Bill Clinton In ABC News Interview: "I Am Not A Racist"

Washinton Post:

Former president Bill Clinton has been trying to keep his political opinions in check in order to turn back to his international work.

Still, he got a little testy in an interview Sunday with ABC's Kate Snow, telling her he is "not a racist" even as he avoided delving into specifics about what happened in the Democratic presidential primary. The interview, taped in a quick stop in Liberia, will air Monday on "Good Morning America."

Read the whole story: Washinton Post

Comments

[abby4ever]

***...and I didn't attack him personally," a clear allusion to Sen. Barack Obama.***

I guess B still can't bring himself to say O's name, all he can manage is a 'him'.

[HerbTee]

Bill Clinton is not a racist...as far as I know!

[wilburr0g]

Sure, Bill. Clinton played golf for years at a whites only golf course in Arkansas (NY Times March 23,1992) and only stopped doing so when his primary opponent Jerry Brown called him out for it. He loves black folks - as much as any paternalistic plantation owner did. Oh, please. He'd cry his little heart out if the presidency stopped being an exclusive whites only club.

[renatam]

Yes..Bill Clinton's friends like Bob Johnson and Jesse Jackson were the REAL beneficiaries of the Clinton's largesse. THEY should not be confused with representing the interests of AAs. Ditto, Vernon Jordan...though I noticed he had the grace NOT to come out on the stump and REPAY THE CLINTONS by marginalizing Barack in their typically comical ways. Both Bob and Jesse now have their place in history...and, both have done very well as our stand-ins, commoditizing our interests all the way to the bank via free spectrum, TV shows, beer/soda distributorships, etc. They don't know when enough is enough.

[PhantomAviator]

..

"I have MANY black friends."

.

[westcoastsc]

Bill, you are much worse. Why did you not find the people in government who were responsible for selling drugs in black neighborhoods in order to raise money for the Contras? How can you hang out with Bush Sr. who, as you know, was head of the CIA and of all the nasty things he did? There is only one excuse that I can think of, and that is collusion.

[Justsaynodeal]

And where was WJC during the Reagan administration when all this Iran/contra sh*t was going on?

[Texas4Obama]

I think that Bill and Hillary are not 'true' racists BUT I do think that they thought that THEY should have had Hillary be the nominee MORE because Hillary is white and the ex-First Lady... compared to Obama being half-white. So in the end there was a little bit of racism there.

I would vote for Obama if he were green or purple !!!

[marymansour]

"I would vote for Obama if he were green or purple !!!"

For me, it's not a race thing with Obama. It is the brilliance of the guy. He's incredible and sure has my vote in November.

[ScandalousCandice]

Again this is all about Bill. Someone send him to the Maldives until the GE is over. I want to hear Bill swallow the hard pill and talk about Obama. Talk about the democratic party and what we have to do as democrats to defeat McCain in November. More than his disgraceful appearances on the trail, this ego will be the thing that is most remembered and most hated. At least to me. The arrogance and the nerve of this guy. It is not about you Bill. It is about this nation and the best thing for it.

[ScandalousCandice]

I don't believe that Bill is a racist. Or ever was one. But he is a politician. And not only that he is a masterful politician. That means he isn't above using certain tactics for political gain. Bill is very much aware of what he says at all times. And knows how to flip that table around on you faster than you can blink with defensive posturing.

[Housewife]

So that begs the question: If you aren't a racist, but you use race as a political wedge to divide the electorate, then what exactly are you?

Bill was a bad boy and he's still off pouting because he doesn't get to be the main story. So much for being a leader of the Democratic Party. Apparently that isn't on his agenda right now. What a loser.

[NTO08]

And isn't that what Obama does all the time? Some of Obama's sheeple love to attack Bill for doing the very thing Obama does every day...nice try, but it won't work here.

[barackobama4prez]

uh it worked in the primaries...?

[ApolloniaCreed]

"here"... where exactly IS that?

[Lauren1959]

So which is worse, being a racist, or marginalizing someone to play on others racist fears? I'm not sure how I'd answer that. People are all certainly capable of being insensitive or oblivious and saying things accordingly. I think that's what happened to Bill. He would have been better off recognizing it and apologizing rather than acting like a spoiled child.

[VivaZapata]

dear ScandalousCandice,
if we're going to shine a light on McCain's use of code words, we can't dim the lights for Clinton even though African-Americans did make greater gains under his presidency than at any time since Carter. This last part of my statement perhaps validates your idea that he is less a racist and more a crafty politico.

[barbwiregrrl]

I think anyone growing up in American Society is racist. It is what we are taught from birth. Ask a bunch of kids to look at two pictures of two differnt race children one white and one African America, Asian, Indian etc....ask the kids which little girl is prettier and most likely it will be the white child.

We need to move on from where we are in the sense of saying we "want to live in a color blind society". I think what we really want and need to do is honor all races, religions and creeds. Accept them for who they are and what they are.

Let's stop hiding behind being PC and lets really have discussions about race, class, gender and sexual orientation.

Some of the "He is racist....she is racists" comments here are just a way to divide and conquer rather than educate, inform and learn from eachother.

[JackND]

WJC himself isn't a racist...that implies a personal belief.

But he absolutely exploited the sentiments of people who are and used it to his advantage (or tried to), which, if anything, is even worse.

[GrainOSand]

No, he is not a racist; he is a capitalist who will use whatever means necessary to capitalize including stoking racial tension for purposes of political gain. Slavery was not necessarily about race, it was more about greed by capitalists who used race to justify greed and to pacify guilt concerning murder, rape, and theft. When it ended, it ended more on a question of whether the economy was to be agriculture or industrial based than a question of the morality of slavery, which is part of the reason the foul and repugnant odor of slavery is still amongst us today, it has never been truly reconciled. Lincoln was an effective president but he was not necessarily a willing giant on the question of the morality of slavery. Kudos to him however, for being a pragmatic capitalist who had the vision to steer his country in the right economic direction though he left work undone, challenging, and injurious concerning the moral question of mans’ inhumanity to man.

[robXdion]

Why did SC fire on Ft. Sumter? Why did they fear Lincoln? And why were Black Codes and Jim Crow laws created? Why were blacks held in slavery in Texas until 1865? And why were blacks STILL enslaved in the South until 1945? It was about economics, but the racial component was and still is, very high. He played on this. Southerners are especially skilled in it.

[foreffectivegovernment]

When Bill Clinton also stated the obvious -- that Clinton-Obama would be a dream ticket -- the media ridiculed the idea, saying that if Hillary doesn't think Obama is ready to be commander-in-chief, how could she think he is ready to be vice president? The media have also twisted Clinton's assertion that both she and the apparent Republican nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, have more experience, is the same as saying both she and McCain would make better commanders-in-chief.

C'mon children, let's have a little nuance here. Experience isn't everything, but it is something. Is it possible Clinton merely thinks she might make an even better commander-in-chief than Obama? And isn't it at least possible that although Obama is more charasmatic and has more states, delegates and popular votes, based on the Electoral College, Clinton is more electable?

There's been a drumbeat in the media for Clinton to pull out of the race, while her efforts to forge a dream ticket have been met by rimshots. Few in the media have the temerity to suggest that for the good of the Democratic party, the nation and the world, maybe Obama should at least consider becoming the vice presidential nominee. This year more than ever, the media seem to be sticking to the old adage: Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story.

[PaxMundis]

foreffectivegovernment:

The reason the media ridiculed the idea of a Clinton-Obama ticket was because Obama was soundly defeating Clinton at the time. To suggest that Obama should step aside for the marginally more experienced Clinton was possibly not racist, but it sure was ridiculous and offensive.

Your candidate lost. Live with it.

[renatam]

If your assertion is correct, then Hillary Clinton will have a challenge keeping her NY Senate seat come 2012. New Yorker is the home of MEDIA -- and, while we certainly have racists proffering content and imagery daily of AAs in demeaning ways, profitably (The New Yorker ?) , and, we are the home of "Mad Men" after all -- the industry and our State cringe at the idea of overt RACISM. That we will NOT have and the Clintons of Arkansas are only beginning to feel the cold winds beginning to blow out of Manhattan. The State of Robert F. Kennedy and Daniel Patrick Moynihan -- don't appreciate being embarassed, Bill and Hill. Wall Street will NEED Barack Obama's goodwill for continued bailouts. Our "Mad Men" City prides itself on savvy marketing and PR spin. Mark Penn and Mandy Grunwald's performance is the joke of Madison Avenue.

So, if MEDIA and Wall Street are blowing cold (in public, anyway) -- things look GRIM in this most diverse of American Cities and States. Interesting times ahead and more fallout for Senator Clinton. Bill's pity-party isn't going over well in NY. Americans are concerned about THEIR futures -- not Bill's globetrotting DEALMAKING.

[Justsaynodeal]

David Gergan, who has worked in both R and D administrations, said yesterday on "This week" that maybe 0-man should re-visit the Hill for VP possibility........if he wants to win. He was looking at the recent polls. Gergan us probably one of the most objective pundits on TV.

[Fabienne]

Clinton voted for our largest foreign policy mistake in a generation. Why would be be a competent commander-in-chief when she couldn't even look ahead to what might happen in Iraq after our invasion? Why would she be a competent financial leader when she couldn't even manage a fiscally responsible campaign? Why is she more electable if she didn't win the primary? And who cares if she is more electable if she's not worth electing?

[foreffectivegovernment]

The media downplays Clinton's victories and exaggerates Obama's. For instance, the conventional media wisdom is that Clinton won three of the four states up for grabs on Super Tuesday 2 because she went negative. In simple logic 101, this is known as the false cause-and-effect fallacy -- I washed my car and it rained, so washing my car must have caused it to rain. With just as little evidence, the same cause-and-effect argument could reach the totally opposite conclusion: The relentlessly negative media coverage of Clinton leading up to the primaries in Texas, Ohio, Rhode Island and Vermont caused voters to feel sorry for her, i.e., the negative media campaign did NOT work.
On the other hand, Obama's subsequent win in Wyoming was portrayed as a resounding victory and bounce-back. Most news stories led with the fact that Obama won by an impressive 20 percent. Less impressive is the raw vote total -- Obama got about 3,400 votes in Wyoming and Clinton 2,300, so he won the state by about 1,100 votes. By the way, Wyoming usually votes Republican, and even if Obama did win the state in the general election, it's only worth three Electoral College votes.
Clinton won the Texas primary, which is also considered a "red" state.

[foreffectivegovernment]

Her victories in Texas, Ohio and Rhode Island were the equivalent of 58 electoral votes, while Obama's win in Vermont was worth three.

The media constantly report that since "Hillary can't win" the 2,024 delegates needed to secure the nomination, she should drop out of the race, while downplaying the fact that Obama can't win, either. The media make much of "the rules" when criticizing Clinton for trying to get the Michigan and Florida delegates counted, but want to make up the rules when they suggest that whoever has the most delegates at the end of the primary process should be declared the winner, or that the super delegates should rubber-stamp the popular vote. "What could be less democratic than having a bunch of political hacks have the final say?" the pundits wail, conveniently forgetting that the Constitution didn't set up a pure democracy, but a system of checks and balances, including the Electoral College. The Democrats wouldn't be in the pickle they're in if they hadn't made the process of selecting a nominee more democratic without doing the the same for the process of electing a president.

[PaxMundis]

foreffectivegovernment:

The idea that Hillary won more "electoral votes" is a fallacy, because the chances of any Democrat winning Texas are slim. Also, you imply that none of the Dems who voted for Clinton would vote for Obama, which is also preposterous.

As for letting the super delegates decide, the Hillary supporters had no problem with that when it was possible that they would put her over the top.

[Justsaynodeal]

And Donna Brazille said she would leave the party if the SD's selected the nominee......that was before the DNC RBC stacked the deck...."throwing an olive branch to Hill, which DB said Hill ungraciously refused to accept". All Dem's. gotta do what they gotta do based upon how they feel about the DNC, DB's RBC and that will determine the outcome of the GE.

[Fabienne]

There are no electoral votes in a primary. Case closed.

[gigi09]

There is a very thin line between love and hate. African Americans loved the Clintons, and it was AA that wished for the "Dream Team". That way, we could have had Clinton, whom we loved and Obama, this well qualified man, who happens to be Black! At the beginning AA were torn between the two, and we kept praying that the two would not go negative, so we would not have to make a choice based on negativity. After "Super Tuesday" things got ugly, and yes the Clintons went negative, and down-right ugly, and yes it was racist, race-baiting. The problem now is they have never acknowledged, or apologized for the way they played the race-card to the African Americans that have been the base of the Clinton legacy.now they claim to be the victim, and saying that Obama played the race card, which is not true! This on-going campaign to make HRC the nominee, and the bitterness they are showing against Obama, the DEM presumptive nominee is racist and sick! It is time for unity people! What about the children? We need to get it together democrats.

[Elrancho]

I think you've summed it up most accurately. I personally am very disappointed with the Clintons on this issue and their continued bitterness towards Obama. It makes me reconsider their entire legacy. My gut instinct is that deep down Bill has racist tendencies. To me, it's evident in his face and body language. I am white and could never stoop to react the way he has - whatever the circumstances. This election is really exposing who's who when it come to racism. In a way it's healthy, I suppose. But also tremendously depressing.

[renatam]

The Clintons went for the jugler because they CANNOT accept the second spot. Hillary Clinton CHOSE to pass on VP when she and Bill jointly placed upon racial fears in SC -- and leveraged Bob Johnson and Jesse Jackson, Sr. as surrogates to take him down in front of African-Americans and all Americans. Backfired.

The present game is not about Americans -- or the Democratic Party winning. It is positioning to be the VICTIMS, for round 2 in 2012. VICTIM strategy IS Bill Clinton's winning game. Making Hillary Clinton a VICTIM of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party establishment is her springboard. Feminist icon is the portrait and feminist victim is the narrative -- begun during the final, expensive month and last day Hillary Clinton bowed out. A Mark Penn PR extravaganza -- w/a room full of women we are told will not vote for a Democrat this Fall. Clinton Inc.'s Campaign has continued w/McCain and his Rovian Campaign strategists making the case for their own strategy based upon the VICTIM narrative proffered by Bill Clinton -- even today -- from overseas. Clintons are STILL running against Senator Obama and in defiance of the Democratic Party Nomination process having ended. They have fused their interests -- as has Joe Lieberman, a fellow DLC member -- with John McCain, who Hillary Clinton repeatedly validated during the Democratic Primaries. Fox "News" is now the home of Howard Wolfson. Mark Penn hired Bush's former Press Secretary and head propagandist -- immediately post of

[drayntx]

Can somebody answer this question for me: Does a racist know that he/she is racist? If he knows it, is he ashamed of it?
My questions are not about Bill C. I don't think of him as being racist. I'm just wondering what does a racist person feel about racism.

[robXdion]

It depends if they are surrounded by like minds. In rural areas there are some who are proud of their bigotry because they're surrounded by it. In Bill C's case, it's not acceptable, so he's in serious denial but has a latent white supremacy complex. In other words, he doesn't think a black person should be on his level or competing with him. That's why he resents O. In the primary, the indignation of Hillary losing was really about the disbelief she could lose to a (half) black man. In other words, it must be sexism because there's no way a WHITE woman should lose over "this guy". She didn't have as much experience as him. We just knew her longer. They had to explain it because they thought everyone was stuck in 1984. So it became "he wouldn't be so far ahead it he were a white man". If O were a white man with equal talents the primary would ended February 19th because Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania would have been out of reach for Hillary.

[Jezreel]

I just read an article that said something like 98% percent of people who are racists do not know they are racists. People are constantly bombarded with images and information that shape their opinions on a subconscious level and that influence their behaviors.

I don't think that anyone other than Bill and Hillary Clinton knows precisely what is in their hearts. That applies to all of us. There are spouses to sleep with each other every night without fully knowing each other.

Bill Clinton may or may not be a racist. But he and his wife used political tactics that were racially insensitive, provocative and divisive.

Hillary Clinton often refused to mention Obama by name or to acknowledge his victories in primary contests. She urged voters to vote for her, promising that she would put Obama on the ticket while he was the frontrunner. Both Clintons were dismissive of Obama's lifetime achievements. Till this moment, many Clinton supporters, even some on this thread are still using the Clinton playbook to resist and recast Obama and the chances are they do not think of themselves as racists.

The Clinton playbook against Obama has since been adopted by John McCain and the GOP. Their tactics are perceived as racist and supremacist whenever a white man or woman uses them against a person of color.

[sparkandy]

That's a good question. How much unconsious racism is there? My black friends don't think they're being racist when they trash Mexicans. My boyfriend's Mexican friends don't think of themselves when they call all blacks 'Mayate' (sp?). They think because they're minorities, they can't be racist. Only whites are racist. But now we're sort of in the middle, at least around here. It's like my black friends assume because we all grew up here and speak English and have a common culture, we're all against the Mexicans. And P's Mexican friends assume he's against blacks because they don't like them and he's their friend. P thinks they're competing for minority status and perks and trying to drag whites into the middle of their fuss. Personally, I'm sick of the whole thing. I don't have the time or the energy to worry about someone else's skin color. I'm too busy just trying to survive.

[presto]

Ya know...it's pretty easy to act like a jerk when political bias fries your brain. Bill Clinton is in Liberia. Liberia is being devastated by AIDS...people are dying by the gazillions. A lot of Liberia's population either is or is descended from former American slaves. Some were sent against their will, some emigrated. The assimilation process did not go well. The country was nearly destroyed by Civil War, most recently in 2003, and now disease is running rampant. It is one of the most miserable places on earth. Bill Clinton's work on AIDS and malaria in Liberia and throughout Africa for the past seven years has been selfless and endless. And all you guys can do is relentlessly parrot your petty political hatreds back and forth at each other. It really is disturbing that so many Americans are so clueless about so much.

[CommittedDem]

You're analysis is too intellectual for the people on this site. They hate the Clintons and there is nothing you can do to change that.

[Justsaynodeal]

"Bill Clinton's work on AIDS and malaria in Liberia and throughout Africa for the past seven years has been selfless and endless."

The report on new HIV/AIDs in America is out and very disheartening. There are over 50 thousand new cases, which some people say is too low, but of those reported new cases 50% is among blacks. Now some of you might consider me a racist for bringing up that fact, but that is the reality of the situation. It would seem to me that perhaps BC, who has done so much in Africa to alleviate the death rate and new cases of HIV, could possibly concentrate some of those humanitarian efforts here in America.? Would that make him more of a racist?

[presto]

In America, AIDS sufferers at least have access to the latest drugs and long-term treatments. In Liberia, in many third-world countries, the drugs are just not there. When they are, treatment is often limited to AZT - the drug of choice in the US back in the 1980's. We know how to battle AIDS here. There are many places in Africa that do not. And there are so many AIDS orphans that it would be absolutely criminal to not do what we can.

In addition to AIDS, Clinton does a huge amount of work on malaria, a problem we do not have here but a problem that kills about a million people a year, often children. Ninety percent of the malaria deaths are in Africa.

To answer your question, nothing will make him "more" of a racist. He was never a racist to begin with. He is a humanitarian who has been vilified to advance the political career of Barack Obama. That is simply not necessary.

[Fabienne]

I do not denigrate the work Bill Clinton is doing now. I think he has been an admirable ex-President. But I do not see how he left this country in better shape when he left is last term as President. He balanced the budget, with the help of the gops, and was fortunate to have the high tech boom behind him, but much of what he did set the stage for Resident Bush's election. The corporate structure was stronger when Clinton left office than when he went in, poverty was still on the rise, the schools and health care systems were still deteriorating, and the Democrats not longer had control of Congress.