What Obama Owes Bill Clinton

An increasing number of commentators are coming to the realization that it is almost impossible for Hillary Clinton to win the Democratic nomination. The superdelegates are not going to overrule the pledged delegates, and they never were going to. The New York Times' David Brooks suggested on Meet the Press on Sunday that Hillary Clinton should begin to run as Mike Huckabee eventually did, staying in the campaign until North Carolina even though there is little chance of winning, while avoiding attacks on the presumptive nominee and building goodwill among Obama supporters. Whether or not Hillary Clinton takes Brooks' advice, it's clear she is going to lose, and its clear she ran a nasty campaign. Despite the nastiness directed at him, however, Obama should be thanking Bill Clinton for one thing: his campaign nomination is unthinkable without him.

It was not so long ago--just twenty years, perhaps even less--that race was arguably the central political issue in American life. From the L.A. riots in 1990 to the O.J. Simpson trial, race dominated the headlines and the concerns of every American. In the 1988 election, race was pivotal in the notorious Willie Horton ads, which featured the African-American Horton being let out of prison and going on a raping and killing spreed--and the Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis being responsible for his crimes. As Thomas and Mary Edsall described in their classic 1991 book Chain Reaction, instead of discussing race outright, the Republican Party was focusing on America's crime and drug problems. Since blacks committed crimes at higher rates and had higher drug abuse rates than whites, the Republicans were stoking racial hostility as well. The GOP used code terms like welfare, affirmative action and big government in order to whip up fears of blacks among white Americans.

To a large extent, Bill Clinton was responsible for, if not entirely neutralizing, then at least weakening, the effectiveness of such racist appeals. Clinton was the Governor of Arkansas and hence trusted in a way the Northerners Dukakis and Walter Mondale had not been. More importantly, he had read Chain Reaction, and he had learned from the failed George McGovern campaign (which he worked on). As chair of the Democratic Leadership Council, Clinton had understood how crucial fiscal restraint and crime-fighters were positions for the Democrats to reclaim. By marrying tough-on-crime action with welfare reform and pledging to fight big government, Clinton rendered traditional Republican appeals to race largely ineffective. Unlike Republicans, though, Clinton made no nods in the directions of racists, and had an unprecedented relationship with black voters. Toni Morrison famously called him the first black president, though no doubt many blacks would disagree with such a statement now (if they didn't then).

Both Frank Rich and Paul Krugman have argued there is a declining significance of race in American politics. Obama surely agrees with them--he believed before many others that he could actually capture the nomination. To the extent that he is right, and America is a more colorblind country, Obama--and all of us--have Bill Clinton in large part to thank.

Comments

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

Despite my increasing misgivings about Bill Clinton's legacy -- he did less good than I thought at the time, and his DLC policies and "traingulation" election strategies gave a lot of aid and comfort to his enemies -- it is true that he did a lot of good, and we (and Obama) owe much to him. But that only makes his behavior here all the more sad. He's surrendered a wonderful reputation in the service of a campaign that has showed much more egotism (by him as well as by her) than class. I wish he'd stayed above the fray; if she really were qualified, he wouldn't have needed to stoop so low.

[bish66]

Obama owes his success to the Democratic obsession with Political Correctness. Everytime someone said anything against Obama, his camp pulled the race card and pretended that Obama was the poor victim. This may work with the Donkey party, but the Elephant party could not care less.

[julescator]

Um - Clinton played the race card darlin' and they have been playing it ever since. Why don't you cite for us when Barack played the race card. The Clinton's are counting on the racist White people to put them in office - how sad is that? They call them "blue collar" workers to their faces and behind their backs they call them "red necks". Well I resent that and won't be played by the Cllintons. YOu are certainly free to do so - take the bait and live with the consequences of a LIAR and Chief.

[Jay20]

yea because jesse jackson jr is a clinton surrogate. you are a typical Obama supporter who thinks anyone who opposes you is a racist.. I didn't know your name was Kwame Kilpatick.

[nick1936]

We all know thAt its the blacks who always play the race card i don't know if i could stand 4 years of the pastor Wright jessy jackson and big Al Sharpton in the white house telling me haow mean i've been

[RedBirdy]

I'm black and I think Obama played the race card by ALLOWING THE MEDIA to have a field day with Clinton's "fairytale" comments. He always allows the media to do his bidding.

[M.S. Bellows, Jr. - Huffpost Blogger]

Oh, bushwah.

[globalcitizenlinda]

Many people also may not know that Bill Clinton owes Obama something since Obama led a voter registration drive in IL which brought 150,000 new voters to help Bill Clinton win the presidency and also made IL more competitive for Democrats

[stringer]

Yeah. And Hillary Clinton owes so much to George W. Bush for hiring that wonderful woman in his cabinet Condolezza Rice. Gosh where would Hillary have gotten if it weren't for having the first female Secretary of State?

Continuing nonsense in the minds of a select few Clinton supporters of the 90s who think blacks should constantly fall down on their knees and thank the Clintons. Cause things were so great in inner-city L.A. after those riots and through the rest of the 90s right? Gang violence disappeared. Poor people in all of the major cities were miraculously uplifted, welfare moms disappeared over night because the media said so and "crack babies" who we were told had life-long problems magically disappeared? And we quit massively over-incarcerating young African-American men for minor drug offenses in the 90s right, thus continuing the cycle of an entire generation in jail and children born out of wedlock. Oh wait, that didn't happen. The Clinton 90s were not the dream, especially for African Americans, you're making them out to be.

Look I know this was an honest and well-meaning column, I'm not at all charging it with any racial superiority or stereotyping, but it is to say the least patronizing. Well-meaning, but patronizing.

[JanKees]

Don't forget that Bill Sister-Soul-Jah'd Blacks back into "their place" for the benefit of whites before he espoused his clean, non-racist Republican views on all the important issues. He was tough on crime, tough on immigrants, tough on workers, tough on welfare, while smooching behind the scenes with the mega-corporations, pushing NAFTA for their juicy benefit. Eight years squandered, if you ask me, rather than a legacy of change when change was needed.

[Jay20]

and we won 3 Presidential elections there after, 2 of which were electoral college landslides, one of which unfortunately was rigged.

[MrHHusseinMA]

Bill Clinton has been telling black audiences that he always wanted to vote for a black candidate but now God has put him in a tricky situation where he can't do that. That's a bunch of bull! Bill can easily vote for a black man this year. Here's how: Ask Hillary to step aside and then both of them campaign and vote for him in the General Election. Easy as ABC (Anyone But Clinton!)

[Jay20]

well if Obama gets the nod, i'm damn sure if anyone will get Obama the turnout he needs to win MI, PA, MN, and other swing states, it will actually take a Dem popular with white blue collar voters like Bill clinton to do that.

[MidwestMomma]

Why wouldn't they vote from him after he gets the nomination? You will never convince me that the people of MI, PA, MN and the other swing states are stupid enough to vote for 4 more years of the failed policies of George Bush! White, bluecollar voters (a dwindling group by the way) have many more things to worry about in this next election and the skincolor ain't high on the list.

[julescator]

Oh yea and Bill is such a Blue collar guy. When was the last time you were invited to one of Bill's parties, laced with "blue collar" actors and heavyweights from CHINA. Not to mention - he gets his money from Arabs $20 million. BTW - where are those TAX forms, Where are those Clinton Library Donars????? I am so sure "blue collar" people paid for the library! GIVE ME A BREAK. If you would like a liar in the White House, then vote again for Bush. those of us that want a REAL CHANGE are voting for Obama.

[BrooklynLager]

Obama gets white blue collar voters, but he does have a problem with Appalachia. Ohio would be difficult.

Minnesota will be a walk in the park - he won that state 2-1. Pennsylvania elects anyone the Governor wants them to elect - they have ways of making that happen. And Michigan voted for Jesse Jackson in the 88 primaries.

[SCharb]

Since he should be thanking Bill Clinton, I suppose this makes Obama a Judas now? Forget it, Slick Willie's tried to kill Barack with politics.

[bakossi]

Tough to give Bill Clinton credit for turning his party into a minority in the House, a minority in the Senate, a minority in governorships, and a minority in state legislatures. Clinton was--and is--always about one thing, and that's Clinton. I'd like to hear Clintonistas name one instance where he put either his country or his party ahead of his own personal interests. I'd name the tax hike in 1993, except that the moment this move turned out to be unpopular, he backpedaled and threw those Dems in swing districts who voted for it (as he urged) under the bus by saying it was a mistake, part of a larger pattern in which he repeatedly triangulated allies right and left, to the point where one can't think of his other arguably courageous move--Koso­vo--withou­t thinking of Wag The Dog, too; he is as responsible as anyone for the eight years we've endured under Bush. So no thanks, I won't give Bill Clinton any credit for Barack Obama's success--sorry.

[Jay20]

where he put party ahead his personal interests? By doing that tax hike, he ended the deficit, which helped us go from 113 EVs on average from 1968-1988 to 260 EVs on average from 2000-2004. You seem to forget that there was a very hostile media during his administration, which is why we lost the house. What is more ironic is how Clinton-haters like you complain that he didn't act on Rwanda, but say "wag the dog" on Kosovo. Also, you seem to forget the media's role in giving us George W. Bush, how they hated Gore and called him boring and dull. You also seem to forget that maybe we lost congress because of health care, which we had promised for 40 years, and the fact that Bill Kristol was the one who told the GOP to kill it in '94. THATS why they won. We woulda won the house back in '96 if Perot had not been running, as he siphoned votes equally enough to get people to just pull his level, not the Democratic one on which there were congressional candidates. This coupled with low numbers that year for Gingrich and the GOP Congress.

[Jay20]

Absolutely. Thank god someone came out and said this. Many say Clinton hurt the party because of congressional seats, but those seats were all boll weevils anyway. notice how we averaged roughly 40 percent of the vote in 2 ways before Clinton, now we average almost 50 percent in two ways. Clinton no doubt would have still won 92 and 96 without Ross Perot: Perot was a LIBERAL who supported abortion and gay rights, whose reentry into 92 actually took AWAY from clinton's lead, and in '96 he ran negative ads at Clinton's expense near the end. Clinton IS the reason Obama can run without being Mr. Welfare Hussein, and no one is calling him "soft on crime." He is also the reason a Massachusetts liberal like John Kerry had a chance in the world against George W. Bush, as people only voted Dems that year because they remembered better times with Clinton, if the right wing nutcases stayed home that year, Kerry woulda won, not to mention a WARTIME INCUMBENT. Bill Clinton increased our electoral college average from 113 from 1968-1988 to 260 from 2000-2004.

[akhinaten]

yeah Obama would be nothing without Bill Clinton (we made you N-word how dare you run against us you Judas)
entitelment of the worst kind.
Bill Clinton Owes Obama a thank you it was Obama that was running voter registeration in Chicago in 91-92 when Bill was running for president.

[Spookcatcher]

Yes, Obama's well choreographed education, career, and contacts are exactly why Bill Clinton referred to Obama's well overused and universely plagerized campaign mantra as the Agent of Change and Hope because it is so superficial and a "Fairy Tail". Obama was brought very handily into the Chicago Democrat Machine politics (Michelle Obama and her Father's long history) and was well groomed which accounts for the networking and caucus success he has as opposed to the primary contests! That lack in strategy is what perpetuated the downfall of Hillary. ,And everyone in the country knows the unscrupulous powerbroker history and mobster connected ties that put politicians in that run Chicago and the state offices.or over a Hunfred years! Whebn anyone serious believes Obama is going to bring changes to the status quo of the DNC they are naive. He poses no threat to the status quo, in fact, look at his Biig AAge Old Demo Supporters, they know they can lead him around any way they want to. The Elitists (intellectuals) and the Fascist Supremists Ruling Class know their business and select the players, because they eatr em up and spit them out as they deem neccessary.

[lysistrata]

After all the years Americans still hate the Clintons based on hate manipulated by the Republicans. They know or should know about the lies spread about Clintons and still can't give credit where credit is due. The Obama people, if they are not really Republicans, are as irrational as the Republicans. We only hear, it is all Clintons fault. Obama is always right, infallible and Hillary is always wrong, a liar and just a low life. So it is nice to hear Bill did something right some time ago.

And Americans will go on listening to the talking heads who told us how Bush was comfortable in his skin and Gore is not. Now Hillary's character is being destroyed daily and she is being blamed to ruin the Democratic party.

When people hate they can't think straight.

[rojo7449]

One would have thought the article today on HuffPo pointing out the Richard Mellon Scaife character assassination battering ram against the Clintons might have had some of the haters thinking twice, at least about being so open about it. But, even the posts on that article were as vile and venomous as the articles intended to get a negative response/opinion on Hillary going. Chelsea can't even tell rude audience members that a public event that hurt her to the core at a very young age is simply none of their business without being blasted with hateful, angry criticisms.

It feels like this country, which has voted nearly 50/50 for decades has started to shift to a 25/75, and the democratic party is rapidly vaporizing.

What I see in Obama is not the kinder, gentler America that he is trying to sell. Who else tried that one? We don't know who he is, the contradictions between who he says he is and what can be proven about him ring way too familiar to the past 7+ years. He doesn't know who he is; if he discovers people like another person's ideas better, he tries to quietly slide into their position and hope everyone believes it was his idea first. This country needs to wake up before it's too late, and it would be really nice if more people in the media would take responsibility for researching this candidate and reporting what they find straight up honest, and accurate.

[maryinbelltown]

What Bill Clinton owes John Edwards: His defense in the impeachment trial in the senate. What Bill Clinton owes the Democratic Party: His job as president and place in history and for our loyalty - this mess of a campaign!

[harriscrl3]

Please dont remind me of that idotic comment Our first Black President. Thats the most ridiculous thing Toni Morrison ever said. In America Blackness comes from looking at you and seeing that you are black. So when you look at Bill Clinton and see white tell me how is that not damaging to the psyche of young African American boys/girls. You can forget about growing up to be President because this is close AA will ever get. I will NEVER forgive Toni Morrison for that statement.

Obama owes his family and people in the Civil Rights movement who fought for equality. If Bill is part of that movment then he is part of that movement. As far as owing him when he was President I guess I saw things differently. Since Bill Clinton is supposedly such a champion of AA since he was presumably according to Morrison the first Black President you would think that he would be Proud of Obama instead Bill Clinton basically said he is NOT qualfied. Obama doesnt owe him anything. I personally was hoping at that debate when he was asked that question OBama would have said NO he is not our first Black President.

Carol

[ebowles603]

Morrison said: "Clinton displays almost every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald's­-and-junk-­food-lovin­g boy from Arkansas." This opinion was adopted by Clinton supporters, black and white, as a positive endorsement by Morrison. But the actual quotation is hardly a compliment and instead identifies Bill with many of the pathologies that are found in the black community due to discrimination and oppression. Clinton has shown clearly that his upbringing, despite his high intelligence, stunted his development as a mature human being.

[pithymaxim]

interesting.

[peggio]

He owes him thanks for showing how desperate he is to return to the big house that we pay for.
He owes him for constantly sticking his foot in his mouth.
He owes him for teaching Shrillary how to campaign like Karl Rove
He owes him for an inability to count.

Yeah, I guess he owes Bill an awful lot and next year after his innauguration he can have him over for a big ol fish fry!!!!

[Steverino46]

As has been noted, Obama also owes much to the series 24 and DEEP IMPACT.

We have to imagine change before it becomes possible.