Obama Backer: Irreparable Breach Between Clinton And Blacks Is Foreseeable

A key Obama supporter in North Carolina said it was "foreseeable" that an "irreparable breach" had been created between the black community and the Clintons as a byproduct of conduct during the Democratic campaign.

Rep. G.K. Butterfield, a African American Democrat from North Carolina, was asked on a conference call to respond to comments reported earlier in the day by Rep Jim Clyburn, in which he qualified former president Bill Clinton's recent primary conduct as "bizarre."

"Jim Clyburn is my very best friend in the U.S. Congress and he and I talk on and off the record every day of the week," said Butterfield, who predicted that the race in North Carolina would ultimately be decided by single-digits. "That said, I had not read his comments... But politics by its very nature is a competitive process and there have been times when Sen. Clinton has walked up to the line and there has been a time or two when she has stepped over the line in terms of her comments... Whether there is an irreparable breach, I don't think we are at the point right now where we are at an irreparable breach, but it is foreseeable and that is why I encourage civility."

In the days leading up to the Pennsylvania primary, Bill Clinton was quoted on a local radio station as blaming the Obama campaign for "playing the race card" on him. A day later, he denied that he had ever made such a remark. In an interview in Friday's New York Times, Clyburn responded to the episode, as well as other Clinton remarks, by saying: "black people are incensed over all of this."

Comments

[Suprshrink]

Just as angry as the African American voters are in response to the Clintons, many other voters are angry with Obama who allowed race to become an issue used against Clinton. When Obama didn't stop the reports of racism against the Clintons, he lost my vote. Obama did not address the issue of race until it affected him and his candidacy. Furthermore, it is undeniable that the African American community by their very skewed voting pattern has demonstrated to the rest of America that they are voting for Obama because he is Black. They supported Clinton by a clear majority until the race card was played. Then, they became willing to throw the Clintons under the bus even though they know that they have been the greatest supporters of civil rights. The democratic party is now divided and even if the African American votes disappear for Clinton, there are many more of us who will not vote for Obama.

[marc1antony]

kindly provide links to back up your statement that Obama is to blame for this race issue? Where has Obama said that the Clintons were racists? So how does that make it Obama's fault?

[barackaide]

there is no proof. racism and sexism and "electability" issues have always been originated by the clinton campaign and, when they seem to die away, revived by the clinton campaign.

[kettletop]

When whites vote for a white candidate, are they voting for him because he is white?
When women vote for a woman candidate, are they voting for him because she's a woman?

Some women are voting for Clinton because she is a woman.
Some blacks are voting for Obama because he is black.
Before Clinton pissed off blacks, they were voting for Hillary--not Obama.
I'm white, and like many blacks, I'm voting for Obama because he has demonstrated to me that he has exceptional leadership skills, intelligence, and gravitas. He has brought something to politics that we thought we would never see--an honesty and integrity clearly lacking in Hillary Clinton and other Republicans.

Blacks were hesitant to support Obama because they didn't know him, he hadn't yet proved himself to them..

They wouldn't vote for him at first because he was black. They knew that no black man had a chance to truly be president.

Sorry, but Clinton has the Bubba demographic on her side because they are fairly easy to manipulate.

We all have reasons why we vote for our nominee, and some of them are indeed very shallow and superficial.

Obama has had to work hard to earn my support. He has had to prove himself to the black community before they would vote for him.

Hillary is the one with the free ride here--she is riding the coattails of her husband--without him she would be just another Geraldine Ferraro.

[ann1]

Thanks kettletop

[devadasi]

Exactly! Without her husband Hillary would be just another Geraldine Ferraro.

[TheNuff]

Well spoken and TRUE!

[Hophog]

"When Obama didn't stop the reports of racism against the Clintons, he lost my vote."

I would suggest, he never had your vote. Obama didn't play the race card, BC did after the SC primary. And African Americans didn't throw the Clintons' under the bus. Any backlash against the Clintons' was brought on by themselves. To blame Obama for that is foolish.

Obama 08

[waylon70]

Rev Wright was in the WH for Bill, they haven't done anything but exploit Obamas relationship with him. That is what turned off AA voters. Also Hillary is not Bill, and Bill is not who he was in the early 90's. Now the Clintons realize that Bills presidancy made them over 100 million dollars, and if Hillary can do it again they will make even more. Money changes people, the Clintons are working here, for personal gain. Change the rules, lie, whatever to get back in the WH. At least Obama hasn't been corruped by power, Yet.

[Revrob56]

Suprshrink,
Please give the African American voter credit for having the ability to discern the better candidate by more factors than simply their race. Could it be that we feel he's intelligent enough, culturally superior on a global nature, has run a more successful fundraising effort, ran an extremely superior strategic campaign garnering more votes and delegates, and placed himself in an unbeatable position. Please don't let the disappointment of your candidate not doing as well or the pundits color your thinking. We are indeed thinking and hoping voters. Your conclusion is just as ridiculous as me assuming that women(some whoare even Black) are voting for slash and burn Hillary just because she is a woman.

[GPM1]

The very sad truth is it is also highly "foreseeable" that an "irreparable breach" has been created between middleclass white Americans and Barack Obama, who considers them bitter, gun-toting, religious zealots, and who are people Obama would not defend when his friend referred to them as "blue-eyed devils" and "garlic noses."

Unburdened by rich man's guilt, these Democrats will not countenance racism or discrimination, no matter who practices it.

Lacking material wealth, they value their vote and exercise it.

Sportsfans, they don't like bullies or quitters.

And, lacking money and influence, many of these people actually went to Vietnam. They subsidized their limited income via service in the National Guard, and have children who enlisted in the armed forces in order to get money for college. In short, they have guns and they know how to use them. And though they're extremely respectful of the rule of law, they're not at all afraid to use them in self-defense. Threats of violence by the black community if Obama doesn't get the nomination, then, don't intimidate them.

Many middleclass white Democrats are waiting to see if the Democratic Party is the party they want to remain associated with - a party that deplores racism and discrimination, a party that allows a a level playing field and the contest to be played out, and a party where people are free to vote their conscience without fear or intimidation.

[08timefortruth]

I think you take the media and HC to serious because they do not always tell the exact truth.....­I know alot of white middle class people who are supporting Obama, I think the media and the Clinton camp make it out to be worse than it is.

My 82 year old mother told me today that if HC is elected she will not vote for the first time in her adult life because "as much as she loved Bill, his wife is a liar and a sneak and has always thought she was better then everyone else".....­..I doubt my mom is the only life long democrat who thinks that way, I know I do........­..and by the way we are white middle class voters....­....

[fayted]

REMEMBER THE REPUBLICANS ARE ALSO VOTING FOR HER KEEPING HER "ALIVE" THEY WANT TO CREATE KAOS AND HILLARY IS THE PERFECT STORM

[waylon70]

I am a bitter gun toting voter, and I believe in truth and justice, not politics as usual. I dont want to be bitter about my beloved countries internal politics, and especially our foriegn affairs. We do need change, we need a President that the rest of the world will respect, that Americans can respect. The only true Dems that won't vote for Obama in the general are divisive. they should vote for McCain and sign up for the draft. I want out of the middle east, its the only solution to our economic situation, and I dont want more Americans dying in a foriegn civil war. Will we go to Tibet? What a joke, they got no oil.

[ann1]

I'm with you waylon

[2351]

Whly don't you people stop taking his words out of context. This is just a bunch of crap invented by the politicians, getting people to repeat it, to change a vote. You know that Obama did not say that, so stop pushing crap.

[RanTheMan]

So many lies. So many.

What a shame that Hillary supporters are willing to adopt the exact same strategy as so many that continue to back Bush.

"As long as you're my guy, go ahead and lie."

[k6007]

Reasoned Insanity..­......scar­y.....sad.

[willowbarcelona]

What will Bill Clinton do during Obama's presidential campaign? Go on Fox and declare his support for McCain?

I still think Hillary's angling for the VP slot on McCain's ticket, so that she can be the Republican nominee in 2012 after McCain makes the decision he'll serve only one term.

Fox already loves Hillary, as does Rush, and Sean, and Scaife. All the old "right-wing conspiracy" enemies of the Clintons adore them now. The Clintons have so thoroughly abandoned their old constituencies who stood by them during the Impeachment because we don't matter to them anymore.

So, it does seem that Former President Clinton and Senator Clinton's strategy is for her to find a useful future for her attack dog VP behavior, which would be...being McCain's VP.

[fayted]

THE IRONY

[marc1antony]

I don't think either of them are waiting - they both seem to be working in unison with McCain to help the GOP - I really believe that the are looking at 2012 as McCain has said that he will probably be a one term president - they have made a backroom deal - Clinton will take Obama out for McCain, McCain wins in 2008 and she takes over in 2012 -after all, how is it that they have so many photos together and Bill has made statements that they are the two patriots that should be allowed to run.

[MyNameIsJames]

Bill Clinton owes his victories in large part to huge African American turnouts in 92 and 96. Without the African American vote neither Gore or Kerry would have been competitive in the general election. By the way, both Gore and Kerry received over 90% of the African American vote - something that neither Jesse Jackson nor Al Sharpton received in their runs for the Democratic party nomination.

Obama really benefitted from the gaffes that HRC campaign has made in regards to racial politics. Remember when the question was, " Is Obama Black enough to get the African American vote?"

Obama talks about "Change". What African American wouldn't like to see fundamental "Change" in the status quo? African Americans more than any other group in this nation benefit from progressive change- and this is exactly what Obama preaches.

If Obama didn't appeal to this "Change"instinct in the African American community he wouldn't get its support. By the way, Colin Powell wouldn't have gotten the levels of support that Obama has received from African Americans. In 2006 two African American gubernatorial candidates Ken Blackwell(Ohio) and Lynn Swann(Pennsylvania) didn't receive overwhelming African American support in their bids. So are African Americans REALLY simple minded when it comes to African American candidates - I think not.

[NursePatric]

I keep reading really dumb stuff -- let me set the record straight on some of it. Yes, working whites, older folks, Catholics WILL too vote for J.M. if HRC is not the Dem. candidate. Young Dems and intellectuals will not even if they have to vote for HRC. HRC has not and will not "lose" the Blacks. She has lots of Black leaders ready and able to do damage control if she beats BO. You think Black WOMEN are going to vote McCain to spite HRC? Get real people! She will make ammends to Blacks and she will deliver on whatever she promises too. They are positioned to really benefit from a HRC presidency now alright. Finally, she didn't say it publically but it turns out saying anything to the BIG MOUTH Richardson is about the same thing: He can't win!!! I, like HRC, will be out there trying to help him win if he is the candidate. But I'm not wishing for that kind of uphill battle. Why do that???

[ragtopdodge]

*yawn.

Black folks won't vote McCain; they'll stay home or write-in OBama.

That's what will happen if she is successful in stealing the election via Supers.

[syllepsis]

Plenty of white people will write in Obama's name, too. This white NY resident cast his last vote for Hillary two years ago.

[syllepsis]

If Hillary wins the Dem nomination, McCain becomes President. HRC has already lost the African-American vote, without which no Dem can win in a general election.
She knows this, but is hellbent on sabotage- It will undermine the Dem party yet again. Maybe it will destroy it for good. Its achievements lately have not been notable. Something better will come along eventually­...

[marc1antony]

agree and if this happens, I hope we all remember what has been done to our party and see that she never becomes president if she would purposely throw the election for her own selfish gain.

[fayted]

well she better do damage control outhere if he wins, god knows she's managed to do hurt Obama saiyng mccain and me "experiance" Obama a speach and more and more...... she better go door to door house to house and scream to the top of her lungs if she expects to repair

[LeftLeanWing]

She gotta do more than that.

She has to crawl on her knees from China to Washington.

[changeishere08]

Keep. Dreaming. If you ASSUME the black vote will "magically" support HRC when she "STEALS" the nomination.

Go ahead. Keep Dreaming. I'm sure the Democratic party will find consolation with the Latino constiuency.

[jrterrier]

steals? how is she going to do that?

[Daly]

Latino constiuency is looking at how Richardson and Solis were treated and ALL minorities are looking at how the Democratic party is allowing the clintons to slash and burn.
After TX you have not heard any inclusion words about Latin or any other group from Clintons, Not gays, blacks, asians, latinos, or even jews. Billary has saved one job, Mark Penn is fat and happy.

[gapanther]

nurse, heal thyself.

[ann1]

I like that gapanther

[plafayette]

No one gives a rats ass about race baiting unless you are targeting a person of color...th­en it becomes a hot button for people suffering from acute racism to whip themselves into a frenzy over it. These subtle tactics are employed to encourage the mob mind in it's collective belief that "he (Obama) is not like us". This is step (1). Step (2) is to suggest that he (Obama) is elitist or aloof which is code for SEPARATE from us....Step (3) - get him (Obama) to begin defending himself so that you can start a war between him and the people who more and more dislike, despise, and outright hate that uppity so and so. Once the "good ol boys" get it into their heads that they would be doing their "Country" a favor...th­ey will attempt to repeat our darkest history. THIS IS WHAT RACISM LOOKS LIKE IN AMERICA. It is very subtle & practiced right in front of your face every day. At it's worst this is the mentality that allowed the KKK to burn & lynch at will, and Hitler to steamroll through Europe. KNOW THIS AMERICA .....THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING.. AND WE ARE SAYING NEVER AGAIN. You will not isolate or destroy Sen. Obama. True or false American Media Race Baiting Machine...­..WE SEE IT! and Hell no we won't be turning the other cheek...TH­AT day is over and gone with MLK

[changeishere08]

Best. Post. Today! I see the dirty tricks clearly. Please tell these "educated" posters that the world is seeing the hypocrisy that is within this country since the Civil Rights movement.

[bryand1]

Now I know why people always talk about the self destructiveness of the black community.­..and I'm not just talking about blacks shooting blacks, or an obvious proclivity towards violence - I'm talking about the Clintons' long, clear history of supporting civil rights, many years of hard work out there. Bill Clinton compares Obama's candidacy to Jesse Jackson and suddenly the black community acts as if he compared him to the devil. Clinton may have been wrong to imply that Obama's presence is symbolic, but it certainly wasn't racist in any way, shape or form - and is there something wrong with Jesse Jackson??????
But people are so incredibly ruled by mob mentality, and black americans are so sure that Obama is the great black hope that they've practically assassinated the Clintons. That's ignorance and self destructiveness in its full dimwitted glory. Smarten up, folks. Hillary and Bill aren't the enemy, your own myopic viewpoints are...and your runaway emotions..­.and remember the Republicans?

[k6007]

First of all, you know absolutely nothing of what you speak.
I'm not calling Bill a racist! He is an opportunist, and what I often refer to as a poverty pimp.
The Clinton's policies are counterproductive to prosperity in All minority, working class, and middle class communities.
Bill uses race-baiting to blind whites,who would otherwise join with the afore mentioned democratic constituencies, to vote against the person responsible for their plight (guess who).
It's the same dynamic that kept poor whites in the south from organizing against plantation owners.

[Charmed]

If you are in the group of people that matter to the clinton's, wait until you're not important to them anymore then you'll understand the slap in the face. Having a long history of doing something doesn't give you the rigt to go done the coded road of race baiting. Being that they are suppose to be so righteous about civil rights it's all the more reason they should not have went down this road.

I haven't heard the black community talking about violence but Rush did tell his group of people to riot so maybe you got confused.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

The Clintons are there when they need you. Just like when they reached out to Rev. Wright to help Bill, who had committed perjury.

[changeishere08]

Idiotic post. Responding to this just dropped my i.q. points. Typical, yes TYPICAL CLINTON SUPPORTER void of logic, reasoning, common f*ing sense.

Youdon't get it and perhaps never will.

[2351]

Who do you think that you are fooling. You must be Lanny Davis, because this sounds like his logic.

[bryand1]

Now we have the true definition of playing the race card. This foolish man, too ignorant to discern reality and facts from sound bites, has decided that all blacks everywhere have decided against Clinton - this guy epitomizes the sorry passive aggressive tactics of the Obama campaign at their worst. He doesn't deserve his seat...

[k6007]

Maybe he's been reading the exit polls, since SC.

[rollingdivision]

Geraldine Ferraro is correct, without huge black vote majorities, 92% among black males in Pennsylvania for instance, Obama wouldn't be in the running for the presidential nomination. Vice president maybe, but not the top slot.

[k6007]

Without the huge black vote in '92 & '96, Bill Clinton would've been elected either.
Talk sense.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Shhh Hillaryites really, really hate facts.

[waylon70]

Of course your right, and any winning politician is going to need those votes. Thier also going to need latinos and asians and old whites. Who can appeal over a broader base? the only people Obama can't get in the general ARE racist or republican. Why would a dem not vote for Obama? I guess I just don't get your point.

[Charmed]

Bill Clinton wouldn't have won without the black vote so what's your point.

[DrDemon]

Obama has many white supporters­... so many, in fact, that even IOWA gave him the WIN!

[DrDemon]

You mean; Without the HUGE WHITE vote majorities in IOWA, Obama wouldn't be in the running for the presidential nomination.

Ferraro needs to become a retiree.

[evekendall]

". . . without huge black vote majorities, 92% among black males in Pennsylvania for instance, . . ." BILL CLINTON would never have been elected president. Not in 1992 or 1996. Over 90% of blacks supported Bill Clinton in those elections.

[fayted]

makes me laugh to think back at ferraros comments, I know now what she meant, by saying hes only winning cos hes black, yeah right, NOT , what she really meant was, dammit my candidate, the inevitable who has everything going for her???? how could this happen, and this guy came out of nowhere and keeps on winning (I remember her lashing at the fact he had won 11 contest and had so much money haha) and on top of everthing hes black, travessty, rubbish, nigthmares it's what she was having this can't be happening poor hillary, and thats just part of the arrogance that distinguishes clintons and supporters, who can't understand how could this man that came out of nowhere be taking the nomination from her (like if it was her's to begin with) she can't even win her on primaries, has managed to polarize people in her on party (crasher) can you imagin what would happen in the GE if she steal from Barack. Hillary you're arrogance and entilment have dug you're grave

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

You are so right and she's not the only one saying that, a lot of her supporters are saying that. I would love to be a fly on the wall and hear what they really call him. He is not suppose to be winning over the inevitable one, how dare he!

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

If it is anything like what other people have reported the Clintons saying behind closed doors with regard to race, it is something to be heard.

Bill had a meltdown on the radio interview and after when he was asked about the statement he made. No one is really talking about that at all.

I think someone should have this bugged 24/7.

[Crozier]

Uppity is what they call Senator Obama, I am sure.

[butchie65]

I read an article about how Hillary treated the secret service that protected her. She called them names behind their backs. One day Chelsea called one of them a name. The secret service guy told her that her parents wouldn't like that. She told them that her mother and dad call them that too. Chelsea is following in her parents footsteps. Hillary even called Bill very nasty names. This was from one of the former secret sevice men. Hillary couldn't find him one day and she said,'he's probably with one of his whores !" They are one nasty family.

[ATL78]

Even funnier, she said the OPPOSITE before the primary started..


Ms. Ferraro offered a similar sentiment. "I think it's more realisticfor a woman than it is for an African-American," said Ms. Ferraro."T­here is a certain amount of racism that exists in the United States -whether it's conscious or not it's true." "Women are 51 percent of the population," she added.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/weekinreview/10nagourney.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[CLMMIT]

As an African American, me and my family have lost everything we once had for the Clintons. We will not vote in the general election if she is the nominee. There are other blacks that feel the same as we do. We despise the Clintons and wish they would disappear.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

I agree and I am also a black woman. I despise Hillary, but I never really liked her anyway.

I will vote in the general though. I just won't vote for a horrible person. That is how I feel about both Hillary and McAbusive.

[fayted]

I'm hispanic/white and don't like the clintons or mcwar eighter

[drzoon]

man oh man....

when they say a large part of the clinton demographic is uneducated­... they aren't kidding are they?

[Mesaywar]

Nope, they aren't kidding.

[patch61]

so is white people and we feel that we can throw the kitchen sink but your obama whinns like a baby and we dont like someone insulting our nation like obama rev.......­....yeah its like that......

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

What the heck does "whinns" mean?

[drzoon]

that's the "clinton uneducated demographic" at work.

scary isn't it?

[filo]

I think he meant Obama WINS.

Like taking candy from a baby.

[Sparklez]

Boy shut up

[fayted]

insulting our nation???? NOT. Bush has already done that many times over

[waylon70]

If you vote for Hillary because she's white you are bigger fool than that rant makes you sound. The Clintons will do nothing for poor uneducated people in this country, they just made over 100 Million dollars off of Bills presidency, if you think money doesn't change people you've got you head up your a**, but it sounds like you do anyway. Not that the Clintons were shining examples during whitewater or any other abusive time in thier political careers, but this new money really puts them on the other side of the fence. It be better if they'd inherited, new money is always crass and condisending.

[maryrat]

Obama's rev put his life on the line for this country in the marines. Did you ?

[ReportThis]

Irreparable Breach Between Clintons and Truth Is Foreseeable

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

That breach happened years ago.

[kikiva]

The breach was made by the Obama camp when they accused the Clintons of making racist comments in SC when there were none. The Clintons have always been pro-civil rights and everyone knows it. Very shameful actions by the Obama camp - David Axelrod is a dirty Chicago pol.

[CapitalistRebel]

You don't think Bill Clinton knew exactly what he was doing when he compared Obama to Jesse Jackson?

Also, please provide a quote showing any time when someone from the Obama camp accused him of making racist comments in South Carolina. The Clintons did this to themselves. Sorry.

[Sparklez]

Again i say

You cant play the race card if it isnt dealt to you

And honeslty, i would've taken offense to that to. Equating my win with Jesse Jacksons in sayong that he only won because of the black vote just like Jesse did.

He shoulda kept his mouth shut

[drzoon]

give me a break.

every single thing that has happened in this campaign has been thought over a thousand times before the clintons ever open their mouths.

come on... please... pull your head out.

if you want to know if something is racist... ask a person of color. because unless you are (in this case) black.... you don't have a clue what you are talking about.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

Bill said he never accused the Obama campaign of playing the race card on him.

So Bill thinks you are a liar and so do I.

You have no idea about Bill and Hillary’s civil rights record. Bill’s political idol was a notorious segregationist.

Didn’t Bill put a mentally retarded black man to death right before the SC primary? Wasn’t that done to win the SC primary?

You should educate yourself on the Clintons and their actual Civil Rights record before making fool of yourself.

[ObamaSuperDelegate]

Yes, he did, just like he thru Sista Soulja under the bus along with Lani Guinier.

[2CoolCats]

Uhhh... actually..­. he said it on camera, then denied it when confronted by the press.