the war. In fact, Obama is just as much of a warmongerer as Hillary and his record since he got into the Senate proves it. As Hillary and Bill so ably note, his judgment is just as bad as hers -- he won't even commit to having the troops out of Iraq by 2013. They are equal warmongering barbarians -- equal to W., except they try to use rhetoric to make them appear different from W., while they continue to fund the murder and maimings for their own political benefit at the expense of U.S. interests.

Hillary was right to compare herself to warmongerer LBJ. She was wrong, however, to compare Obama to Martin Luther King -- as Martin Luther King staunchly and courageously opposed the Vietnam War even as LBJ pushed through pro-civil rights legislation. Obama is more like LBJ than Martin Luther King too.

[Markson]

06:55 AM on 01/15/2008

Sure he did--after it succeeded on working for him. The hell the Clintons would dare risking being demonized as racists--especially after the Shaheen incident.

[JohnFromCensornati]

06:32 AM on 01/15/2008

We wouldn't want an "awkward environment, now would we?

[Tator]

05:20 AM on 01/15/2008

I think it will be sweet justice if Hillary loses in the end because of racism.........Liberals are bigots and racist. The first thing a Liberal sees when they see a person is what race, what gender, what region of the country, what religion....

Watching the meltdown of Liberals by having the bigotry and racism exposed is a beautiful thing.