Bill Clinton: Obama Is Just Like Jesse Jackson

ABC News:

Said Bill Clinton today in Columbia, SC: "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina in '84 and '88. Jackson ran a good campaign. And Obama ran a good campaign here."

This was in response to a question about Obama saying it "took two people to beat him." Jackson had not been mentioned.

Boy, I can't understand why anyone would think the Clintons are running a race-baiting campaign to paint Obama as "the black candidate."

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[detriangulation]

12:54 PM on 01/31/2008

This morning on MSNBC, Clinton surrogate Senator Bill Nelson, as part of a continued effort to hype Clinton's anachronistic FL "victory", highlighted her superior performance across all demographics---with one notable caveat. Nelson concedes Obama decisively won "THE BLACK VOTE" in FL that, looking ahead to Super Tuesday, only gives him marginal and inadequate "POCKETS OF SUPPORT."
This is further evidence that Hillary Clinton continues to rely on her establishment sycophants (including Bill Clinton, with his Jesse Jackson assertions after South Carolina, etc.) to pursue a Southern Strategy: a desperate, futile and shameless attempt to racially polarize the electorate and relegate Obama to the status of a candidate who is for, by, and of African Americans alone. This racial triangulation will continue to backfire because it outrages African American, white, Latino and Asian Democrats alike. Please make people aware of Senator Nelson's comments!!

[SEQUOIABISON]

06:09 AM on 01/28/2008

When Bill starts criticizing the war his wife voted for, then perhaps he might gain some credibility.

But he is hesitant to say anything bad about his best friends son baby Bush.

Bill has sacrificed his integrity at the alter of the dollar, it is much more important for him to get a foothold in the Carlyle Group than to speak out against the horrible policies that Bush has imposed on the world.

I have never heard Bill or Hill speak out against torture or the suspension of Habeas Corpus or the Patriot Act or the invasion of Iraq.

Because they are no better than the Republicans they are running against.

It is no wonder he said that a race between Hill and McCain would be civilized, because they have no disagreements they are both warmongers.

[AnninCA]

02:55 PM on 01/27/2008

Obama will go down in my own personal history. He's the guy who cut me loose from 60's thinking.

I'm white. My 60's thinkig said, "Yes, this guy is better for me personally.....BUT."

I always voted in favor of minorities.

I'm white. But I'm also female.

We share territory.

Today?

I don't think we do.

I don't see that thread of unity I used to see.

I see Obama as "not for women of white color."

Moreover, I see that he has cut that thread.

And I will vote for myself this year, totally, for the first time in my adult life. Probably, that's a good thing.

I'm a female over 50 with her financial security connected to Wall Street.

I'm not going to vote against myself, particularly after seeing the booing of Clinton.

The days of appreciation for any white person who supported civil rights is obviously "old" and gone.

I get the message. I'm sure the Clintons do, too.

And I am fairly certain that they, like me, don't regret this attitude.

I supported Civil Rights because it made ME respect ME.

I never asked for applause.

And now that it's being dismissed?

I am personally gratified to see that I really meant what I said.

It's OK.

It still was the right choice at the time.

I'm still proud of me.

And I really don't care if it's dismissed at this stage of life.

I know it was right.

Today, however, I hear the drums of change.

I hear that those hard efforts aren't really respected anymore, and I think.....it's now time for you to just vote for you.

So......with enthusiasm, I will vote for Hillary Clinton.

She's good for me.

[vippy]

02:53 PM on 01/27/2008

McNairbo - you are simply not correct. Bill Clinton is much responsible for the banking mess we are in today. He did away with the 1933 imposed banking laws and put the Gramm, Leach, bliley Act into law in 1999. But then
people hold him dear like a god just because he was president during a time when the economy did well but with no ties to him. Of course, he now looks good compared to Bush, but think, who executed NAFTA, these banking laws that bite us now. Tell me, what Bill did for you?

[fourex]

02:51 PM on 01/27/2008

Bill Clinton should be booed by all Democrats. In addition to his personal attacks on Obama, Bill has promoted Hillary as Bush Lite, an in your face insult to all progressives who demand an end to Bush policies.

[LeeroyFDermit]

02:09 PM on 01/27/2008

I really want to understand why Democrats didn't see how bad the Clintons were before now.

Now if Democrats can just let go of the Myth of the Clinton Economy/Peace, they will have a pretty accurate view of the Clintons.
http://www.leeroyfdermit.com/2007/08/article-today-in-associated-press-said.html

Note that the Clintons are being true to the core principle of the Democratic Party:
http://www.leeroyfdermit.com/2007/09/democrats-disappoint-but-remain-true-to.html

Although I Obama's success makes me cheer, I'm voting for Ron Paul, and I am NOT a Republican.

[mcnairbo]

01:42 PM on 01/27/2008

Jeeze! You Obama people are turning into a friggin'cult. So now Bill Clinton who gave this country 8 years of peace and prosperity is suddenly satan??? Get to your shrinks fast guys, you're losin' your damn minds.

[robbor]

12:45 PM on 01/27/2008

bill , i voted for you twice.

bill, go home and don't come out until after the election

[SEQUOIABISON]

11:53 AM on 01/27/2008

It all began on the snowy plains of a small Midwest state called Iowa. The “clean” “intelligent young man” from Illinois, the black kid from the streets of Chicago had the audacity to crush his democratic opponents in a fair caucus vote.

He beat Kucinich, he beat Gravel, he beat Biden, he beat Dodd, he beat Edwards, and he beat Clinton.

The “Boy” had to be stopped.

The Clinton war machine went into action; at first they thought it wise to unleash attacks on their opponent thru advocates like Senator Kerrey from Nebraska who made false innuendos about Obamas Muslim background and hinted that he attended a Madrasah (Islamic Religious School).

Little by little they tried to chip away at his creditability, then they enlisted black folks like Andy Young and Congressman Wrangle to remind us of Toni Morrisons statement that Bill was our first black president.

But these tactics were not working and the “Boy” was still rising in the polls.

Now it was time to bring out the big guns and start using Karl Rove type election tricks, Bill came out swinging right after the disgraceful defeat in Iowa.

He blamed the press for not carefully examining the “Boys” “fairytale” record on the war and his delusions about Hope.

Bill started to put on his southern accent and thought he could stop the “Boy” in SC with his down home southern drawl.

But he could not stop the “Boy”, his attempts to remind bigoted white southerners that his opponent was black, backfired on them badly, not only did he alienate black voters but they also lost 24 percent of the white vote.

After a crushing defeat in SC, Bill belittled this accomplishment by trying to dismiss Obamas resounding across the board victory as a state that generally supports black candidates, thus the Jesse Jackson statement.

The Clintons have employed despicable tactics throughout this campaign and I expect it to continue.

But Obama has tapped into a mainstream wave of support that appears unstoppable right now; he has captured the heart and hope of America and the world.

[thehand]

11:00 AM on 01/27/2008

Hey Clinton is my girl.

David Duke

[tbone99]

10:58 AM on 01/27/2008

No Jesse Jackson is a hardened warrior fighting discrimination, injustice and poverty for all people ,for decades.He has literally put his life on the line struggling against racism in America.

Barack Obama is a corporate suit in this years latest color and spouting this year's catchy slogan.

[TerryFL]

10:53 AM on 01/27/2008

.

At least he didn't compare him to Willie Horton.

.

[facemn]

10:52 AM on 01/27/2008

83% of the people on this site http://www.barackobamacentral.com say they will NOT vote for Hillary if she gets the nomination. 8% say they will, 8% are undecided.

[union79]

10:50 AM on 01/27/2008

As I watched Bill Clinton make the Jessie Jackson comparison (live not a rerun with editorial comment) last evening, I had a strong negative reaction.

The words dismissive and heavy with racial implications. But I found the impact of his facial gestures and semi laugh was explosive. He came off like an arrogant. school yard bully trying to salvage his ego after getting beaten up by a "lesser" kid.

If you didn't see him making those comments you missed a hugh part of his message.

[rh654]

10:47 AM on 01/27/2008

Bill Clinton, while showing he is not above being a racist, has deftly crafted a short term strategy.

Bill is marginalizing Obama as the "Black Candidate" thereby stirring and mobilizing the white and Latino vote to Hillary.

Bill and Hillary could not care less about the black vote at this time.

In a few weeks (even less) Bill will come forth with a mea culpa to the black community.

In the end black voters don't really have much of a choice - they can either vote for the Democrat (Hillary) or not vote and increase the Republicans odds of winning it all in the General.

Bill and Hillary both know that the black vote has no where to go but to them - or to let the Republicans win.

While racist - it is a brilliant strategy - now we'll just see if the Liberal voters let the Clinton's get away with it.