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

[JHCowboy]

Hillary Clinton is a terrible example of a woman. She has really harmed the feminist movement in many ways. Fortunately we know that there are several capable and remarkable women who would make excellent presidents of the United States. Hillary R. Clinton is NOT one of them. I disagree with the rhetoric that we have "two great candidates". That's b.s. We have one great candidate in Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton is a fraud!

[Malarcus]

So, she really, truly, actually does not remember signing off on the whole "Michigan and Florida violated the rules and won't be counted" thing? Why has there been no actual discussion about the fact that Michigan and Florida knowingly violated the rules, realizing the possible consequences? What does it say about the Democratic Party if Michigan and Florida, both of which violated the primary rules and must have known there would be consequences, are then allowed to matter in this primary? Why does Sen. Clinton continue to ignore that Michigan and Florida broke the rules, and that they should face the consequences? Have I mentioned that Michigan and Florida broke the party's rules and should be forced to deal with the consequences? If Michigan and Florida are allowed to violate the party's rules and then be treated as if nothing happened, do the rules then mean nothing? Maybe next primary season (currently only 2 years in length but there must be room to expand) we will see every state rushing to hold theirs on New Years Day as a result of Michigan and Florida violating the rules and not being punished. At any rate, it would appear that Michigan and Florida violated the rules and that Senator Clinton, who participated in setting those rules, would like us all to forgive and forget. If we don't, we're all Zimbabweans.

Both states violated the party's rules and should be held to the consequences. Can these facts be entered into this endless discussion?

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

yeah I'd really like to know why no one in the media has challenged her on this. they let her go on and on, when they should be using her own actions to show that her talk is BS..

[ZimboChick]

Just so you know its not Zimbabweans who are killing Zimbabwe. It's Mugabe and his henchmen. It's long rumoured that he is from Malawi (no offence to Malawians but he is your son). We do not have capacity to be evil like that. Maybe he is Kamuzu Banda's younger brother

[Terriac]

Why why why why why is the DNC letting her do this? What the hell is wrong with them? "Oh, we don't want to make her and her supporters angry." Well, she and her campaign and anyone who allows this to go is making a heck of a lot more people angry. She is insulting everyone on every level imaginable. And still, no one stops her. She is horrible. She needs to go. NOW!

[DRaymond]

Hillary, are you really interested in their 'precious right to vote' and not your own desperate ambitions? Good, then drop out now and it will solve the problem.

Because the only reason that there has not been any compromise reached is that you will spin it as 'revitalizing my momentum to the white house'. Not only does Obama not want that but anybody interested in seeing the nomiation concluded sooner rather than later does not want it. In addition nobody who cares about the DNC's credibility in regulating the 2012 campaign wants to see FL and MI rewarded with what you will spin as the tiebreaking vote for breaking the rules.

As soon as you have officially withdrawn from the race a solution could be reached on allowing FL and MI to be seated within days.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

the real irony of this sad behaviour is that, with a gracious exit, hillary would have left the doors wide open for a future female president, however, the pathetic charade she is currently engaged in will only reinforce (rightly or wrongly) every stereotype, reservation or prejudice any man (or woman) ever had about the wisdom of allowing a woman to occupy the oval office ...

[SayonaraSnot]

Not true. In fact, all future female candidates are going to look fantastic by comparison. She's opened the door in more ways than she knows.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

you are assuming that there will BE another female candidate after shillary is finished making an ass of herself in front of the world

[Vantunow]

How Clever Clintons are........

They want the name MUGABE and OBAMA to be out there together. They want to highlight his AFRICAN roots. Want to send the signal and message to people that Obama is not really American, but African.

No one in their sane mind would compared FL and MI situation to Mugabe's Zimbabwe. No matter how hard you try, that is NOT what you would think of first, or second or third or EVER.

If you come up with Zimbabwe to attack Obama and DNC, you have ONE PURPOSE: Put the Mugabe-Obama vibe out their.

Convince Nash McCabes of this land he is NOT American but African.

[GiggidyGeshmoygen]

TOTALLY AGREE -

this is just the latest in a long list of racist innuendos and suggestions that the clintons have spewed forth in order to try and hang on to their "base" of poor, ignorant white people

[MaeScott]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/22/0226/35614/632/520082

"8/25/07: Clinton DNC operatives strip FL of all 210 delegates"
On Aug. 25, when the DNC's rules panel declared Florida's primary date out of order, it agreed by a near-unanimous majority to exceed the 50 percent penalty called for under party rules. Instead, the group stripped Florida of all 210 delegates to underscore its displeasure with Florida's defiance and to discourage other states from following suit. In doing so, the DNC essentially committed itself, for fairness' sake, to strip the similarly defiant Michigan of all 156 of its delegates three months later. Clinton held tremendous potential leverage over this decision, and not only because she was then widely judged the likely nominee. Of the committee's 30 members, a near-majority of 12 were Clinton supporters. All of them—most notably strategist Harold Ickes—voted for Florida's full disenfranchisement. (The only dissenting vote was cast by a Tallahassee, Fla., city commissioner who supported Obama.)

Now she's all Hillary of Arc inciting her supporters for something she (and her ops) approved. I just shake my head at her.

[SpencerCat]

This is exactly what is so infuriating about Clinton. She pushed for Florida and Michigan's delegates to be disenfranchised. She agreed to it last year!

Now she claims that someone (Obama) is trying to disenfranchise FL and MI voters. Because she's losing.

Her logic and reasoning seem like GWB. I'm sorry, I just can't vote for her.

[olivia]

Here is her campaign's statement agreeing to sanction Florida and Michigan:
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/chrnothp08/pledge083107resp.html

[Wheatstraw]

For all Clinton supporters...think about this real hard.

Obama will win the primary...period

There is about 5-10 percent difference between them both on their policy. They are pretty much the same. So what are you voting on...your emotions or policy. If you want to vote against that 5-10% policy difference then we as Democrats and as Americans are all screwed for the next 4-8 years.

CAN YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION HOLD OUT FOR THIS LONG?
(not yelling)

If Obama looses the General...(which I dont think he will)...then the people who support Clintion who decided to vote for McSame or to say home...then what ever happens in the next 4-8 years is on your heads.
Enjoy staying home...because next year...you may not have a home to stay in.

This is not fear...this is real talk!

[Chavez08]

Bullshit!!­!.........­..Zimbabwe­'s elections are far more more fair and legitimate.

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

isn't it kinda funny that the candidate who said this would all be over by feb 5 now claims to want all the states to have a say? what a fraud!

[Terriac]

Yeah, well that was before things went south for her. She just keeps changing her mind about everything to suit her. I'm sorry, but she is no role model for young women today. This is not how to win anything. And a decent, admirable person, no matter the gender, would have gracefully stepped down by now. She is insane. Years from now I'm afraid we will see videos of her sitting in a corner babbling, "But it was supposed to be me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me."

[ILoveNYC]

What is wrong with her?!?!?!

“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."

She should add the qualifier:

UNLESS the vote is against me, then your vote is as meaningless as the caucuses!

[Mabila]

This is total insanity and complete desperation; comparing the DNC to Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF buffoonery????

Someone needs to quickly reign in on Hillary before she wrecks the DNC.

I am a Zimbabwean and see absolutely no logic in the assertion that this woman just made!

She is misleading the ignorant. Don't be misled people please.

[estreya]

It's already happened. At this point in time, there's such a fury in me, i feel i'll never vote Democratic again. That could change if this thing get's set right, but at this moment, i feel it's third party for me, from this point forward.

[JHCowboy]

Mabila that is yet another reason she needs to bow out gracefully. She is making an absolute fool of herself and our party. I would be totally embarrassed if I were a woman and a Democrat right now after seeing and hearing this kind of desperate and manipulative stupidity coming from Hillary Clinton.

[Gemma08]

Yep. I see the similarity. Mad Uncle Bob Mugabe (as we in Southern Africa 'fondly' refer to him) is also trying to steal the election he LOST!!!

[Mabila]

Thank you!

[shel3364]

Interesting... So HRC's foreign policy expertise is shining through again, eh?

[ggmome]

Oh the dogs have been turned loose! Where are the SD's. Have they all taken the Million?

[steamboat]

i think what she meant is Michigan and Florida citizens were disenfranchised from the basic right to have their vote count, just as in Zimbabwe. And on that she is right.

By no means did she compare Obama to that thug Mugabe. Where the life expectency now is UNDER 40, since his regime came to power.

[anchises868]

The voters in MI and FL not disenfranchised. They are simply irrelevant. Big difference.

[kay]

Well, there are many differences between Boca and Zimbabwe.

Which makes noted foreign policy expert Hillary Clinton's analogy ridiculous and demeaning.

[ILoveNYC]

They ONLY became relevant when she started to lose…oh how convenient!

Did not hear a peep from her in 2000 and did not hear a peep from her last year when she all but assumed she would be POTUS. Hmmm wonder why?

[AmazingChicken]

Sorry, the state 'representatives' of the MI and FL citizens decided, in their arrogance, to move the date. It's IMPORTANT to remember who set this up, and who KNEW this could be a result.
Having said that, they do deserve a say. But it needs to be on the national level. The time for state voting is past. Any other result disenfranchises the authority of the ruling body - without which chaos reigns.

[Mabila]

Hillary was part of that initial agreement. She cannot make that an issue NOW! In Zimbabwe elections are stolen before they even start. The comparison is ludicrous! The thug here in Hillary's assertion is the DNC! That is even more insane!

[GoodGuysandBadGuys]

well she supported their disenfranchisement last year, she had no problems with it then.

"The Four State Pledge all candidates signed on Aug. 28 stated, “Whereas, the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee will strip states of 100% of their delegates and super delegates to the DNC National Convention if they violate the nomination calendar... Therefore, I ____________, Democratic Candidate for President, in honor and in accordance with DNC rules ...pledge I shall not campaign or participate in any election contest occurring in any state not already authorized by the DNC to take place in the DNC approved pre-window.”"

http://daily.stanford.edu/article/2008/2/25/editorialFollowDncRulesOnSeatingDelegates

[mhaven]

Really? Then why Zimbabwe? Why not choose another country as a voter suppression example....such as the USA???

It's the black African , therefore murderous dictator who steals elections connection. And, Hillary has also painted Obama's caucus goers as thugs. She's probably been consulting with people who do psychological operations. Everything she's said and done for the last 3 months have been to discredit Obama and portray him as "other", "alien", "dangerous".

"You shouldn't elect a black man because they are not like us and he will turn America into an African dictatorship", that's the subtext. Hillary is appealing to latent, subconscious bigotry.