Clinton: Obama Not Winning Over "Hard-Working Americans, White Americans"

USA Today notices that Sen. Hillary Clinton has begun referring explicitly to her appeal among white voters while on the campaign trail:

Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed Wednesday to continue her quest for the Democratic nomination, arguing she would be the stronger nominee because she appeals to a wider coalition of voters -- including whites who have not supported Barack Obama in recent contests.

"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

This is the second time since Tuesday's primaries that the Clinton campaign has referred to the racial dimension of the voting electorate. Ben Smith reports from yesterday's conference call on the state of the race:

And Garin brags, specifically and explicitly, about her strength with the white vote, comparing North Carolina's white voters in North Carolina to those in Virginia. (The conversations have always been about these voters, but they're usually referred to as "blue collar" or by some less specifically racial euphemism.)

"We lost the white electorate in Virginia, started even in North Carolina among the white electorate just two weeks ago, and ended [with] a very significant win of 24 points among those voters," he said, acknowledging that among black voters, Clinton "did not do as well as we would want or need."

Comments

[uheardme]

Hillary's "broad base of support" should help her retire her campaign debt.

[Genisa]

Okay.

[uheardme]

THIS IS RACE-BAITING. Think Clintonites, if a white Republican would have said this, you would be tripping over one another to cry RACIST! I really regret voting for Bill Clinton/Gore and Walt Mondale/Ferraro. Just so that I'm sure I'm not backing another bigot, I'm going to think twice before voting for a white politician.

[ankjack]

No, it's worse than race-baiting. It's just plain racism. Cloak it in liberalism and give it a legitimate facade by calling it "Democrat," but it's racism just the same.

A lot of us were fooled by the Clintons. I am sickened by what she said, and as a white, blue-collar man, I am deeply insulted that she dares to think she speaks for us

Make sure you vote in November. There are other parties besides the Dems and the GOP, but I think Barack Obama means to do as he says.

[Dendera]

Right. So only white Americans are hard-working?

And those blacks who wait on "your" tables and run your restaraunts and fix your cars and clean your toilets and bag your groceries and sell you your shoes and play on your favourite sports team and head up a good number of those corporations that make a good number of the goods you use in your home every day are just shiftless and lazy? And what about the predominantly black cleaning staff at the White House you want to reoccupy -- didn't they work hard for you back in the day?

And what about the hispanics who mow "your" lawns and publish your magazines and sell you your houses and mortgages and manage your banks? And asians? Native Americans? No?

Not as hard-working as white America huh?

No, Hillary is counting on the white bigot vote and fear of their defection to the GOP in order to finagle the election out of the hands of the American voters who put Obama in the lead.

Nice try.

[Revrob56]

Hillary is emptying gasoline on the country, every American, the party and Obama. She doesn't have the money for the matchbook but she's begging for change right now. Supers take her and especially us out of this misery. Stand up for the United(not Divided)States of America pull out the extinguishers and end this now.

[johnsonma]

What I don't understand is why Billary supporters hate Obama. What did he do? He made a run for the Presidency and for that he is despised. What nerve of him to have the gull to believe in the American dream and than take full advantage of it.

[lizr]

She was entitled, doncha know?

[Midnightrain]

I don't think anyone should underestimate Hillary's intense desire to win. She could create a real mess. The folks she has crafting her strategy are masterful at the game of political subterfuge.

[ankjack]

That's the party line. But her Strategist, Penn, thought that Primaries were winner take all. What she has are people who are insanely loyal to her. The Clintons have this thing about loyalty - you remember the guff Richardson got after he left them. But loyalty isn't the criterion for being good at your job. She got loyal people - yes men. But as far as this "brilliant political machine" I'm really not seeing it. She's been quite lucky in the media, but I'm hoping this latest gaffe will peel away her teflon coating.

[DrDemon]

Has Hillary's words, today, hurt her long term; or will this just blow over in a couple of days?

[egal]

They should have, considering the tone and context, and the fact that she's said similar but less flagrant versions of this comment repeatedly. Oh, and the fact that Obama was jumped on for pointing out that people abandoned by the government's current ways are bitter. That required considerable misquoting to appear inflammatory, but this one's ready-made for insult.

Yet, given the media bias present until this point, well, maybe nobody will even mention it. Hopefully it will be treated as what it is, and not another gaffe for which apologies must be made for Clinton's sake, because we can't suggest she's screwing up, and nothing further said at all. Some open discussion would be good for a campaign that's running itself into the ground, and trampling us along the way.

[ankjack]

You get to decide that. Write MSNBC, CNN and even Fixed News every night about it. Write your senator and representative to tell them how wrong you think this is. If you don't shut up about it, neither will they.

[ddharder]

Hillary Lexicon:

Hard working white Americans = ignorant, bible thumpin' rednecks easily swayed by low brow non issues like flag pins and empty promises.

White American voted for Obama in Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, MN, ND, WS, etc.... by large margins.

Just more racial baiting by this sell out republican in Clinton clothing.

[johnsonma]

I find it offensive that Billary assumes because she's campaigning in the South she will automatically get the white vote. Just because your Southern doesn't ean your a racist; just like if your a Senator from New York doesn't make you respectable.

[johnsonma]

I wouldn't be suprised if tomorrow we hear Hillary shouting "Segregation now, Segregation forever!"

[Aywaller]

Howard Fineman. tongue in cheek, said that would be Clinton's new campaign slogan tonight on Countdown. She doesn't sound so tongue in cheek to me.

[Midnightrain]

Matthews called Wolfson "devilish" tonight on Harball.

nough said.

[Whycee54]

Now who is the elitist? Blue collar/working whites or whatever Mrs. Clinton wants to label THEM as have a voice and she isn't hearing it. Obama won places like IOWA. Is Iowa full of other elitists? I think not. Both Bill and Hillary surprise the hell out of me. I had no idea both of them were so arrogant in their view of everyday Americans. She underestimates the intelligence of a lot of Americans...

[elbram]

Obama has had enough Americans supporting him to run your arse over...those latest polls in one state mean nothing.

The sad thing is the exit polls that you are using had all those non-educated white working class Ditto Heads that were supporting you simply to help you continue the damage that you were trying to give to Obama. They won't be with her in the general, yet you still count them....shame on you.

Come one...it is just sounding pathetic now...

[Tommygun264]

Someone needs to loosen those Wilma Flintstone beads around Hillary's neck. They are obviously cutting off the circulation to her brain.

[kcam44]

LMAO!!!!!

[MaynardGK]

Hillary has set back the cause of woman politicians for decades to come.

People in Kentucky, WV are not that stupid or racist.
By attempting to appeal to their color prejudice, HRC show just how much of an elitist she is.

Maybe they can work up a backlash?

[ankjack]

I don't think Hillary set back the cause of women politicians. I just think she was the wrong candidate. There are hundreds of women with the judgement and fortitude to do an amazing job. Cathrine Cryer springs immediately to mind, as does Senator Boxer and Donna Brazil.

[JavaCityGal]

So Obama is winning the nomination on African Americans and lazy whites? Who knew there was so many? Weird because I'm a hard working white woman and I not only voted for Obama, but I'm volunteer for him too.

[lizr]

Yo, Java Girl, me too!