Rep Emanuel Cleaver, Clinton-Supporter, On Obama: "I Will Be Stunned If He's Not The Next President"

Politico:

In an unusually frank interview on Canadian public radio, CBC, Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver of Kansas City -- a Hillary supporter and superdelegate -- gives a sense of how tenuous Clinton's hold on many black superdelegates is.

"If I had to make a prediction right now, I'd say Barack Obama is going to be the next president," he said just after 18:00. "I will be stunned if he's not the next president of the United States."

He doesn't back off his support for Clinton, and has criticism for Obama:

"He is articulate - in the black tradition, he would probably be mediocre, but in White America..." he said, a bit dismissively, of Obama's speaking style, going on to joke about the word "articulate."

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[GravitonX]

Emanuel Cleaver is an idiot and a complete embarrassment to the community. He should shut up. Nevertheless, he and several others like him are in their last term, so they better enjoy the Clinton wagon ride while it last. Can't wait to see both he and handerchief-head Stephanie Tubbs will be selling chitlin grillers in front of the Clinton Plantation soon.

[96Bravo]

I have to disagree with Cleaver about Obama's speaking style. As a white man, I don't think he's a great speaker simply because he's "articulate". And I'm under no illusions that other black politicians and statesmen are brilliant speakers. Many are far more poetic speakers than Obama.

But our attraction to Obama is the way in which he blends a little of the poetic nature of a church sermon with a lot of straight-forward speak that resonates with people of all races. He has an interesting combination that's part romantic, part down-to-earth.

[IslandGyal]

96Bravo,
I agree, 'there's something about Obama'.

[jus200008]

Don't tell us. Go tell Clinton.

[MaracaKabob]

I'd like to remind Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver that Obama is a white man, so he can just back the f**k off of the "compared to the rest of the black men" comments.

[gjoh]

LOL!!!!!

[ohdear08]

Years ago, the OJ trial was a depressing litmus test for the state of race relations/­perception­s in America. And not only black/white but within those two "communities" and the increasing spectrum in between. Here we are again, except this a blood test. How healthy are we? Hopefully, it's treatable. Curable or chronic disease? We'll see.

[Mollye]

If Rep. Cleaver wants to keep race in the race, I wonder what his opinion of the 2008 State of the Black Union conference is? I just watched most of Dick Gregory's commentary and could not believe what I was hearing.
1. He accused Whites of putting Chemicals in malt liquor that's sold in Black neighborhoods, and causes high crime rates.
2.He accused Whites of spreading lead and manganese in Black neighborhoods. He said Manganese will make you kill your own Mother.
DONNA BRAZILLE was sitting just beside him, laughing and slapping her leg, I believe it was Nagin they kept panning to in the audience, who was whooping and clappping. Ther is something seriously wrong with this situation. In one of the parts of his speech, he siad Jackie Kennedy was a whore because she was Bobby's girl before she was Jack's. He complained that White People call Condoleeeza Rice "Condi", rather that Dr. Rice and said that she has more PhD's than all of Bush's cabinet.
What is wrong with the people who attended that conference? Is this what an Obama Presidency will bring? This is every bit as bad as Jeremiah Wright...Will someone please call Donna Brazille out on this appalling behavior and these lies. I've listed the link to his speeches.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=2bnM2x9yGP4&feature=related.
If it does not work, You Tube "Dick Gregory State of the Black Union Pt. 4"

[Mollye]

Many typos, obviously.

[ohdear08]

"Is this what an Obama presidency will bring?"

Why is Obama being judged by everything thing every other black person is saying in the media today? Is the price for his praised oratory a meritable proxy to everything that comes out of another black's mouth during this endless primary, and likely, general election? Let's not forget that if Obama did not go to that infamous church, he very likely would have had no contact with the mainstream black community. [continued next post]

[Justtellthetruth]

Hey, by this dimwits (Mollye's) calculation, Obama wins the credibility contest hands down!

Why, you ask? Well, if he's accountable for every stupid thing ever said by any american black person, then logically, Hillary and McCain are guilty by association for EVERY STUPID THING ever said by an american white person, and since there is at least one hundred million more white people than black people in this country, Hillary and McCain have an overwhelmingly larger number of stupid things to answer for. For christs sake, just making up for Pat Roberson, Haggee, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Perle, Feith, and david duke would bog them down hopelessly. Is that what a Hillary or McCain presidency would Bring?????!?!?!?!?

In the words of Rodger rabbbit, what an ultra maroon!!!

[ohdear08]

[Continued from post below. Read after]

I am black and don't want to be held accountable to everything every black person says or does and that kind of conjecturing is exactly the reason black people seem so paranoid to others. Meanwhile, because we have for the first time in America a viable black candidate, too many black folks are saying things in the media that were once reserved for intimate, intra-community dialogues, often laced with the kind of culturally hued irony, hyperbole, humor and tonality that is, understandably and unfortunately, taken way too literally by non-blacks. Black folks: Let the man get elected and stop 'talking out of the house'. And don't preach like its 1953 next Sunday because the future leader of the free world could be sitting in your pews. Others: Stop pretending that racism ended in 1865 and that black people with a bone to pick at the United States are paranoid, neurotic, conspiratorial and racist. I have never heard so many white people use the word 'racist' in my life! Everybody in this country is acting like they've been drinking malt liquor over this!!!

[MsLiz]

This was great.

[MaracaKabob]

'Chemicals in malt liquor', yah!, it's called alcohol, and it can really screw up a neighborhood.

[Dendera]

Okay, you need to grow up. Does anyone under 40 even know who the f**k Dick Gregory is anymore? Except as that guy who wrote that diet book a while back? And do all blacks hold everything a particular white person says against all white Americans? Honestly, your desire to say that what Dick 'who is he again' Gregory says is equivalent to the minds of all blacks only shows your own deep-rooted racial bias -- all blacks must think alike? Do we all look alike to you too?

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

I listen to Warren Ballantine here in Atl. on black talk radio, and he "gives" Mr. Gregory an hour a week to just talk. This past week though, it was VERY uncomfortable for Warren. I used to admire Mr. Gregory but he seems to have gone off the deep end. He sites one conspiracy theory after another, and Warren was having a hard time keeping him on task, or subject, as it were. Then he kept going on and on about the moon walk back in the sixties and how the whole thing was a fake. I was embarrassed for him, and I bet Warren will take a month or two off before having him back.

[AreYouFibbing]

It's obvious that many blacks will vote Obama just because he is black. It doesn't matter how shady a character he has been linked to or how anti-American his spiritual mentor is, or how many lies he gets caught in. Where he will lose is with the rest of the electorate....ask Tom Bradley.

[ohdear08]

And Republicans will be voting for McCain because, among other reasons, he is not black. If McCain were black we'd be looking at Huckabee or Romney. White people are so inoculated from having to think about race that many don't realize that they've been voting "white" forever.

[DoninJoisey]

Interestingly, in early primaries, Blacks were split - about 1/3 were Clinton, about 1/3 Obama, about 1/3 for Edwards, Biden, Richardson, etc.

Then the impeached former president said after S.C., "well, Jesse Jackson won S.C., too" and basically mocked the chances of a black candidate. Then Ferraro opened up with her hallucinogenic rant.
I'm white, and I was offended. Race was an undertone, the Clinton campaign made it a core argument.

Yes, there are many whites who will NEVER vote for a black - I thought most of them were republicans.

[GravitonX]

This is just something the Clintons tell themselves to make themselves feel better about losing the core of their core. Everyone knows the Clintons lost the Black vote when they tried to play the Blacks v. Latinos game to drum up Latino votes. Had forsaken one for the other and got neither. Funny as hell. It shows that the Clintons really don't have anything to other, only to play one demographic against another, hence now the talk of the how the white working-class of Pennsylvania will simply support her because she is white.

[ohdear08]

Meant: just talk about "her" not "their" credentials ...sorry. Too excited!

[ohdear08]

Actually meant: "the" credentials/policy record... I will be previewing my posts from now on. My blood is boiling at this Cleaver character right now and its affecting my ability to communicate.

[ohdear08]

Black people for Hillary: Just talk about their credentials/policy record of your candidate or shut up. Everyone has the right to vote for whomever they wish. But if you are black, and especially a black man, and you are voting for Hillary, express your admiration for her accomplishments, the poise she handled what had to be the most (well, now the second most) humilating public event in her life nearly a decade ago, and her formidable brilliance, so-called experience and whatever else it is that inspires you about this woman. But the last thing you need to bring up is race -- especially if you are black. It only makes you seem self-loathing as hell -- and must make the rest of us black Americans seem even more elusive and imperceptible to the rest of the country than ever! I have been black for a long time and I just can't get my head around some of us. Sorry if that offends.

[tiredofhillary]

I totally agree!!!!

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

Hope you don't mind, but I just became a Fan of yours.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

This message was to ohdear08.

[GravitonX]

Hillary's accomplishments are now in doubt.

It's interesting how all of these "women's groups" rushed to support Ferraro and Hillary but we can all barely remember that Black woman Senator from IL who ran sometime in between. What was her name?

Why replace the Good-Ole Boys club with just a Good-Ole Girls club? I wonder.

[TN]

Kansas, you can do better than that. He owes a favor. Every federal agency we have is run by someone who was owed a favor. Forget competence, expertise in the field, experience, hey I'll just pay brownie back by letting him head up FEMA because I owe him a favor, any idiot can do that job. This type of loyalty has made our country weak. This representive is weak - vote the bum out.

[huffhuffpass]

George Jefferson is still trying to "move on up".

[robXdion]

Obama needs to have a black surrogate answer this 'ahora'. Someone needs to put these clownish self-hating bamas on blast. He could never hope to be on Obama's level and yet he wants to say this? A Ferraro, Rendell, or Cuomo snide comment is to be expected. But Robert Johnson and this fool?

[GravitonX]

Current wiki info about Robert Johnson: "Johnson is currently the chairman of RLJ Development which he is also founder. He is also the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats, a National Basketball Association franchise." Also, "Johnson also serves on the boards of General Mills and Hilton Hotels."

Get the picture?;)

[huffhuffpass]

This is one of the things that Sen. Obama was speaking of in his race speech. Forget about race as a national issue, but for many blacks race is an issue amongst their own race and community. Either too black or not black enough. The black community need to address the internal problem before they ever hope to address it nationally! The same can be said about those who are born with or without wealth.

[tiredofhillary]

I'm an AA female and I totally agree with you. I have not had to deal with race among my own ethnic group, but I know some who have. Whether, you're light, or dark skinned. That kind of crap. Also, there is a lot of jealousy. If an AA person does well, others get jealous. I don't know if this happens with other races. I only know about my own.

At the same time, Hillary is smart. She saw what happened with G. Farraro, so maybe if it comes from another AA, it may not be so bad.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

It does happen, only maybe not to the extreme that it happens in your community. We white folk (at least the men) prefer blonde, blue-eyed bimbo types in their women. We red heads don't stand a chance if there is a blond around. They don't care if their college educated or not, just so they're pretty. We also have the class thing going on. Trailer park vrs. gated community, etc. Who plays golf. What kind of car you drive.

[meltingpot101]

I read the entire article and saw his interview...wonder what hapens when theses surrogates get to Canada. Do they have a couple cocktails before doing interviews?? Or was he suppose to make sure race stays in the race??
So what does he mean when he says to black people Obama is just a mediocre speaker but to white people they think he is just so articulate, like most white people don't know black people who can speak or that black people are just so smooth. I don't know it was pretty idiotic whatever the hell he meant by that.
In his defense though he is correct when he says it would be a "tragedy of tragedies," if this thing went to the convention and Hillary came out the nominee. I'm sure the Clinton camp is loving this guy right now.

[liz3]

wow iguess we can all go home now dumbo has spoken