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The Note: New Role for Clintons: Obama Supporters, Not Bashers
June 26, 2008 8:21 AM
ABC News' Rick Klein Reports in Thursday's Note:
With the third branch set to assert itself anew (a gunshot sounding Sen. Barack Obama’s move to the political center?) -- quick -- who’s the most important Democrat in the country at this precise moment?
That’s a trick question -- since there’s a two-way tie for first. One more hint: Obama is in third place.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gets two days back in the center of the action Thursday and Friday -- and former President Bill Clinton gets his own measure of chatter despite not being on the continent this week.
Amid all the talk of hurt feelings and unpaid bills, it’s worth considering the favors the Clintons have done for Obama: a gracious exit, opened doors with donors, and mostly (do not undervalue this) just disappearing in the critical period when Obama needed the stage to himself to frame the race against Sen. John McCain.
That period ends Thursday, with two speeches by Sen. Clinton (to a nurses’ association and a Latino group -- neither a venue chosen by accident) in advance of the evening event for big money folks at the Mayflower Hotel.
Read the rest of The Note -- and get all the latest on the 2008 election, Congress, the White House and the wide world of politics every day -- from Rick Klein by bookmarking this link.
It’s been a while since the Clintons campaigned for anyone else -- and if they’re rusty, the smart folks with the tape recorders and laptops will notice.
Know that we are permanently in a zone where a few snarky comments from a few disgruntled denizens of Camp Clinton are all it will take to restart the old fires -- to say nothing of potential for lukewarm comments from the Clintons’ themselves (how many reporters do you think will be counting Obama references in Sen. Clinton’s speeches Thursday?).
Pity Bob Barnett: The Washington super-lawyer is helping Obama and Sen. Clinton negotiate “a thicket of complicated issues, like how to repay Mrs. Clinton’s campaign debt and her role at the Democratic convention,” Adam Nagourney and Jeff Zeleny write in The New York Times.
Continue reading today's Note by clicking HERE.
ABC News' John Santucci and Alexa Ainsworth contributed to this report.
June 26, 2008 in Bush, George W., Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred, Veepstakes | Permalink | User Comments (70)
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Why can't they write something nice for a change about the Clinton's. The MSM got what they wanted, she's out. Who really cares how many times she mentions Obambi's name? IF I were her I wouldn't mention him at all!
Posted by: J | Jun 26, 2008 8:29:10 AM
Every word and gesture and future actions by the Clintons will be parsed to death. Outside of getting the working class women vote and a boost in a few Hillary states, the Obama will be hating every minute of distraction and veiled hostility...
Posted by: matt | Jun 26, 2008 8:30:52 AM
Did you mention that McCain in the last 15 months has moved to the center, back to the right, back to the center, back to the right and is now currently resting in the center...
Posted by: JD | Jun 26, 2008 8:37:26 AM
No matter what Hillary and Bill say, I can not, and will not supporot Obama.
Posted by: BARBANEL | Jun 26, 2008 8:57:24 AM
"disgruntled denizens of Camp Clinton"
Consider me one!!
Posted by: rockthebleachers | Jun 26, 2008 8:57:31 AM
Obama cannot buy the votes of Clinton supporters. Hey Kathleen, what do you think of Obama hiring someone fired by Clinton for a non exisitent job?
Posted by: geevill | Jun 26, 2008 9:16:22 AM
Oh jesus, cmon leave the clintons alone.... im an obama supporter and you guys just are gonna harass them till the wheels fall off arent you...
who cares how many times she mentions his name... wtf is that even about... its like i told jake in one of HIS stupid posts on this subject "what is she suppose to say his name at the middle and end of every sentence and any other time that makes what she is saying cool or humerous?"
you guys (the media) are all acting like the enquirer... its pathetic
if i were the clintons id take my fight right to the media, stick it to every last one of you low lifes.
Posted by: bhrandon | Jun 26, 2008 9:18:20 AM
I think it is time to IGNORE ALL the chatter.
I will go and vote in November, till then I am leaving the garbage sphere and getting the heck outta here!
Posted by: HP Boston | Jun 26, 2008 9:30:49 AM
I dont care if Hillary or Bill personally call me, I will never vote for Obama!
Posted by: claudia | Jun 26, 2008 9:35:41 AM
Obama is embarrassing.
He is so cocky I can not stand watching him and his creepy outlooks.
His friends are wierd or scary and so are his views.
Obama should really step down.
Posted by: Rick from Pa | Jun 26, 2008 9:38:15 AM
As a woman, a Democrat and a firm supporter of Democracy, this has been the worst media coverage of a primary election ever. Also, I am totally embarrassed of Senator Obama for his morals, his associates and his views of the United States.
I have never seen such poor and biased reporting by media in my entire life.. 20 million Clinton supporters have had it with the media and injustice of this whole nominating system. This was not reporting, it was “Clinton” bashing. I felt like I was hearing headlines from the “Enquirer” . Slews of media networks followed each other down a lane of inaccurate reporting and vicious attacks against the entire Clinton family. The coverage swayed the public and government superdelegates into their “Obama Mania” corner.
For the first in my life, I am completely embarrassed of our country and it’s reporting tactics. The pundits were cruel towards our First Lady and the entire world watched.
I also cannot understand how Obama could not be embarrassed.
How dare he ask the American people to stand with him and defend his ugly beliefs from his church (Trinity United Church of Christ), his radical and anti Semitic friends and his far left views of life.
How dare Senator Obama not apologize to Senator Clinton for the cruel remarks screamed in pews of his church about whites, Senator Clinton and President Cllinton.
Instead of apologizing to the entire Clinton family, Senator Obama had regrets about having to distance himself from his church and his radical anti American buddies and mentors, Reverend Wright and Father Pflaeger.
Obama has deceived the American people and has used crooked tactics since the beginning of the primary season.
Obama kept Michigan and Florida delegates in his pocket the whole time to sway voters and superdelgates, to give himself bragging rights. "I have the most delegates. I am the winner! We have to follow the rules. Florida and Michigan will vote for me.”
Over 300 delegate and over 2 million people. He only won this primary because the fourth largest state has never been heard properly. The popular vote was ignored and the delegates were never added in full. The media displayed inaccurate maps with incorrect numbers to give Obama a free push.
For Senator Obama to accept this decision about not seating Florida and Michigan is especially troubling. How can a leader whose message is one of “unity” agree to support a decision that strips Senator Clinton of delegates and Florida voters of their voices?
I wonder whether the price the Democratic party will pay in the general election was worth Obama's very poor decision to ignore Michigan and Florida voters. Millions don’t think so.
There are also blocs of voters that Democrats need to win that Senator Obama is having a major problem with:
White Male Voters
White Women Voters
Catholic
Rust Belt Voters
Latino Voters
Cuban Voters
Swing State Voters
Jewish Voters
Big states
Women
Lunch Bucket Voters
Older voters
Catholic Voters
Evangelicals
Florida and Michiga
He couldn’t close the deal on the Democratic base: Ohio, Michigan, Florida, California, NY, NJ, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, Texas and Kentucky
Barak Hussein Obama has African Americans and elitists in his pocket. Doesn't sound like a winning ticket to me.
This is the first time in my life, along with my entire community, that I will be voting for a Republican or as an Independent.
Senator Clinton does not need Obama. Obama needs Clinton. I pray that she will not accept a VP role if he offered the position.
Obama is a complete embarrassment to this country as a potential candidate for the President of the United States.
Posted by: Al from NJ | Jun 26, 2008 9:40:15 AM
This primary was the worst coverage ever by all media outlets. It was unfair to the Clinton family. Now the Democrats have a weak and inexperienced nominee because of the sexist views of Senator Clinton and the poor biased reporting favoring Senator Obama.
I won't miss reading another treatise by a man or woman, of the left or right, who says that sexism has had not even a teeny-weeny bit of influence on the course of the Democratic campaign. To hint that sexism might possibly have had a minimal role is to play that risible "gender card."
Most of all, I will not miss the silence.
I will not miss the deafening, depressing silence of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean or other leading Democrats, who to my knowledge (with the exception of Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland) haven't publicly uttered a word of outrage at the unrelenting, sex-based hate that has been hurled at a former first lady and two-term senator from New York.
Among those holding their tongues are hundreds of Democrats for whom Clinton has campaigned and raised millions of dollars. Don Imus endured more public ire from the political class when he insulted the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
Would the silence prevail if Obama's likeness were put on a tap-dancing doll that was sold at airports? Would the media figures who dole out precious face time to these politicians be such pals if they'd compared Obama with a character in a blaxploitation film? And how would crude references to Obama's sex organs play?
There are many reasons Clinton is lost the nomination contest, some having to do with her strategic mistakes, others with the groundswell for "change." But for all Clinton's political blemishes, the darker stain that has been exposed is the hatred of women that is accepted as a part of our culture.
This has been a disgrace for Democrats and to date the DNC had minimal remarks about the issue. They should be outraged.
I am saddened and angry. My entire community will not be voting for Obama this November.
Posted by: Al from NJ | Jun 26, 2008 9:43:26 AM
Hillary & Bill w/dance just enough to say they did, for Obama, in 2012; When after 04 yr's of a John McCain Presidency; the DNC will have SO MUCH MUD on their faces that they will get on bended knees to beg EITHER Hillary or Wm Blythe Rodham Clinton to represent them! And B.H.M.Obama, he'll be lost forever in ultra liberal land just like Kerry & Gore. Just wait & see (:>)
Posted by: Mark | Jun 26, 2008 9:43:46 AM
Al from NJ - Do all Americans a favor and don't vote. You are messed up in the head. You and all the other morons who won't even consider voting for Obama because his name is just one letter off from Osama. How old are you people? Over the age of 10? Your argument is ridiculous. Why is Obama so ahead of McCain in most every poll if so many people won't vote for him? He won fair and square and the MSM didn't sway the primaries in his direction. It's the way the primaries played out and Michigan and Florida will be represented at the Convention. No one will be disenfranchised (except you Obama haters who will not vote for him regardless of whether the Clintons ask you to or not), simply because he isn't the race you would prefer him to be. He's not playing the race card, you are!!
Posted by: geecee | Jun 26, 2008 9:54:19 AM
Hey geecee - I don't care what his name is, I'm still not voting for BO, the person. And I wouldn't get to excited about those polls. Remember who they favored big time before the primary started and it sure wasn't BO. But then the DNC had a big say in the outcome too.
Posted by: rockthebleachers | Jun 26, 2008 10:01:49 AM
Unfortunately, all of your hateful rhetoric concerning Rev. Wright is falling on deaf ears - or blind eyes - whichever. There is nothing new out there that will change anyone's mind about Obama. Simply put, you wouldn't vote for him if he was proven to be the most Christian man on the planet. You don't like him and try to justify your prejudice by claiming he is a Muslim - and so what if he was? All Muslims aren't terrorists as you would like to believe. But keep your paranoia - that's all you've got.
Posted by: geecee | Jun 26, 2008 10:05:22 AM
Get over it all ready. All this talk about hurt feelings, gracious or non-gracious exits, he said, she said, democrats pandering to other democrats, smoothing of ruffled feather is exactly why the Democrats cannot move forward. Utter nonsense! Why can't you all just shut up and let us get on to the business on hand - the Presidential Campaign.
Posted by: Terri | Jun 26, 2008 10:08:56 AM
The Clintons don't do favors for anyone. Stop kidding yourself, they looked at the political landscape and decided it was in their own best interests to cooperate. That's the only reason you'll see them supporting Obama, and I will be the support will wind up tepid. Obama is going to have to win this on his own, uphill all the way, the same way he won the primaries. You go Obama.
Posted by: Rose | Jun 26, 2008 10:09:52 AM
AL from NJ.....excellent post. I am one of those white educated women over 50 that will never vote for Obama. Thank you for saying what so many people are thinking.
Posted by: Barb | Jun 26, 2008 10:10:04 AM
Dear Marie-- Honey, anyone who voted for Bush in '04 should really just stay home in November. You have seriously damaged your country, your neighbors, and the entire world with that vote. Whether from ignorance, being naive, or being so rich you don't care about others, your vote has done quite a lot of harm.
Posted by: Kathleen | Jun 26, 2008 10:14:17 AM
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