Toni Morrison On Calling Bill Clinton The First Black President And Endorsing Obama

From a new Time magazine interview with Toni Morrison:

Do you regret referring to Bill Clinton as the first black President? --Justin Dews, Cambridge, Mass.

People misunderstood that phrase. I was deploring the way in which President Clinton was being treated, vis-à-vis the sex scandal that was surrounding him. I said he was being treated like a black on the street, already guilty, already a perp. I have no idea what his real instincts are, in terms of race.

Why did you endorse Barack Obama for the presidency? --Chris Francis Lightbourne, Long Island, N.Y.

I thought about voting for Hillary at the beginning. I don't care that she is a woman. I need more than that. Neither his race, his gender, her race or her gender was enough. I needed something else, and the something else was his wisdom.

Comments

[MARTYB]

John McCain will be POTUS come November, all he has to do is start saying he will get tough on "illegal aliens", and make a" bow" in the direction of getting out of Iraq ASAP, whenever that will be
and "historical precedence " will do the rest.

[shockjock]

Bill is an Uncle Tom

[rudyinbama]

If the treatment of Bill qualified him as black, what did the assassination of Lincoln make him?

[dumbunny]

What is "black, white, and red all over?"

[schoolmaster]

Obama befitted from endorsement of high achievers from black community starting with Oprah. Oprah said ' he(Obama) is the one" Like in the movie Matrix, it means he is the chosen one. To a degree it amounts to playing on the American psyche. Also Obama is the beneficiary of the respect American people, specially Whites developed towards the black community which has produced stalwarts in a variety of fields like music, sports etc and now politics. Such mutual appreciation will eventually break the racial barriers even without further attempts at Governmental level. In other words, it is time to gradually withdraw the laws appertaining to affirmation based on racial basis, and advance the same based on the degree of economic deprivation.

[schoolmaster]

In the first sentence it should have been benefited and not befitted. Sorry for the typo.

[BigLib]

What revisionist crap.

Someone needs to explain Google to Morrison:

Morrison wrote in the 1998 New Yorker essay, "displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald's-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas."

[elion10]

Yes, I think Ms. Morrison is looking for a ticket onto the Obama band wagon.

Its tough to be the one who " tag lined" the black community's support for Clinton, no wthat he has to be the"race baiting bad guy."

[caral]

Thanks for the clarification. I love your work!

[rosal]

Thank you Toni, you make me proud of being a woman. I would never vote for a woman, just because she is a woman. As a matter of fact, I think its insulting. Feminists everywhere have to be wise and proud of voting for a woman based on her capabilities, wisdom, honesty, and integrity. Otherwise, just voting because "she is a woman" comes across as having an inferiority complex.
This is why I don't support Clinton. She lacks all the qualities mentioned above.

[mbaty]

Toni Morrison for VP.

[soundfury]

You know how Hillary said "Screw 'em" to the same S. white working class she's pandering to right now in WV, when they made Bill lose the Congress in 1994, well, I hate to say this, but I wonder, just wonder if she's saying the same thing today about AA's?

Just the fact that she doesn't consider them an important voting block anymore speaks volumes.

[peascott]

Hillary assumes that she can make peace with black folks. Seem like Hillary forgot the first the letters in the word assume.

[Infinitii]

The Clinton's used the blacks just like they are using the "working-class whites". Back when Bill was campaigning for the presidency, Hillary told Bill "f..k em', we don't need them, they're not doing anything for us". The "working-class whites" will soon find out just as the Blacks and Hispanics have found out. She needed the Hispanic votes so much and tossed them after the Texas primary, now she don't need them anymore. She has tossed every race to the side and now that she feel a need for the "working-class whites", she has run back them, the one's she spoke so disrespectful about. She don't need the Native Americans, Blacks, Latinos, Asians, she just need the "working-class whites" for now.

[trailrunner9]

How sad that you would defame someone's character that was standing on the side of social justice issues from the time she graduated college and did volunteer legal work for the poor, children, represented indigent minorities in the south who were often scapegoated or treated with unequal justice, fought to get George McGovern elected. Please. Give me a break. It is despicable what is being done to the Ciintons simply for having had the misfortune to dare to run against a black man. Had Obama not been in the race, I'm quite sure that many of the AA's equating Hillary Clinton to the epitomy of evil would be supporting her right now.

As for Toni Morrison's re-write on history, it speaks volumes of her integrity or lack there of and dishonesty. Who would you rather have as a friend, Toni Morrison or Mya Angelou. One doesn't throw someone under the bus for personal expediency when there is something to be gained. Really sad to see just how many people are doing that, too.

[pacats]

trailrunner say: "it is despicable what is being done to the Clintons simply for having the misfortune to dare to run against a black man".

What is being done to the Clintons is the result of what they did to themselves.
1).35 years of experience was not true
2). poorly managed campaign
3). hired top staff due to their devotion to her not for their experience.
4). Hillary told several media commentators, that she would have the campaign wrapped up by2/5/08.
5).When Rush L. made the announcement for his republican listeners to vote for Hillary in the Ohio and Texas primaries, she was okay with it. She should have been offended, and told Rush on national tv, that she rejects and denounces that plan. Instead, she laughed on ABC the day after winning Ohio. She say,"Hey Rush, be careful what you wish for".
6). writing a letter about the 2 disenfranchised states, knowing she supported the initial plan.
7) the number of her well known supporters who are willing to go on national tv or write articles designed to demonize Senator Obama. Lanny Davie, Koch, Carville. Too many people recognize this as a strategy used when you want to make white americans afraid of the scary black guy. Scary is a code word for strong, like Dr. King.

What is happening to the Clintons has nothing to do with the bi-racial guy in the race. Many politicians stepped away from the Clintons early on.

[whatevertoo]

you forgot one.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45885

Fraud lawsuit targets Hillary
Fund-raiser claims 'smoking guns' prove campaign in massive scam

[trailrunner9]

Your points are well taken in some respects, though I don't agree with them all. I am strictly talking about the re-write on Bill and Hillary Clinton's history and character based on their many public stances and works over many years. It is defmation in my book and as Toni Morrison proves, it is politically expedient now to throw the Clintons under the bus, which I feel is disgusting and speaks more to those doing it. Support a turn in a new era, support your candidates, crtique the differences, but stop villafying and defaming an entire lifetime of good works on behalf of the people of the Democratic Party.

[RG986xx]

Hillary has planned every step of her career since she met and married Bill Clinton. First she helps him become Governor, the she helps him become President, ignores his infidelity because her plan was to use Bill as a springboard to become a U.S. Senator and then "the first woman President of the U.S.". Her misstep wasn't this Presidential campaign, she should have run in 2004. She underestimated Barrack Obama's message of change. It doesn't even matter that Barrack Obama is Multiracial, people want to change America and redefine "WE THE PEOPLE". We the people are fed up with the way Washington works for the well-connected. We the people are fed up with politicians that promise us everything and forget us when they get to Washington, D. C.. We the people want change, not more of the same!

And I, for one, have a problem that if Hillary became President, her "first lady" has a reputation of being promiscuous. Oh, I forgot, the Clinton's said that the subject of Monica and his other affairs was "Off Limits". If she was present in the White House during his encounters with Monica, what will he do when she's preoccupied with the affairs of the government?

[timinhi]

Your post exposes your ignorance of history. You clearly know very little about Hillary's life or even a simple timeline of her life. Before you post, you should educate yourself a bit. Even reading one of those rightwing attack books about Hillary would give you a more accurate understanding of her life than you've displayed here. Obama supporters are consumed with hate for anyone who disagrees with them or opposes him. How sad for America. And Morrison gushes about his "wisdom." Give me a break. Is this the "change" and "hope" he keeps talking about?

[SethBullock]

Yeah, she did a lot on social justice issues in her corporate law firm, and on the board at Walmart!

This isn't "being done to her" because she's running against a black man. This is being done to her because she is an untrustworthy, lying politician. Because she is for the war and because we can (and have) done better.

[rosal]

Follow the money. Your "heroes" are nothing but fraud. Follow the $109,000,000, and you will open your eyes.

[Darsan54]

Being financially successful makes you automatically a fraud/crook? No wonder Democrats can't win; they cripple themselves before the race is even started.

[gd7277467]

TONY WHO ???

[mikekev58]

"I have no idea what his real instincts are, in terms of race."

Oh, really?

Do some research, Toni.

He was governor of Arkansas...he has a record there, for better or worse.

He has the Clinton Foundation....I think that's a little thing aimed at delivering concrete solutions to issues like HIV/AIDS around the world...that includes Africa, by the way.

Can you remember him being excoriated for apologizing to black Africans for America's history of mistreatment and neglect, including our history of slavery that ripped apart black families in Africa?

Can you remember him fighting the Republicans to "mend it not end it" regarding Affirmative Action?

To say you have no ideas of what his real instincts are regarding race is downright disingenuous and stupid!

So you're supporting your "wise" brother this time around. No need to denigrate Bill Clinton to justify your shoddy reasoning.

[aristippe]

try picking up a book sometime

[Nopes]

I think she is lying. She tries to save her face, because the Clintons made a fool out of her (or a house slave). Otherwise she would have corrected this notion long ago.
That was really ridiculous. I couldn't believe a black person could make such a moronic statement (I'm white, so it's not biased).

[robXdion]

You're white and you can see the stupidity in it and yet many blacks defend this BS like she's their momma. It's pathetic. Black women are very indifferent to the experiences of black men. That's why they see nothing wrong in this comparison. Toni Morrison made the statement as an aside to defend Bill Clinton. What she didn't realize was Republicans gleefully went after him on this scandal because all the Clinton's previous scandals ran into dead ends due to mysteriously shredded and missing documents. That and his history of philandering was WHY they assumed he was already guilty. Not because he was an honorary black man. It's disgusting, cheap, and YES, very "house slavish".

[mikekev58]

"That was really ridiculous. I couldn't believe a black person could make such a moronic statement (I'm white, so it's not biased)."

Now THAT's a ridiculous statement!

[Nopes]

And what is ridiculous about it? This kind of talk is cheap... Try to prove it.

It's quite obvious why TM talk is ridiculous.
Maybe Clinton did say some good things on behalf of Blacks. But that's not enough to call this white guy "the first black president", "blacker than any actual black person who could ever be elected in our children's lifetime"...
That's ridiculous. That's the essence of "house slave " mentality. Maybe your master did say or did do something good for you. But if you call him one of us... you are seriously a "house slave"..
BTW.. Did you notice that Clinton is actually white?... Maybe you have problems with perception of reality?

[soundfury]

I'm white and I agree with you and TM.

[soundfury]

I'm white, and I agree with you NOPES statement is moronic.

[coolrepublica]

Why is she explaining herself? I'm sick of the intimidation of blacks who like the clintons. It's plain un-American. Enough with the mob mentality. Enough!

[calicutie]

what toni morrison said was stupid. too bad that rather than simply admitting her mistake, she chose to invent some lofty excuse/rationale for her statement. for all his media-generated and self-inflicted grief, bill clinton's life hardly mirrored that of a despised black male in america.

that she was unable to imagine a 'real' black man ever being elected president of the united states is not her fault--she is a product of her time (and america's racist history did little to convince her otherwise).

her clinton statement and her subsequent support of barack obama are not inconsistent. she--like many black folks of her generation--NEVER thought they'd live to see this day. i'm glad that they will.

[partyofone]

too funny. Lots of people are going to be explaining their support for the Clintons was misunderstood.

[paganmist]

Wow.

This kind of deliberate unwillingness to understand something in context is the reason why this campaign is so screwed up.

If you'd read the freaking article and not skim to the part you want to and go, "Victory!" you'd see that she says, "African-American men seemed to understand it right away." She describes that the whole "adultery" angle wasn't even a REAL story, but a convenient excuse to target Bill Clinton, to manufacture an issue where there is none as a reason to get rid of him.

The whole thing was a comparison to how all many black men have to do is be black, and this will get them stopped on the street and checked.

But I'm probably an elitist. I realize she uses such big words that most people will just skip over them without discerning the overall meaning of the piece.

She says he was being TREATED like a black man, and that many black men understood how he felt during the Lewinsky thing.

Stop dissing Toni Morrison. If you chose to take her words to mean something different, that's your fault and not hers.

[txfriend]

Obama supporter have clearly and very intentionally misconscrued the accusation of elitism. Barack Obama was not criticized to be an elitist because he or his followers are educated (please, so is Clinton and her supporters), but because he accused poor white Pennsylvanians of having cultural values that are reactionary and not inceptual. According to his implications: white Pennsylvanians choose guns and religion because this economy and life has kicked them down. they aren't really making cultural choices for themselves, and they don't know why they make those choices. It's a good thing Barack is here to educate them. What if someone said the same thing about Black urban men? Or Latina Women? You cling to your values because life has treated you like crap- it's all reactionary, your values are not traits that has passed down from generation to generation or transmistted vertically. Yes, I agree that alot of choice about life is made around economics, but culture is not all economic. In fact, the attachment to guns and religion, go way back to the early colonialists. so.. get over yourself, nobody hates you because you assume your educated (except republicans).

[zann]

Since we're making an effort not to misconstrue, Obama has said he was tired that night and used a couple of wrong words that somehow turned nuclear and blew up all over the internet. So if you're not misconstruing you have to make the effort to understand what he meant, instead of indulging in a GOTCHA moment. What he meant was more along the lines of: People find strength and safety in their religon and cultural passions, moreso when the world turns mean.

[txfriend]

You missed the point of my posting. It was Obama's statements about white working class Pennsylvanians, not his education that has won him the elitist label. And by the way, how is this a "Gotcha" moment, but all the other things that politicians are responsible for saying not a Gotcha moment? We've all heard them; offensive remarks about women, minorities and the poor. I understand politicians often say things and are not aware of how they're coming across, but, I don't believe that this was the case for Obama. The belief that working class whites, Blacks, and Latinos are reactionary in their politics and cultural values has been a long standing belief among affluent liberals. It's not the first time someone has uttered that point of view, so for it to be an error and not representative of what Obama believes is unlikely. On anthother point, I think Obama supporters are just ridiculously paranoid and believe that democrats who do not support him have a personal vendetta against him. That our lack of support reveals deep dark places of denial about our prejudices; instead of realizing that amongst non-suppporters, he is probaby not their choice of candidate because they feel he lacks the policy knowledge or experience required for the job. Instead, you believe that everyone is personally out to get Obama. What are you going to do if he gets elected? Will you be accusing everyone of harboring racial resentment against him if they criticize his administration?