Chris Rock Disses Bill Clinton For Tepid Obama Support

If you happened to catch The View this afternoon, you likely marveled at Bill Clinton's ability to call the 2008 election for Barack Obama without actually suggesting that Obama, as a candidate, had any particular quality that would enable the win, which would instead come about through a confluence of happy electoral accidents. The former president, let us say, is nothing if not consistent in his sense of party loyalty, where party=the party in his pants.

Apparently, Bill Clinton managed to be even more of an undermining douche coy about his support for the Democratic nominee on tonight's iteration of The Late Show With David Letterman, because something inspired his fellow guest, comedian Chris Rock, to remark, "Boy, is it me or he didn't want to say the name Barack Obama?" From there, Rock went into a lengthy harangue about Hillary Clinton ("I love Hillary, but she lost...The Patriots got a lot of points, too, but they lost"), before finally referring to Sarah Palin's Alaska as "Road Warrior with snow."

Looks like someone's not going to be playing any Clinton Global Initiative benefits anytime soon!

[WATCH.]

Comments

[jpb0914]

Can you imagine a Republican operative going on tv as much as the Clintons and gushing with such glowing sentiments about the opposition candidate in an election cycle ?
He keeps saying what a good and decent man McCain is but does NOT follow with ANY such pro-Obama platitudes !!!! He says on The View, that we cant go wrong with EITHER candidate ????

[middleoftheroad]

They don't want Obama to win. If Obama wins Hillary wont be President. That simple. Think about how much her stock will rise if Obama does not win.

[SKayum]

A very smart Republican operative might go on tv and gush about the opposition if he wanted to charm the votes away from said opposition. Remember when the Repubs suddenly had the utmost respect and admiration for Hillary Clinton when they introduced Palin? Remember when it worked?

[theone718]

I think Bill did well for himself last night on the Daily Show. He layed it out simply "we have to win the people that are skeptical not the people that loves us and we have to show that WE LOVE THEM."

[klondiker]

It is not the Clintons responsibility to deliver this election.

Stop talking about them. The election is not about them.

The election is about the issues. That is a fight we can win.

[zaffar786]

Then let them back off and stop doing more harm than good to Obama's campaign!~

[DCCommuter]

This election started being about them when Hillary lost and then wouldn't drop out gracefully. She liked all her disgruntled supporters. And Bill and HRC are still disgruntled and they would like Obama to lose the election and EVERYONE IN AMERICAN knows this.

[alldone]

"This election is about this issues..." Wake up already...if the election was about the issues, the race would not be as tight as it is and Sarah Palin would have been laughed off the stage. Everything counts in a race this tight, including the actions and tone of the last Democratic president. Way to go Chris for telling the truth. I just hope that both Clintons saw the clip to know that we are on to them.

[ckfan]

It is the responsibility of party leaders to support the nominee and help him win - to fight for him and our country. It's been that way in the past - why is it different now????

[Gerry222]

I agree that it's not about the Clintons. But we must remember this coolness on the part of the Clintons when and if they need our votes again! And somebody, even if it's Chris Rock, ought to let Hillary and Bill know up front that they will likely need us again one day and we will be just as cool to them as they are being to Obama.

[530Rose]

He might be dry and loud mouthed, but Chris Rock was right on. Both Clintons are tepid in their support of the Democratic ticket. This shows once again that what they care about is all things "Clinton," not the country.

[inwonderland]

What IS Bill doing out there? Showing that he is tepid about Obama. He is on the view and late night to what, save his repute?

NO way Bill.

You are about as credible in your support of Barack Obama as you were on the finger wagging of I didn't have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.

No book to sell. No cause to plug. No wife to push. So why are you out there Bill?

So you can cast doubt on Obama by your purposeful avoidance of a full throated support for your Party's nominee.

Halloween has not come yet and Bill Clinton already is masquerading.

[thinkworklivelove]

This was funny! However, not everyone will appreciate it if they are not a fan of Chris Rock. He has kind of a dry, but loud-mouthed sense of humor.

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

I find this funny how the comedic whose job is to be funny is the loud mouth...? That's his job! Can we stop bashing Chris -- He was speaking the truth here.

Bill more and more is getting on my last nerve.

[MaryscottOConnor]

And neither, apparently, does this twerp of a "writer."

[wedapeepo]

he's obnoxious

[MaryscottOConnor]

Chris Rock obviously doesn't understand the concept of the soft sell.

Clinton was talking to undecided voters.

See this excellent analysis:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/9/23/161030/417

[tmartin1]

Thanks for that link - great to see a different angle - Bill was a keynote speaker at our company meeting and is a VERY smart guy - let's not just attack and see the whole picture.

[DCCommuter]

It seems to me he is doing a soft sell of McCain.

[tomomaha]

He was also soft-selling McCain in his appearance on the View.

[anywho]

"mydd" was a very PRO CINTON and disgustingly anti OBAMA site during the Democratic Primaries. My suspicion is that is is a cover site run by the Clinton's and their surrogates. Your link basically confirms my suspicions.

[anywho]

"mydd" was totally in the tank for Hillary during the Primaries - seems like they still are.

[peorgietirebiter]

I understand the concept of soft sell. Bill on Letterman could be interpreted as an example of making soft sell, it would be a poor example. His repeated invocations of Hillary made it more of a mush sell. I think a fair reading would be, " look, if you're dead set on voting this year... I mean if you're going to be in the booth anyway, you'll be conflicted, but you probably won't vote for John McCain. And I wouldn't blame you because things are a mess, but if you can put off that vote..."

[skwan91607]

Your guys are sending hate mail all over again. Don't be stupid. Unity is what Dem needed today. Or, your guys are working for McCain.Then, keep talking like that.

[tmartin1]

Thank you! A voice of reason!

[kashe]

Wake up, Bill Clinton is not out there trying to get Obama supporters to vote for Obama.

His job is to get those voters whom are still on the fence--Independents, Republicans who are fed up and thinking of voting for a Democrat for the first time in their lives . . .More women voters as well, though, Obama is doing better with women than the media wants to admit.

[Condi1836]

I watched both Clinton appearances (Daily show and Letterman) and the Chris Rock "commentary". I have no idea where Chris Rock was coming from. It certainly sounded like he had his act/rant rehearsed ahead of time because I certainly did not see the same Bill Clinton that he did. On the Daily Bill Clinton went on and on about how good a president Obama would make. I am sure there are some people will not believe the Clintons support Obama until they both get tattoos stating it!!!

Chris Rock open up your ears and mind and shut your mouth until you have something worth saying, otherwise stick to comedy.

[nomobull]

you shut up and stop living in the past. this is not the bill of the clinton presidency.

[530Rose]

I saw it too, and Chris was Right On. Clinton should open his mind and shut his mouth if he still wants to be considered a leader in the Democratic party. It is time for the dinosaurs to turn into oil already.

[beautifuldisaster]

Chris Rock is known to mix the truth in his comedy...and the TRUTH HURTS!

[BARBLS]

If you watched the Daily Show tonight you would understand why I think you people are clueless to what this election is all about. You have the same mentality as Chris Rock, which is really stupid and a real turn off. Bill Clinton is speaking to those out there that do not love Obama. He wants them to know what is at stake and that the Democrats are the party that will best address the problems they are facing. You are all about Obama. You think we all have to love him, when we do not. I have stayed away from these comments since the primary as they just make me angry. Wake up. Do you want another McGovern defeat.

[nomobull]

and he did exactly what to make them love him

[honeydiva]

Oh please he pulled the same crap on the view. joy even commented about it on larry king. tepid indeed. you're one of those here that appears to be heavily medicated.

[RememberTheAlamo]

Okay,

So we won't call on Bill when the bases are loaded in the nineth inning . . . .

[brenner21]

[PHOTO]
Alan Greenspan, left, the Federal Reserve Chairman, and Congressional leaders applauded President Clinton yesterday after he signed the Financial Services Modernization Act, which allows merging of banks, securities firms and insurers. It repeals parts of the 1933 Depression-era Glass-Steagall Act.

[stilldreaming]

What's wrong with him? He would rather see America as we know it go down the tubes than support Barack Obama. He has now totally lost my respect. Poor Mrs. Clinton, stuck with this lowlife.