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Is Bill Clinton Getting in Obama's Head?

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January 22, 2008 6:13 PM

ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: It should have been an easy question for Sen. Barack Obama: “Are you allowing President Clinton to get in your head?”

Yet, it took Obama three tries to answer the question, in what turned into a testy exchange with the New York Times' Jeff Zeleny following a campaign event in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

"I am trying to make sure that his statements by him are answered. Don't you think that's important?" Obama shot back, while walking away.

When Zeleny yelled a follow up question suggesting the Illinois senator had not answered the question, Obama fired back angrily, "Don't try cheap stunts like that."

Obama then walked away and shook hands with the mass of voters that surrounded him.

A few minutes later, Obama came back and confronted Zeleny again.

"I will answer your question though off the record, would you like to talk off the record?" Obama asked. Zeleny refused to go off the record and then motioned toward the gaggle of TV cameras gathered around him.

Obama then returned to his supporters and began shaking more hands before returning a third time to the group of reporters.

"My suspicion is that the other side must be rattled if they’re continuing saying false things about us," Obama finally responded, ignoring follow up questions as he left the room.

January 22, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (255)

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i dont understand why people say obama is losing or lost NH and NV.

he won in iowa.
he tied hillary in delegates in NH.
he got 1 more delegate than hillary in NV.

right now Obama is leading in delegates.
he is the leader in this race right now.

Posted by: gd | Jan 22, 2008 8:16:04 PM

The Clintons are not getting in Obama's head. What they are doing is dangerously playing petty politics. They are surprised that the democratic populous has decided to take a critical eye, and make a solid choice for leadership. It is clear that the elephants will be swept from office not only in the WH, but the Congress as well. They have allowed the banking buddies and war machine friends to screw up this country. The american public has already said that a business man from Texas will never be president again.

Hillary thought that this was going to be a cake walk, but found out that there are other voices that are just as capable as her if not more capable to lead this country.

The tag team approach if they are not careful will turn blacks and progressive democrats and new voters away from the party. People are tired of the SOS that was popularized by the Republicans.


Posted by: enyapjeff | Jan 22, 2008 8:16:16 PM

BILL'S OBAMA STRATEGY
It takes an attack dog to know an attack dog...Bill Clinton's ex-buddy Dick Morris' take on Bill's Obama Strategy below...point by point

"WHY is Bill Clinton courting such intense publicity, in evitably much of it negative?
Is he crazy? Crazy like a fox.

He has two goals and is achieving them both spectacularly.
First, he wants to be the same kind of lightning rod for Hillary that she was for him during his run for the presidency.

Now, she rarely gets hit anymore. They're hitting Bill instead.

The other method behind his madness is that Bill wants to suck up all the oxygen in the room and dominate the coverage of the Democratic contest. By doing so, he cuts Obama out of the news, pushes him off the front page, and usurps the headlines.

His tactics now are reminiscent of those he used to black out John Kerry during the lead-up to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Ultimately, the Clintons are playing a game of jujitsu with Obama, using his own strength against him.

By challenging Obama for the black vote - by promising to go door to door in South Carolina in minority neighborhoods, for example - Bill is highlighting the question: Will Obama carry the black vote? Of course, he will. He leads, 4 to 1, among African-Americans now.

But by making that the central question, Obama's South Carolina victory will be hailed as proof that he won the African-American vote. Such block voting will trigger the white backlash Sen. Clinton needs to win.

Once whites see blacks voting en masse for a black man, they will figure that it is a racial game and line up for Hillary. Already, she carries white voters by 2 to 1.

Posted by: anghiari | Jan 22, 2008 8:26:48 PM

We know media moguls do not want Obama to win and they have been supporting hillary. This is another example. How about covering the pending multi million fraud against the clintons in Califronia.

Posted by: sam.madino | Jan 22, 2008 8:28:51 PM

From the Washington Post, a key read for coherent feminists interested in politics ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/broaddrick022599.htm

Posted by: Martin Edwin Andersen | Jan 22, 2008 8:32:05 PM

I respect feisty-ness, and I think there's a difference between being feisty and having someone "in your head." Obama's not taking Bill's crap smiling, which is a relief to see.

Posted by: justin | Jan 22, 2008 8:32:58 PM

Yes Let's see if this story gets played over and over again - like Whitewater, like something called Filegate, like Hillary killed Vince Foster, like something called Travelgate - let's just see if it gets played the same way the Republicans and complicit Dems played the Clintons while in office.

You all kept trying and it didn't work so let's see if Obama can stand up to the scrutiny. Let's see if Obama is still standing at the end of the day after Bill says a few nasty things about him. Let's see what he does under oath when the Rezko thing gets heated up. Let's see what he has to say about Mr. Rezko (thank you Patrick Fitzgerald) when his name comes up in his trial. Let's have Mr. Obama explain his LAND deal in which he got a house worth 2 million thanks to his buddy Rezko. Let's get a special prosecutor to look into that LAND deal in which the Obamas profitted. Let's look at Michelle Obama's ties to corporate America and health care. Let's just....

Posted by: Sue | Jan 22, 2008 8:38:37 PM

It's an inappropriate question, really. It's a sports metaphor. In a sporting match, "getting in someone's head" means you're distracting them from executing their game plan.

I'm sure Obama doesn't want to spend the bulk of his time counterpunching, but accusations are part of the political game. Attacks need to be parried. Ask Kerry. It'd be easier if the attacks weren't so fuzzy and shifty, but addressing these attacks means Obama *does* have his head in the game.

The Clintons are engaging in an old Republican tactic, spreading FUD via innuendo and 'liberal' interpretations. It is disgusting and unbecoming. We'll see if Billary can count on the gullibility of the crowds to carry them to victory.

Posted by: Charles Follymacher | Jan 22, 2008 8:38:50 PM

You've got the kidding me. Comments here are suggesting the media is on the Clintons' side? That's the biggest "fairy tale" I've hever heard. Hillary has had a horrible relationship with the media for decades. NBC outwardly admitted that they were mesmerized by Obama (the former Obama, that is, the candidate that was "above the fray" and "non adversarial" - we lost him). If anything, the media is so hard on the Clintons that this turn around into questioning Obama even ever so slightly is showing how weak of a person and a candidate Obama seems to be. Don't screw it up by letting him be another losing nominee like his buddy Kerry. Omg was Kerry a mess.

Posted by: Legalknievel | Jan 22, 2008 8:39:46 PM

If he can't keep it together now the republicans will destroy him. The media has been letting slide and he's now face with people who are going to confront any thing he does or says and he can afford to make one mistake.

Posted by: Kardasia_Prime | Jan 22, 2008 8:41:31 PM

The media is salivating over Obama's mental breakdowns as of late. Trust me, they love to prop people up and tear them down. I think they are playing him with kid-gloves since he is so quick to scream RACISM.

Stick a fork in him. He is so done.

Posted by: Fi fi la rue | Jan 22, 2008 8:43:29 PM

Whoa! Already acting like Bush. What a twerp.

The trouble with this guy is for some reason he thinks he should be protected from the grilling and smearing that the Clintons have endured for nearly twenty years. They're still on their feet, never got nasty with the press or even Ken Starr.

I guess this is Obama's "Chicago Smackdown." I doubt it's the strategy used by Mayor Daley.

Posted by: tekk | Jan 22, 2008 8:44:47 PM

fasteddie: Get up with the times. Hillary left SC yesterday, she's not going door-to-door. People are not such sheep as you think, Republicans only. Democrats, generally, think for themselves. That's why Hillary is still winning despite the media and the Democrats' touting of Obama.

Posted by: tekk | Jan 22, 2008 8:49:44 PM

Karen, a dog also barks at DANGER! Trying to alert those for which the dog is loyal to.

Posted by: irma | Jan 22, 2008 9:04:35 PM

Obama ahead by delegates? Oh gd. You mean you rather focus on delegates than the people who are voting? Hmmmm.

Posted by: irma | Jan 22, 2008 9:08:59 PM

At least Obama didn't cry.

Posted by: JVoter | Jan 22, 2008 9:10:50 PM

Barack Obama came to Nevada knowing he had little chance of winning, and yet he fought on to gain a majority of the national delegates. Hillary came just a couple of days to South Carolina, mostly to participate in a nationally-televised debate, and then decided Sc is just not worth it and will actually be leaving the state well before the primary. Think about it. She's not interested in winning the people to her philosophy of governing; once she figured out the SC voters aren't worth anything to her, they became invisible. What a crass act.

Posted by: DrToketee | Jan 22, 2008 9:12:27 PM

It's funny how all these Obama supporters here are failing to mention that Obama attacked Hillary first. Please all you Obama supporters need to check your facts. I miss the Clinton White House Years and so does my wallet!!

Posted by: Lou | Jan 22, 2008 9:12:47 PM

Testy Obama = Dean Scream.

Stick a fork in him, he's done.


No one likes an ANGRY candidate. If he can't handle Clinton, how will he deal with McCain?

How will he deal with Kim Jong Il? Putin? Hu Jintao? Will he get "testy" with them as well? Complain that they're ganging up on him?

He'll win one primary by a smaller margin than he expects, and then he'll be annihilated on Super Duper Tuesday.

He's coming across as mean, mad, lame, weak, shaken and chastened. Not positive qualities for the Leader of the Free World.

He started out well, but he's flaming out. He needs a bit more seasoning before he'll be ready for prime time.

Posted by: Heyo Ha | Jan 22, 2008 9:13:18 PM

Interesting that your supporters really know you, when, as Senator you voted "present" over 100 times on crucial issues, rather than yes or no. Don't you have any views that you are comfortable with? Waiting to see who will clue you in on how to think? So let me see if I have this right; not fair that you are not a good debater, but totally fair for you to make dreamy speeches with no explanation on how you will do it. I mean other than you're a cheery fella and that has brought you this far. So cheery and aloof on real issues. Yeah, sounds like all the leaders I know.

Posted by: irma | Jan 22, 2008 9:13:21 PM

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