More race-baiting from one of Hillary's surrogates: Ed Rendell

[ProSense]

Rendell: Race factor could hurt Obama

15 minutes ago

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Gov. Ed Rendell, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's most visible supporters, said some white Pennsylvanians are likely to vote against her rival Barack Obama because he is black.

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday's paper.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was — well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking — but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama's ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool."

Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2000 and previously Philadelphia's mayor, endorsed Clinton on Jan. 23.

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Attacks on Obama from Hillary's campaign and her surrogates

The Clintons' history with Rendell:

“I don’t know the man,” Mrs. Clinton told Mr. Lauer. “I wouldn’t know him if he walked in the door. I don’t have a 17-year relationship with him.”

She added: “There’s a big difference between standing somewhere taking a picture with someone you don’t know and haven’t seen since, and having a relationship that the newspapers in Chicago have been exploring.”

According to the 1997 story in the Chicago Tribune, both Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the fund-raiser for Senator Moseley-Braun on June 25, 1997. And the next day, records show, one of Mr. Rezko’s companies donated $10,000 to a state Democratic party organization that was supporting Ms. Moseley-Braun, records show.

There was no immediate way to know for sure if that is when the picture was taken. But it is the best bet right now among political insiders familiar with Mr. Rezko. Mrs. Clinton attended another fundraiser for Ms. Moseley-Braun in October 1998, but President Clinton was not there.

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Mr. Rendell is a longtime friend of the Clintons and a chairman of the Democratic National Committee under Mr. Clinton. At the committee, he proved to be a prodigious fund-raiser; in 2000, under his watch, the committee accepted $15,000 from Tony Rezko, a Chicago businessman who was once a fund-raiser and friend of Mr. Obama and who is now scheduled for trial on federal charges of business fraud.

Mrs. Clinton made a connection between Mr. Rezko and Mr. Obama on Monday in a televised debate, criticizing her rival for associating with a “slum landlord.”

The Clinton campaign had no comment on the Rezko-Rendell connection.

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Rendell's ties to the Clintons include having served in 2000 as general chairman of the Democratic National Committee, a position made possible by then-President Bill Clinton.

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Governor Rendell is a close friend of former President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, leading some to speculate that he may not run since Senator Clinton is in the race for President. He has also been suggested as a possible Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in a future Democratic administration, and has hinted that he would be amenable to appointment as Secretary of Transportation. His successful tenure as District Attorney of Philadelphia has led many to believe he could also be considered for the position of Attorney General in a future Democratic administration.

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[Yael]

1. I have been spitting nails about this all day

Ballsy for Fast Eddie to mouth off like this in the 'burg.

Let him high-tail it back to Center City Philly and see how far he gets with it.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Ed Rendell is channeling Frank Rizzo

Spewing racism is okay if it gets "our girl" the nomination.

[dmallind]

11. So wait a minute

It's racism to say "some white guys won't vote for black folks"?

It's not only not racism it's in fact stating the frickin' obvious. I suppose you could at a stretch in a kind of looking-to-be-offended-way take it as a self (HRC really, but he's a fan) serving political statement but racism?


If anyone ever said "heck every single white guy would be perfectly happy to vote for a black guy - not a second thought in the world" in this day and age I'd either tell them to get out more or consider mental health evaluation. That would make Pangloss look positively Malthusian.

[Yael]

12. He is playing the race card.

He isn't saying "don't vote for the negro", just "know that your neighbors won't be voting for the negro".

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

17. he's blowing the silent doggies whistle for white racists

y'all come vote now, heah!

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

18. oh and he endorsed Hillary n/t

[Yael]

49. He endorsed Hillary in 1999 when he injected himself into the Peter Paul funding scandal

[dmallind]

23. I don't think so

It's a perfectly obvious and obviously true statement. Playing the race card is when it's used as an excuse or mask for a real issue or problem. The fact that a bunch of white folks won't vote for a black candidate is neither an excuse or a mask - it is a real problem. It's not one causing Obama an awful lot of headwind at this stage, and it's not going to make a difference since prejudice works both ways in that case and in many other ways too, but hey it's a real problem.

From a political perspective the really effective answer would have been not manufactured outrage at an honest and non-prejudiced statement but "and how many of these knuckle draggers would vote for a woman Ed?",

Lemme ask you - is it sexist to say that? Is it not true just as much as the race statement?

[Yael]

52. Yeah -- because PA is just a bunch of racist assholes and we are the first

state to vote.

Oh wait.

NO -- that is NOT what he fucking said. He said that although places like Alaska, Idaho, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, Maine (you know -- those strong holds of the African American population) will vote for a black man, his state of ignoramuses won't.

Spin it any way you want -- I live here and I am PISSED.

[rinsd]

59. Spin is right.

Do you really think Rendell's supposition that perhaps 5% of the PA electorate is racist enough to not vote for a black man is worst thing ever?

And those states were Democrats voting, Rendell was talking about the general election.

The willfull ignorance around here is astounding.

[Yael]

63. You keep promoting/shilling the use of the race card

and this white woman is going to work her butt off with our local team to make sure that it blows up in his (Fast Eddie's) face.

[rinsd]

66. So you're another person who believes that racism ceases to exist?

I must visit this country you and ProSense live in.

[Yael]

67. No -- I believe that there are people who make an entire living

keeping it fucking alive as opposed to working on eradicating it.

Apparently you prefer the first camp?

[rinsd]

69. So how does one go about eradicating it by pretending it does not exist?

Do you really thinks its offensive to think that 5% of the electorate could be racist enough to not vote for a black man because of the color of his skin?

I grew up in New Jersey one of the most diverse states in the union in terms of population.

Racism runs rampant.

I live in San Diego where I find interracial couples more prevalent than any other city I have visited.

Yet 5 minutes down the 8 we have a suburb referred to as Klan-tee instead of Santee.

[Yael]

72. See post #70 just below

Answered the other DUer before I saw this.

My sister and I graduated High School in north Georgia and then went on to the U of Tennessee and U of South Carolina -- now both ironically in very different fields but both in PA.

Trust me, we know from racism.

[Major Hogwash]

68. Maybe he's using one of those decks where the cards are all the same.

I can't remember why they thought those card decks would be popular until now.

I don't think this will work in Ohio, either.

But, if this keeps up for another 3 weeks, we'll see.

[Yael]

70. From your lips, friend

In the year 2008. I am positively mortified that any elected leader would run around promoting racism as opposed to doing everything in their power to work us toward moving past it.

Can you imagine if Rendell had said, "I think our conservative (although fully blue) state has transcended race and gender and I am proud to hold the helm" or something of that nature?

Healing vs ripping people in two.

The 50.0001% strategy.

[rinsd]

71. Stating that racism exists is promoting racism?

[Yael]

73. You don't get it.

Let me ask you this.

When you think of Jesse Jackson -- do you see someone who is eradicating racism or exasperating it?

[rinsd]

74. I think the black and white(scuse the pun) nature of the thinking is the problem.

I do not see Jackson as someone who is eradicating racism perhaps because I see such a venture as ultimately impossible. Like ending poverty.

I see him as someone fighting against racism and seeking to protect those victimized by racism.

If Jackson tomorrow was to say "Some people will not vote for Obama because of the color of his skin"

Would you find that abhorrent?

I think Rendell did himself no favors by not expanding upon his positive comments regarding Obama brining in new voters (IOW young voters less likely to have racist tendencies)

[Yael]

75. That is the difference between you and I -- approach

As I said earlier, there are ways that Big Ed could have stated the race/gender issue that would prop up people and lead them in the right direction and there are ways that he can keep digging to make sure that the divide deepens.

He went for the low road, IMO.

We shall see how this works out for him.

[angie_love]

48. What if Obamas camp had said some men would never vote for her b/c shes a woman?

Bet your ass there'd be a huge backlash. There was no reason for him to bring that up. What the hell purpose does that serve?

[rinsd]

50. Why? It would be true.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?pid=264945

[dmallind]

77. probably - but the same faux outrage. Not from me for sure

It's also absolutely true. We can't change either stereotypes or demographics that influence elections by ignoring them.

[loyalsister]

78. exploiting stereotypes for political gain

It's not that he is racist himself or that he is endorsing racism, it is racist behavior in that it legitimizes a institutional racism in this country.
It is also particularly disgusting because it is veiled and brings out defenders.

[blm]

2. Rendell also tried to get Gore to not contest.

Interesting since McAuliffe didn't want 2004 to be contested, either, and we KNOW what Carville did to sabotage Ohio voters.

Hillary2008 has been up and running since 2000 it seems.

[Alexander]

10. And whose votes didn't count in 2000? The votes of black people.

I wondered what happened to all those Dixiecrats after the 60s.

Apparently some of them are still in the party.

[MADem]

3. Good citizens check for duplicates.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4554378

[Yael]

5. Thanks. I will go kick and rec that one as well.

[Yael]

4. One other thing on here that isn't noted -- Ed was KNEE DEEP

in the Peter Paul fundraising scandal as well.

He even earned his corrupt ass a spot in the Hillary The Movie hit piece over it.

[rinsd]

7. Yes wasn't it a great day when racism ceased to exist!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Well I was never under any delusion it didn't exist.

But I certainly expect better from Gov. Rendell.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

21. lets hope the Democratic party isn't as full of racists as Rendell seems to think

Because that seems to be what he and others are implying.

I would think that in the 21st century that at least in the democratic party
there would be little racism.

[Yael]

56. This white woman is ready to work to prove him wrong

:grr:

[saracat]

9. So speaking the truth is race baiting? Why isn't it race baiting when they say 80% of blacks

will vote for Obama? Why doesn't this door swing both ways? Racism is wrong period but this isn't racism.

[ProSense]

Because 80% of black did in SC, more than that do vote for Dems in the GE, and Rendell is talking

out of his butt because a lot of whites voted for Obama. More white men voted for him than for Hillary.

Rendell is full of it and race-baiting.

[rinsd]

20. None of which changes the fact there are racists that will not vote for a black man.

Rendell even notes that Obama has drawn from a pool of new voters to overcome that obstacle.

But to pretend the obstacle doesn't exist is to deny reality.

[ProSense]

26. "Rendell even notes that Obama has drawn from a pool of new voters to overcome that obstacle"

None of the newcomers are white?

race-baiting!

[rinsd]

30. The pool of new voters for Obama is young voters, less likely to be racist than older generations

But by all means continue to grasp at straws.

[ProSense]

38. The only people grasping at "straws" are race-baiters! n/t

[rinsd]

42. I'll take that as the official ProSense concession to losing an argument.

[ProSense]

44. Take it any way you want to, Rendell was race-baiting! n/t

[Yael]

64. Some people apparently approve of this tactic

It just energizes me to get out there and work to prove them wrong.

[Mags]

13. anything negative about BO is race bating to BO people.

[DefenseLawyer]

14. I don't see it as race baiting

I am anything but a Clinton supporter, but anyone who thinks there isn't a sizable number of people in this country that will never vote for a person of color just isn't living in reality. I don't think the fact should dictate who we choose as our nominee, but we have to acknowledge that it is a fact. Of course one could also surmise that a sizable percentage of the "racist vote" is probably sexist as well, so we are writing them off anyway. And we should write them off, rather than being pollyannaish about the world we live in.

[ProSense]

15. It's nonsense:

Fun with exit polls

[DefenseLawyer]

16. Yeah the "Are you a racist?" poll question

is a great way to gauge the state of race relations in America.

[ProSense]

22. No, electing a Dem is not going to be impacted by racists, who probably vote Republican anyway! n/t

[DefenseLawyer]

29. Then your exit poll evidence from the Democratic primaries is meaningless

as to what he is talking about isn't it?

[ProSense]

35. Huh? n/t

[DefenseLawyer]

45. Well...

Rendell said that a certain percentage of voters in PA wouldn't vote for a black candidate. You said that was "nonsense" and pointed to exit poll data from Democratic primaries to show, I guess, that there was no "racist vote". Then you said that any racists voters that are out there would vote Republican anyway. If it is indeed the case that they are all Republicans, that wouldn't be reflected in the exit polling data from the Democratic primaries, would it?

[rinsd]

46. And if they're all republicans that would reflect Swans's 5% less performance accord to Rendell

[ProSense]

55. It's nonsense, the exit polls show white men and women voting for Obama. It's race baiting. Period!

n/t

[DefenseLawyer]

57. The exit polls from the Democratic Primaries

show white democratic primary voters voting for Obama. How could they show who the "racists" will vote for, as you said they are all Republicans, and surely were not voting in the Democratic Primary? Either you aren't grasping that or you are just messing with me. Either way, I'm done here.

[rinsd]

60. Except Rendell didn't say whites wouldn't vote for Obama.

He statement refers to the racist vote.

Which he gave as about 5% of the electorate (based on his suppositions regarding the Swann election)

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

24. are there alot of RACIST DEMS in PA?

I would hope that PA Dems would be better than that.

[DefenseLawyer]

27. I think he was talking about the general election

the example he used was his race in the general election against Lynn Swann, not the Democratic Primary. Believe it or not, the percentage of people that vote in the primary is a very small percentage of the total for the general election; no one is getting elected in this country strictly from the support of Democratic primary voters.

[ProSense]

28. Lynn Swann? The idiotic, hypocritical Republican candidate? n/t

[rinsd]

19. So racism is no longer a factor with any voters?

Is that what you are saying?

[ProSense]

25. No, but you're trying to excuse race-bating by suggesting there are more racists than exists! n

[madmom]

32. How does one know how many racists actually exists?

[ProSense]

40. Even if you believe half the country is racist,

they're probably voting Republican because Dems, black and white, are champions of civil rights!

Rendell was race-baiting. Period!

[madmom]

76. Sorry I don't see how stating the truth is race baiting.

[rinsd]

37. How so? This country is full of racists.

That doesn't mean Obama can't overcome that.

Pretending the obstacle does not exist does not make it easier to overcome.

[cd3dem]

33. for me it is playing the race card that is a factor

[Redstone]

31. Swann lost because he's a fucking moron, not because he's black.

Redstone

[DefenseLawyer]

39. He didn't say he lost because he was black

He said he lost by a few percentage points more because he was black. That 3-5% "racist vote" that you can pretend doesn't exist. Just like Clinton supporters can pretend there isn't a certain percentage of "sexist voters" that she is never going to get either. Sometimes you have to look at the world as it is, not how you wish it was.

[Redstone]

41. Are you kidding? I lived for 15 years in Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia and more than

a few "coal towns." I SAW the racism that there is in Pennsylvana, so it would be stupid of me to deny it.

But Swann is a moron, still.

Redstone

[ProSense]

43. "He said he lost by a few percentage points more because he was black." Is Hillary going to lose a

"few percentage points" because she's a woman?

Rendell was race-baiting, plain and simple!

[DefenseLawyer]

47. Yeah I'm sure she is

going to lose a certain percentage of voters because she is a woman. I'm not sure what planet you are living on, but it sounds nice there.

[CreekDog]

34. Well, Pennsylvania's Democrats nominated him and Pennsylvania's voters did too

despite people who thought his religion would be a hinderance.

[Yael]

54. He had a huge base in Philly -- which he has been alienating faster

than Bush is alienating the 30%

[AtomicKitten]

36. K&R

[ProSense]

51. Anybody going to look into Rendell's ties to Rezko? n/t

[Yael]

53. Or Peter Paul?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

58. Rendell was a lousy DNC chair

presiding over a party that couldn't recover a Congress from someone as unpopular as Newt

[rinsd]

62. That I can certainly agree with.

[blm]

79. Rendell and McAuliffe didn't care about ANY Dem election. Hillary2008 was in focus

and they could wait it out while it was Bush2s turn.

[TheDonkey]

61. Rendell is an embarassment and should come out and appologize for saying such a thing

it isn't candid it is foolish and insulting.

I met Rendell and campaigned with him and now feel he is a complete dirtbag. How dare he. Pretty much disparages the entire state of PA. Terrible man.

[Yael]

65. Thank you for recognizing that this is less about HRC's campaign

and more about his characterization of my state and the people who live here.

Apparently, per Saint Ed -- the rest of the country has been able to see past the race card -- just not the rubes who he presides over.