The Clinton Race Gambit

The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 28, 2008 | Editor

[yoe]

About Bill Clinton, what can you say? Even before the polls closed in South Carolina on Saturday, the former President was diminishing Barack Obama's victory and trying to boost his wife in the next primaries by playing the race card.

Asked by a reporter why it took "two" Clintons to beat Mr. Obama, Mr. Clinton replied that "Jesse Jackson won South Carolina" in 1984 and 1988. And he added that both Rev. Jackson and Mr. Obama had run "a good campaign here." Hmmm. The reporter hadn't mentioned Jesse Jackson, but Mr. Clinton somehow felt it apposite to refer to him anyway. He thus associated Mr. Obama's landslide victory with that of a black candidate who never did win the Democratic nomination, much less the Presidency, and who had run overtly as an African-American candidate in contrast to Mr. Obama's explicit campaign theme of transcending race.

Anyone who thinks this was accidental has spent too much time with Sid Blumenthal. While Mr. Obama won a respectable 24% of white voters, according to Saturday's exit polls, Mrs. Clinton still won 36% and John Edwards 39% of the white vote. Mr. Obama won 78% of the black vote.

The Clintons are now eager to make Mr. Obama into a Rev. Jackson-style "black candidate" as they contest primaries with a larger share of white and Hispanic voters than there were in South Carolina. The Clintons want to portray Mr. Obama as a candidate with a narrowly racial appeal, both to undermine his larger and inspirational message of "unity," and also to play to whatever doubts still exist about an African-American candidate among Democratic voters.

[yoe]

Reverends Sharpton and Jackson are not in Obama's class - Bill and Hillary Clinton are.

[Reo]

"The Clintons want to portray Mr. Obama as a candidate with a narrowly racial appeal, both to undermine his larger and inspirational message of "unity," and also to play to whatever doubts still exist about an African-American candidate among Democratic voters.

It's going to be fascinating to see if Democrats and the press let the Clintons get away with this."

It looks like they may not get away with it this time. The Kennedy endorsements, Klintoon-fatigue at the NYT, ....time may finally be running out for Billary. But then I've thought that so many times in the past.......

[Nevadan]

BTW, where has Jesse Jackson been lately? Maybe I have missed it, but it seems to me that this is the longest period of time I can remember without hearing or seeing him interject himself into the news.

Also, I have to note that this is the first time I have heard of a liberal dissing Jackson.

[SpinyNorman]

Can we expect any less of the country’s first white trash president, er, I mean, first “black” president.

[Ouderkirk]

Liberal columnists who long idolized the Clintons are even writing more-in-sorrow-than-anger pieces asking how Bill and Hillary could descend to such deceptive tactics. Allow us to answer that lament this way: Our readers aren't surprised.

[crazydad]

Yes, untill Obama is found with a dead prostitute in his hotel bed. Or worst he is found with a self inflicted shotgun wound to the back of the head. Never underestimate the antichrist.

[SWEETSUNNYSOUTH]

I think Bill and Hill are in Sharpton and Jackson’s class. Grifters think alike.

[fightinJAG]

Dick Morris was right on the money explaining the ‘Toons strategy pre-S.C.

As Slate called it, the ‘Toons are trying to “ghettoize” Obama’s candidacy, as WSJ said, to marginalize his inspiration factor and to provoke a backlash among white Rat racists.

[fightinJAG]

bttt!

[yoe]

Ah yes, great minds think a like! Especially Southern minds *~*