Edwards: Clinton didn't choose words well on race

WASHINGTON — Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said Sunday that he thinks Barack Obama will be the party's presidential nominee and that Hillary Rodham Clinton must be careful not to damage the party's prospects in November as she continues her campaign.

"I know how hard it is to get up and go out there every day, speak to the media, speak to crowds, when people are urging you to get out of the race. I mean, it's a very hard place to be in. But she's shown a lot of strength about that," said Edwards, a former North Carolina senator who exited the race in January.

"But I think the one thing that she has to be careful about ... going forward, is that, if she makes the case for herself, which she's completely entitled to do, she has to be really careful that she's not damaging our prospects, the Democratic Party, and our cause, for the fall," he said in a taped interview broadcast on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Clinton says she's staying in the race despite losing to Obama by a wide margin in North Carolina and barely winning in Indiana, which helped cement his status as the front-runner. She touts her overall electability in a general election and, pointing to demographics, recently told USA Today in an interview:

"There was just an AP article posted that found how Senator Obama's support among working _ hardworking Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how the, you know, whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

Some accused Clinton of reintroducing race into the campaign. Edwards seemed to give her a pass.

"She's in a very tough, very competitive race that's been going on a long, long time. And you know, she didn't probably _ I'm sure she feels like she didn't choose her words very well there," he said.

"What I think is, at the end of the day, when this is over _ and I think it is likely, certainly, at this point, that Senator Obama will be the nominee _ that the Democrats will unite. We'll all be behind our nominee. And we'll be out there campaigning our hearts out," Edwards said.

David Axelrod, Obama's chief campaign strategist, disputed Clinton's assertion.

Axelrod said Obama and Clinton split Indiana voters who make $50,000 a year or less, and that Obama performed better among non-college-educated voters there. He said the same was true in North Carolina. Both states voted last week.

"The words weren't well chosen, but the thesis was wrong," Axelrod said on "Fox News Sunday.

Edwards, meanwhile, said he "might" still endorse a candidate, but "I don't think it's a big deal, to be honest with you."

Comments

[Anonani]

Truly, what can anyone say to such open and blatant racebaiting comments. When we expect better we do give the benefit of the doubt by saying the candidate misspoke, she was tired, her wording was awkward, she had a menopausal moment...whatever! But nobody expects a Clinton whose historical political base has been supported by black voters to pander to race in order to win. But she has and it is duly recorded for posterities sake. I see no reason to hammer John Edwards for trying to find a middle ground. The entire episode is surreal for any candidate who is not circa 1960 to try to use race to drive a wedge in the candidacy for President of the United States and in the Democratic Party in 2008.

Shame on Hillary!

[The5thW]

I love politics, but...honestly would any of you have thought a year ago of our candidate, Hillary in particular, as the candidate of choice for uneducated people? They are the 28% who can be trance induced by corporate media, Hitler's favorite, radio. This constituency can't be cracked, anymore than a programmed robot. The Telecom Bill dividend. It is absurd to get on here and propose courting them to a reform agenda. In a personality campaign they are much more likely to get in rapport with Obama, because they are not cynical, merely are too busy or demoralized by right wing spin (and a lot of left wing hot air) to look into public affairs. Obama might be capable of deconstructing the Charles Gibson--O'Rielly mythological paradigm that corporations have used to enslave us--he has that eloquence. But to base a decision on candidacy on their manipulated emotions portrayed as some kind of primitive nobility I find curious.

[MizFlagPin]

So true. Unfortunate, but true.

[PAposter]

Let me make one thing perfectly clear, Senator Obama Does Not have a problem with "white working class men" , "White Working Class Men", in certain parts of our country, have a problem with Senator Obama, and Hillary Clinton hopes to perpetuate that intolerance for as long as possible.

[Faxus]

What "certain parts" are you referring to?

[gwr72]

I am very disappointed with John Edwards. I once contributed to his
campaign. Is he really holding out to get a good job in the next
administration? Does he really believe that Hillary would make a good
president? John the race is over. Thank God Obama is going to be
not only the nominee, but also the new president. Its ok John for you
to support him. I know your wife wants Hillary. As far as I can tell your
wife has become a one issue supporter. From all reports I have seen
there really isn't that much difference in the health plan of all three
canidates. So what the hell are you waiting for. You better get on
board before the train leaves the depot. My God, the only way
Hillary get the nomination is for "white men in the democratic
party." And if that happens good-bye democratic. Its time for you
and Al Gore to act like statesmen..

[JuniorBug]

He and Al Gore are among the party elders who are going to be tasked with reconciling all you Obama and Clinton yahoos. It's necessary that they maintain neutrality.

And what do you mean, "from all the reports?" Read the plans themselves! Mandates, like them or not, are as significant a difference as there can be.

[gwr72]

Baloney, Hillary is so tied to the insurance company,the
drug companies. Her plan is as phoney as she is.

[Ramus]

Edwards wife is NOT a supporter of Clinton..she is neutral and has said so many times. Elizabeth prefers Clinton's heath care plan to Obama's..but Congress will decide that anyway..so it really doesn't matter. The health care plans of Obama and Clinton (and Edwards, who was copied) still allow the for-profit health care insurance business to have control over your medical care. Better it should be in the hands of non-profits at least..but better yet a single payer, our government, should pay for full medical care for all citizens..(and even visitors to this country)...just as they do in every other western country, except, I think, Poland. If we cut the Pentagon budget and stopped the damn drug war we could pay for this..if we took all the money spent on these political campaigns and used it for health care the money would be better spent.

[njoylif]

Ramus,

You're right on. Elizabeth Edwards has emphasized that she prefers Clinton's health care plan to Obama's, but that either plan is better than McCain's. She has said that while she prefers Clinton's health care plan does NOT mean she endorses Clinton.

[gerireig]

Ramus: YES!! But too many in Congress have been compromised. We have to raise some hell.

[avicenna]

Clinton has said before - that words have no meaning to her. This may be a problem for those who want a leader who have the ability to use language to communicate what they are about. One can only assume Hillary is meaningless. She didn't use the right "words" when she said she'd "obliterate" Iran when asked a hypothetical question by another senseless soul - O'Reilly. She used words to describe the fictitious "sniper fire" she fought bravely through, and now she is using words to disparage those who still see something redeeming about her non-character - almost equating them to "white trash" - those "blue collar" folks who can't afford the shirt to go with their blue collars and have difficuty stringing together complete sentences.

[CaptainVideo]

So the pretty boy with the honeyed tounge is giving Hillary a pass for her blatently racist remarks. Playing it save and not willing to call it like it is again!

Hardworking white Americans is racist code that implies that blacks are lazy, shiftless, freeloaders.

As Hillary's situtation becomes increasingly desperate, the mask she has so carefully cultivated has come off and has revealed her as a person obsessed with winning who is willing to do anything she thinks will help her win, including playing the race card.

Any Democrat worth the powder to blow him/her up must denounce this blatent racism engaged in by a desperate Hillary. It is time for the superdelagates to declare who they are for in order to shut Hillary down before she rips the party apart on racial lines.

[Ariesjill]

Ding, ding, DING!

We can afford no more spinning, equivocating WUS/fAUST PEOPLE.....I am finally finished trying to see the Edwards' glass as half full.

Wonderful post!

[dawlishgal]

I think Edwards was smart to not further inflame Hillary's remaining supporters, people who already seem to share her victim complex. A lot of them might just shrug off their disappointment and end up supporting Obama, but there is no point in pushing the others beyond their limited ability to accept her and their failures.

If the Party could offer her something big like the first opening on the Supreme Court, something that would benefit her only if Obama wins the election, then she and her supporters might come around and work for Obama. But she has to be seen as winning something big and it has to be related to an Obama victory....otherwise the Clintons will sabotage Obama's campaign the way they did Gore's and Kerry's.

[Barky]

Sorry. I disagree with the SC posting. What judicial expertise does she have? That would be unprecedentedly a political posting and would never pass muster with either the legal community and the Repubs. Never mind use up unecessary political capital . There are many other postings other than this or vp...if thats what she wants.

[Snerdgronk]

CV: "So the pretty boy with the honeyed tounge is giving Hillary a pass for her blatently racist remarks. Playing it save and not willing to call it like it is again! ..."

SG: Apparently he's 'tounge'-tied.


Snerd

[politicgirl999]

Your right John noone cares BYE BYE

[ebanks84]

Amen, because he's one of her supporters anyway, no matter how he lies and try to not let it be known. He's part of the NWO.

[JuniorBug]

As paranoid and accusatory as you are, are you sure you're not a Clinton supporter yourself? That's their schtick.

[ann1]

ummm

[foolchild0]

Thank-you, John, for contributing absolutely nothing new to the dialog.

[ObserverinVancouver]

Sen. Edwards said: " I'm sure she feels like she didn't choose her words very well there."

Surely if she feels she didn't choose her words well she would have been making profuse apologies all over the place and Terry McAuliffe might have mentioned it on MTP this morning. I don't recall hearing her or anyone in her campaign express regret. Anyone else?

[ggmome]

They are solidifying their defection to the Republican Party. 2012, they will be on their ticket. They took that sharp 'right turn' during the Tsunami, Katrina and the opening of their Museum. Its has been a downhill slide for them ever since. Her campaign was straight out the gate Rovesque, for purpose and with purpose.

[useyourbrain]

This racist crap is getting out of control. To call HRC racist is an abuse of the word. She was repeating what the media has been talking and writing about for months -- so now why is it racist?

And why is here stating a fact, that media and pollsters have been reporting on for months, any different than Obama's campaign touting the fact that 92% of blacks support Obama -- because he is black, no doubt -- or do you seriously doubt that? The fact is, white support Obama much more than blacks support Hillary. Now, is that racist? Does calling attention to a demonstrable FACT make something racist. Oh, by the way, the USA is STILL a racist country. Obama's campaign did not change that. But there is racism within every ethnic and racial group -- just look around the world at the multiple wars in Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East.

[PAposter]

Blacks have historically voted for the strongest Democratic candidate. Why would that change because the candidate happens to be Black? I would love to see any statistics that prove otherwise. Pointing out the fact that certain Whites are not voting for a Black candidate is race baiting, or worse.

[ebanks84]

"Patterson said Hillary was no stranger to the "N" word either. He heard her say "nigger" "probably six, eight, ten times. She would be upset with someone in the black community and she would use the 'N' word, like, you heard they've got the president's brother on tape using the 'N' word." [NewsMax, 17 July 2000]"

Right out of NewsMax she was quoted as saying the "N" word. Who did you say was NOT racist? hummmmmmm......

[kcam44]

The major difference is Obama is not blatantly stating that he gets 90% of the black vote. The media and their stupid exit polls are doing this. Hillary is a presidential candidate and she should refrain from such racists statements such as "white-working class voter". Every black person knows that it is code for "redneck". Of course there's racism in both black and whites, but I believe Senator Obama has tried hard not to invoke race, he's tried to run his campaign on change and unity. The media has constantly manipulated this campaign with race issues. Hillary has latched on to that, and it's hurting her, as well as the democratic party.

[decaturdakota]

92% of black people are not supporting Obama because he is Black. 89% of Black people supported Bill Clinton in 1992 (39% white people supported Bill, and 61% Hispanics were for him). Was Bill an African-American in 1992? In 2004, 80% Black people supported John Kerry. Kerry was better than George W. Bush. And last week in North Carolina, Black people supported a white woman running for a senate seat over a Black male candidate. Black people do Not support other Black people solely because of their skin color. They attempt to judge people as Martin Luther King Jr. asked the nation to judge people for the content of their character, not their skin color. The white woman won the senate seat with Black support. The Black man running for senator did not have their support. This is not a single example, but perhaps it will help for now.

[jennyjen]

Am I crazy? This to me is much worse than O's "bitter, cling" comments. It seems that Obama got much much more press?

JOHN EDWARDS!! Time for you to publicly back Obama. You have the best health plan. If it were up to me you will be the running mate.

[SMP]

Clinton has always gotten a free pass......................

[ebanks84]

John voted with the rest of the North Carolinians and he voted for Hillary because they are cohorts, part of the same "gang".

[blackpope]

In other words it is now politically expedient for me to grow a backbone and take sides, edward's is a joke and failed leadership 101 in my books!!!!!

[Aleka4]

Well to be fair I don't think his lack of backbone is his own fault. His wife has cancer and I think he remains uncommtted out of respect for HER health care fight. I cannot blame him for that.

But he is better to keep his mouth shut altogether than keep makig himself appear weak with crap like this. He should have been much harsher on her. What kind of example do ANY of these people set for the youth when none of them can call things as they see them?

NOT taking Clinton to task for any number of low maneuvers is only showing the kids that you can get away with whatever you want, and no one will call you on it if you have enough power.

[blackpope]

Is wife has cancer is not an excuse to not stand up for what is right at the right time, if anything that helps his wife's cause.

[PAposter]

Can someone, anyone, explain to me, that if Senator Obama is outspending Senator Clinton, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 (and the fish got bigger), why the hell is Hillary broke and Obama still has enough money to finish the Primary Season and pay off her debt (which he better rethink, if he wants any more of my money)? Please help me out with this one.

[kevenseven]

Hillary is broke because not enough people want for her to be president.

And Obama cannot GIVE Clinton more than $2000. It would be a violation of campaign finance law.

[SMP]

Have no fear..Sen Obama has no intention of paying off her debt.............


and.....Sen Obama had to outspend her..he did not have a "household" name and he managed his money perfectly and we all STILL contribute to him because we believe in him.... case closed

[Passenger57]

PAposter,the reason Obama had the $$$ to outspend Hillary is because he got a HUGE chunk of his money from ordinary Americans .He has so many people that want him to be POTUS that his campaign is swimming in moolah from them.
Hillary got her early money from her Big Contributors, and she could only hit them up for so much. I also think that she thought that she would be a shoo-in for the nomination,and never expected Obama to be a threat.
Ha ha ha.

[decaturdakota]

Senator Obama, if he truly is the nominee can not legally help Hillary pay off her campaign debt, nor has she asked, and he hasn't offered. The only way he can help her is (if he wants to) have a fund raiser for her or something of that nature. Someone started a rumor about Obama helping Hillary. He can not legally do it, and he can not give her any money that has been or will be donated to him. This kind of talk needs to stop. And if any one knows of a way to reach Elizabeth Edwards, please ask her what part of Hillary's health plan does she like. Does Mrs. Edwards really like the part where Hillary says she will garnishee wages in order to force or mandate coverage. Is that the part Mrs. Edwards likes? Hillary needed to say how she would force people to buy private insurance if they couldn't afford gas, food, rent, and so forth. How is garnishing someone's wage going to help buy health insurance?

[ColinSF]

Hillary Clinton's comments were meant to goad Obama into a real dogfight in West Virginia and Kentucky, home of the "hard working uneducated white folk". Obama is not taking the bait and that frustrates Clinton. She would love to trounce him by 20 points somewhere where he went all out, outspent her 2:1, just to send a message to the Superdelegates and the country in the event Obama is unsuccessful in November. She will look back smugly and state "I told you so". Obama is saving the precious fuel (money) for the real dogfight that matters, in November. One smart dude. It will be sweet if Obama comes within 10 points in West Virginia even with little campaigning - the American voters will have proven they are far smarter than Clinton give them credit. They know the race is over, and will have chosen to put Clinton out of her misery.

[naijaman]

Hillary knew exactly what she was doing. See this article about West Virginia democrats' attitude towards Obama.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2a50425a-1f86-11dd-9216-000077b07658,s01=1.html?nclick_check=1

[mjc]

She may very well take West Virginia and Kentucky later by 20 points. Most everything the American voter knows probably comes from the media, especially the tv version.

[useyourbrain]

Her words were a statement of statistical fact. Why is it when 92% of blacks support Obama and that is mentioned, that it isn't called racism. It might be but it's also a FACT.

And if you Obamatons think he can win the general without the wholehearted campaigning and fundraising of the Clintons, then think again. It's going to be hard for a lot of us to hold our noses and vote for BO in light of the trashing you followers of the new world order of "uniting" people don't totally alienate the majority of voting democrats in the nation.

[Bluesue]

I wouldn't take issue if she had just said she attracts the majority of white voters or white women over 65. That's a fact.

It was the "hardworking Americans, white Americans" that I found offensive. What are the rest of us? And what are African-Americans? Aren't we also hardworking Americans?

[ohiodem250]

It is academically lazy and incorrect to say that because 92% of African Americans are voting for an African American candidate is racism. It is racism when you vote against someone because of their race. Moreover, racism is also defined by a belief that either one race is superior or one race is less than human. Considering that African Americans have voted 80% or more in favor of white candidates in EVERY SINGLE ELECTION since they gained the right to vote, I think they can vote for Obama. Seems to me they're just proud of him.

[SMP]

I agree with the "clinton bait" part...but also want to state that I believe he isnt really campaigning in WV so as she will win by a large margin and be able to go out on a high note ...he is being courteous. But, alas, we all know she will stay in...till death do us part.......magic # 2025 coming soon Sen Obama will be our nominee.