Clinton Compares Florida, Michigan Situation To Zimbabwe Elections

Hillary Clinton is pushing harder and harder to convince the DNC to count the votes held in Florida in Michigan. And with reports suggesting that she is just going through the motions of the election, Clinton has apparently decided to ratchet up the rhetoric. During a rally in Florida yesterday, she not only compared the current situation to the 2000 election, she also referenced rigged elections in Zimbabwe:

Desperate to get attention for her cause to seat Florida and Michigan delegates, Hillary Clinton compared the plight of Zimbabweans in their recent fraudulent election to the uncounted votes of Michigan and Florida voters saying it is wrong when "people go through the motions of an election only to have them discarded and disregarded."

"We're seeing that right now in Zimbabwe," Clinton explained. "Tragically, an election was held, the president lost, they refused to abide by the will of the people," Clinton told the crowd of senior citizens at a retirement community in south Florida.

"So we can never take for granted our precious right to vote. It is the single most important, privilege and right any of us have, because in that ballot box we are all equal. You're equal to a billionaire. You're equal to the president, every single one of us."

Steve Benen, for one, isn't exactly pleased with Clinton's comparison:

I'm 35, and have been following politics for quite a while, and I've never been so disappointed with a politician I've admired and respected. Yesterday's tactics weren't just wrong, they were offensive. For that matter, they seem to be part of a deliberate strategy to tear Democrats apart and ensure a defeat in November....

Instead of trying to help bring the party together -- Election Day is 24 weeks away -- Clinton went to Florida to argue that if Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee, his nomination will be illegitimate. And if the DNC plays by the rules Clinton used to support, it's guilty of vote-suppression -- comparable to slavery, Jim Crow, and Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, the Obama camp has suggested their willingness to find some form of compromise. David Axelrod told NPR:

"We are open to comprise [sic]. We are willing to go more than half way. We're willing to work to make sure that we can achieve a compromise. And I guess the question is: is Senator Clinton's campaign willing to do the same?"

Axelrod continues: "Well, obviously, any compromise is going to involve some give, and that means if there's something on the table, we're willing to consider it. That may include us yielding more delegates than perhaps we would have, simply on the basis of the rules."

Comments

[dsmyre]

The Republicans tried to tell us the Clintons were evil. We didn't believe them before. Now we understand.

[Celldumceen]

Bingo!

[jupitor]

Mark my words! Me and my family were ready to support either nomanee for the Demacratic party! But, not any more! We will not support this women an my family of over 200 strong with three seperate married parents with each haveing 6 children that are married, and their children half of voteing age with in-laws, brother-in laws, sister-in laws, step sister, step brothers and Etc. said they will no longer support this lady or vote for her. They will not contribute one dime to her election, if she steals this election. Over half this family were Hillary supporters in the beginning! Their friend are all saying the same thing! This party will lose voters I fear to Mccain, if this keeps up or they won't vote at all and Mccain willl still win this thing! The DNC must stop this. Clinton saying this election is like zambawee is a out rage, and even thought they have a white leader, just the word zambawee to white uneducated voters means not black people, but the blackes people this world has in it! It conjures up people with pears and ignorant and black as you come! She blantly used the race card and at a time when she knew she could do the most harm in a prodomently white state and to uneducated people. THIS IS HER NUCLEAR PLANS FOR AMERICA, AND TO STEAL THIS ELECTION FROM A BLACK MAN!

[ZimboChick]

First off we are not ruled by a white man and secondly those images are only conjured up by yourself. Travel more.

[SpawnOfJerry]

Maybe if the Republicans themselves hadn't been evil, we would have.

[GaNavy]

I admired Hillary so much I donated to her campaign. I wish now that I could get my money back.

To compare two bogus primary elections to an example of vote fraud on the scale of that found in Zimbabwe is a disgrace. Moreover, it is yet another example of Clinton's passive-aggressive racism - 'cause, you know, it was a black man who stole the Zimbabwe election, but well, almost everyone who lives in Zimbabwe is a black person so OF COURSE we were NOT comparing Obama to Mugabe blah blah blah.

I'm sick of Hillary Clinton. She has not been the victim of systemic sexism, and Obama has not said a sexist word in the entire campaign - if he had, Gerry Ferraro would be sure to tell us about it. Mrs. Clinton needs to go now, while she still has enough respect to win reelection to the Senate. Until yesterday,, I thought that, even though I am an Obama supporter, Senator Clinton would make a fine president. Not any more - she doesn't have the temperament to be President, and she should be nowhere on anyone's list for Vice-President.

Be gone with you, Senator Clinton!

[McPander]

God Bless You

[jupitor]

How dare she do this to the American people! This election is not like the Zimbawee elections----------------Nore is her campagne any thing like the Civil Rights Movement of those good brave people! How Dare she! if the rules/ Laws don't suit her, she just trashes the whole United States and our freedom to vote .and our core right and pinciples! The said this country is made up of Idea's/civic faith/equal justice/free speech/ and our core rights as a indivituals--------------Than she turns around an tells every voter in the United States as voters were FOOLS/IDIOTS and our votes don't count only where she says they should count and When she says they should vote, other wise the election is no good, and stolen like Zimbawee's! Unless, she has her way she will trash this party and the whole United States by compareing us to Zimbawee while she campares her campagne to those great people of the Civil Rights Movement! This lady has gone over the edge, and needs to shut up and stop makeing the United States look like a Country full of a bunch of fools, and idiots.

[Ajita]

Exactly, I saw the racist undertones immediately.

[talkingclock]

It's time for Clinton to get of off the stage, she is not the nominee, no matter how you look at it. She is supposed to be so smart, but she is showing otherwise. Just not transparent and we never know which Hillary will appear before us.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

the lower clinton stoops to attack obama, in her shameless and pathetic powergrab, the prouder i am of barack obama's integrity and character in refusing to stoop to her level

shillary's political behaviour against a fellow democrat is deeply shameful and regrettable and a perfect example of the venal "politics as usual" that has brought this country to its' knees - barack obama, in stark contrast, represents the hopes of millions of decent, fairminded americans that our elected officials in washington d.c. can be a source of pride rather than shame

there are no words adequate to express the UTTER LOATHING that i have for shillary and her agenda to keep washington's culture of corruption just the way it's been for the last 8 years, destroying a truly honorable, qualified and deserving fellow democrat in the process

i did not imagine that it would be possible to despise a politican more than i despise bush and all of his cronies - now i know that i was wrong about that - i will never vote for hillzilla because of the all-out war of desperation she has waged, trying to retrieve "her" nomination using every despicable tactic in karl rove's playbook

the fact that barack continues to go from strength to strength is a sure indicator that the american voter and the superdelegates are sick and tired of hillary and her selfish, despicable and negative campaign

SHE'S HISTORY

HE'S THE FUTURE

[Burkelbile]

The monster must be stopped by any means necessary

[Strywever]

Her hyperole is completely over the top . . . particularly since SHE HELPED SET THIS SITUATION UP.

I am becoming more disgusted by her low-class antics by the day. She makes it increasingly difficult to take the high road for the sake of party unity. With these most recent tactics, it's becoming nearly impossible to believe that she might be trying to ease her supporters toward Obama, and again seeming more likely that this is about her personally, rather than her supporters, Democrats, or the country.

[Mabila]

The fortunate and funny thing in all this is that the senior citizens she was addressing could be clueless on the location of Zimbabwe in the world map LOL!


If only she had used the old name Rhodesia LOL!!!

[ZimboChick]

I am sure she was tempted to being the silly goose that she is!

[Mabila]

She would have scored some. I am sure the senior citizens are still wondering what in the world she was talking about LOL!!!!

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

thanks for the link, olivia

"Sep 1, 2007 4:02 PM
Clinton Campaign Statement
The following is a statement by Clinton Campaign Manager Patti Solis Doyle.

"We believe Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina play a unique and special role in the nominating process.

And we believe the DNC’s rules and its calendar provide the necessary structure to respect and honor that role.

Thus, we will be signing the pledge to adhere to the DNC approved nominating calendar.""

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/chrnothp08/pledge083107resp.html

[KillTheMessenger]

Now I would like to ask all the supporters of Senator Clinton to ask themselves if they really want to stick with their choice. This includes the super delegates who are supposed to chose the best candidate. Is Senator Clinton really the best candidate the Democratic party has to offer? Really?

[dsmyre]

I bet a lot of Hillary supporters are slowly backing away from this train wreck now.

[talkingclock]

No, she is not the best they have to offer.

[ZimboChick]

She is narcissistic - the worst clinical kind. Someone needs to check her quick

[ddharder]

Big deal. At this point she has just gotten shrill. She's now sealing her legacy as a crank and will be fodder for late night talk show hosts for years to come.

Most of her followers will come on board in November, so she's yesterday's news.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

shrillary rotten clinton ...

[frappe]

The more that Hillary Clinton pursues the nomination in this underhanded and duplicitous fashion, the greater the probability that she will lose the general election by a significant margin. Clearly, for starters, she'd be lucky to get 10% of the black vote. That fact alone eliminates any possibility of a victory for her in November.

Assuming she realizes this, the only other possibility for her irrational behavior is to ensure an Obama defeat so that she can rise like the phoenix in 2012. But that's ridiculous, too. No way will people forget how she singlehandedly destroyed not only Obama's chances for victory but also a potentially monumental win for the Democratic party in general.

[talkingclock]

She will definitely get those who voted for her in W. VA. and Kentucky, she will sell them a bill of goods again, but that's about all, because the rest of the nation can see through her campaign tactics. Transparency Hillary Transparency.

[JHCowboy]

Do you want Hillary Clinton being the President of the U.S. when comparing the DNC and the rules she agreed to prior to this race; to Zimbabwe? Do you want a person who uses this kind of rhetoric (to her own gain) to be Commander-in-chief? If she were elected president she would continue her track record of lying and deceit. It wouldn't stop at the end of the election it would very likely get much worse. It would be horrible to have our first woman president (and a Democrat) to be so corrupt. It would set us back decades. We need a major change in Washington. We need a paradigm shift!

[Jaxxon]

I wonder who's idea it was to inject an African government's election process into this debate. If this isn't race-baiting, I don't know what is. She is truly despicable and should be called for what it is. She's gone on the offense with this one. It's a not so subtle way of portraying Obama as a power hungry black guy trying to rob a poor innocent white woman from her right place as presidential nominee. It's shameful and I'm really starting to see how dirty she is. She's taking this to the convention to make Obama lose.

[McPander]

We already know she's a race baiter

"Hard Working AMericans, White Americans"

Show won't when the GE, The republicans will peel African-Americans of the democratic party like peeling an orange.

Even with Obama on the ticket.

[Jaxxon]

What's most disturbing about it is that it's injecting Obama into this as the black guy who is dangerous. The comment about him losing support among "hard-working white Americans" was made to paint Obama as unlikeable. This makes him out to be a criminal-monster. That's what's particularly offensive in this instance.

[Byzantium]

"If this isn't race-baiting, I don't know what is"

Good point because despite appearences, Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Opposition, is in fact a white woman.

Thank for playing. You've won all expenses paid trip to Jonestown, brought to you by the makers of Koolaide.

[Jaxxon]

The point is that Zimbabwe conjures up BLACK. That's the important point. When people here Africa- they immediately think of black people running around naked with spears. No one she's talking to is looking at the nuances you point out.

[Aleka4]

How sad that you would support and approve of this tactic so much that you would actually argue this way. That is totally pathetic - racist pig.

[LuckyKay]

LOL

[ZimboChick]

lol good old Mogiza in a dress

[santamonica39]

What the hell is wrong with the superdelegates?????? If she starts this process with the rules committee, she can challenge the decision all the way to the convention. She will have an excuse to keep her nomination alive. She will claim Obama is NOT the nominee because FL and MI have not been settled (and therefore she'll claim we don't have an end goal post for the number for delegates needed). We all keep saying "it's over, he's the nominee" but saying so doesn't make it so. If she wants to, she can drag this out until the convention and we WILL LOSE. This is clearly her strategy, hoping against all odds that somehow she will steal the nomination in August, or if she can't it doesn't matter because Obama will lose and then she can run in 2012. People keep saying "she's a class act, she won't destroy the party." Who in their right mind really believes that -- look at her actions!! PLEASE SUPERDELEGATE - DON'T LET THIS GO UNTIL MAY 31 WHEN THE RULES COMMITTEE TAKES UP THE ISSUE OF FL AND MI. If it goes that long and that process gets started, we will not be able to have it resolved until the convention. WE WILL LOSE!!! For the love of God you f**king cowards ---- DECLARE WHO YOU SUPPORT!!

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

THE (NEOCON REPUBLICAN) FIX IS ALREADY IN PLACE TO DENY OBAMA THE NOMINATION --

HOWARD DEAN HAS BEEN ROBOTICALLY REPEATING "WE WILL FOLLOW THE RULES" EVERY TIME HE'S ASKED ABOUT THE MAY 31 RULES MEETING OR FLORIDA & MICHIGAN -- IT WILL BE THE DNC'S "EXCUSE" TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR DISENFRANCHISING THEM FROM GETTING THEIR COUNTRY BACK --

CORRUPT FLORIDA AND MICHIGAN REPUBLICANS ENGINEERED AND EXECUTED THIS FIASCO WHICH HILLARY AGREED TO BEFORE SHE CONVENIENTLY DECIDED SHE DIDN'T --

HILLARY KNOWS THIS ( "I WILL STAY IN THIS RACE UNTIL THERE IS A NOMINEE..." ) -- SHE'S PULLED EVERY DIRTY STUNT IN KARL ROVE'S PLAYBOOK -- HER (AND BILL'S FORMER) TOP DEMOCRATIC OPERATIVE, HAROLD ICKES, WROTE THE RULEBOOK THAT THE DNC COMMITTEE IS GOING TO FINAGLE AND "INTERPRET" --

[karaplanet]

You are so right. All she has to do is appeal the Rules Committee decision on the 31st, and it goes to the Credentials committee AT THE CONVENTION. Pay attention to what Hillary is cooking, folks. It ain't cookies, and we are all going to choke on the leftovers.

[ZimboChick]

Ha! Shame on you Hillary Clinton - shame on you!!!! Yeah so you are using this lil analogy of yours because Mugabe and Barack are Africans and they have the same mentality etc. Honestly when will the party honchos wake up to this broad. Yeah I am Zimbabwean and I hate what is happening to my home country but your nonsense just about kicked me in the gut. You and Mugabe belong in hell already! After all you are the one who is refusing to get out. It's evident that the problem is not limited to Africans only after all!