Bill Cunningham just endorsed Hillary on NPR

[cali]

Anyone hear it? And yes, he was serious- or seemed to be. He said he'd feel safer with Hillary as President than with McCain or certainly Obama. He said he'd be making the endorsement soon on his program.

In case anyone doesn't know, Bill Cunningham is the asshole right wing bigot radio talk show host from Ohio who introduced McCain yesterday, and whose remarks about Obama McCain apologized for.

So what's my point? Simple, it's not a reflection of Hillary Clinton that this asshole is planning on endorsing her. And it's not Obama's fault that Farrakhan is endorsing him. There's little a candidate can do about unsolicited or unwanted endorsements, and to try and twist things so as to make such endorsements look like they reflect on the candidate, is utter horse shit.

No, I'm not suggesting that Hillary reject the Cunningham endorsement publically. I realize he doesn't have the public profile that Farrakhan has, and I understand why it was vital that Obama denounce/reject Farrakhan. I am suggesting that it''s absurd to hold a candidate responsible for endorsements.

[knowledgeispwr]

1. I'm an Obama supporter and I agree.

Cunningham's endorsement would not be a reflection on Hillary just like Farrakhan's isn't a reflection of Obama.

[kirby]

2. Has she denounced AND rejected it yet? Why not? n/t

[ellacott]

3. Good point

[TwilightGardener]

4. Rush Limbaugh is advocating that Repubs in TX and OH vote for Hillary--

maybe this is just more of the same?

[FrenchieCat]

5. I'll be waiting for her to take the podium and denounce and reject

This asshole.

Hope this is done pronto!

[Cha]

15. It sounds to me like it's

not helping hilary but cancelling out louis farrakan's endorsement of Obama.

[bunnies]

6. They've been playing a clip to that effect on MSNBC all day.

And I totally agree with you. Its absurd.

[Eric J in MN]

7. Did NPR interview him, or just play a clip of him talking to Sean Hannity? NT

NT

[cali]

10. Robert Siegal interviewed him. He really is repulsive and incredibly

stupid. It was quite remarkable to listen to such stupidity.

[Tesha]

23. NPR basically gave him free airtime to spew his vomitous filth uninterrupted.

NPR at their best, y'know?

Tesha

[Cant trust em]

8. are endorsements really a big deal?

I think newspapers endorsements matter than any individual.

[DURHAM D]

9. He did it last night on CNN and on his radio show - followed by "just kidding". eom

[Political Heretic]

11. If you heard him on his radio show its was a pretty ridiculous endrosement

Thinking purely as a political junkie and not as an obama supporter, the best thing she could do is either totally ignore it, or if she gets a question about it say, be diffusing, make it light, make a casual (but not barbed) joke about it... something like, "well hey, if this is a sign that the radical right wing talk show host demographic is coming to its senses, I guess that can't be all bad!" Gives reporters no story, just a nice warm line - Clinton looks good, with a nod to trivializing cunningham.

Clinton Campaign please pay me 1million dollars to consult! :P

[mtnsnake]

12. He's picking Hillary to make his point because she's the epitome of Liberalism to repukes

Rush Limbaugh did the same thing. Neither one likes her, they're just showing their comtempt to John McCain.

It's actually a compliment to Hillary in a backhanded kind of way that they hate her so much, almost as much as half the people on this forum do.

[Bluerthanblue]

13. I agree- The candidates cannot control who supports them- and

shouldn't be held responsible for those that claim to do so.

I don't believe that any candidate should be forced or encouraged to denounce or reject any 'endorsers'.

I do hope, that any candidate who has an endorsement from someone with negative policies/beliefs- be willing to speak out about their position on the questionable policy.

I don't share the opinion that it was 'vital' that Obama denounce or reject Farrakhan as a human being- I DO believe it was vital that he make his opinion of the policies of Mr. Farrakhan very clear, which he did.

peace~

[Raine]

14. I agree plus

Ann Coulter also claimed she was supporting Hillary. I was wishing that Obama would've mentioned that during the debate when they were sticking Farrakhan on him.

Edit: spelling

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

16. Purely devil's advocate here...

As an atheist, I have always felt that it is legitimate to examine candidate's religious beliefs. They get a lot of benefit from spouting religiosity, so religion shouldn't be out of bounds.

Given that Obama's acknowledged spiritual mentor is a Farrakhan booster, the need for him to denounce... sorry, reject Farrakhan is more than just because Farrakhan is high profile. There is a slight, yet meaningful nexus between the two.

But that's just me... if the Methodist Church gave honors to Joe Blow, a white supremacist, I would want Hillary to denounce the Methodist Church, not just denounce Joe Blow.

I have no idea why Obama goes to his church. He says it was vital to his development as a man... it's not just the nearest church to his house. Since he presents that church, and Pastor Wright, as formative, they are open to some reasonable examination.

Essentially, Obama is saying that Farrakhan is a topic on which he and Pastor Wright have agreed to disagree.

To me, that's weak. But I don't cut religion any slack at all. Someone else could say it's the same as Kerry agreeing to disagree with the Pope on one thing or another. Fair enough.

None of this is meant to disagree with your statement that politicians are not responsible for un-sought endorsements. Obama is not responsible for Farrakhan, but it's no surprise, given the circumstances, that he is called on to distance himself.

[cali]

18. What? You'd want Hillary to denounce the Methodist Church

if one pastor in one church gave an award to Joe Blow, white supremacist, because of Joe's work for children- or whatever? UCC is one of the most liberal denominations in the country. The denomination itself is not to blame for Wright. Beyond that, I don't know enough about Wright or the church to comment, though I'm certainly not favorably impressed by Wright's relationship with Farrakhan, and yes, I expect it to be a big deal in the general.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

24. Sorry, I was being broad in saying "The Methodist Church"

Subdivide the sects however you like until it is equivalent...

I was conflating church (singular) and church (sect)

If we assume a rogue Methodist minister who presided at the particular church Hillary attends honored Joe Blow then I would expect Hillary to stop attending the particular church he led.

If the national Methodist conference, or whatever the governing body, honored Joe Blow then I would expect her to leave the whole church.

I was suggesting Obama needs to get clear of Pastor Wright and any similar figure, not that he leave the UCC.

The point is that "spiritual mentor" is not the same as "old uncle who says things you disagree with." If people are going to carry on about their church then it ought to mean something... not just be some wacky thing you make allowances for.

There's little point in denouncing Farrakhan while simultaneously making excuses for Pastor Wright for honoring him.

If Farrakhan is so bad that he is worth denouncing, then what keeps you coming back to a church that honors Farrakhan as the "model of greatness"?

I know plenty of religious people, and I understand that almost everyone disagrees with their church in some way, and it's tradition and community, etc.

But it is odd that he remains close to Wright while denouncing Farrakhan.

I think it would be more than fair to ask Mitt Romney what the fuck he was doing AS AN ADULT remaining a devout follower of a religion that held that black people go to doggie-heaven. I toured the DC tabernacle before it as consecrated (at which point only Mormons can go in) and there's a giant mural of God seperating the races in the after-life! Good thing no non-Mormons can ever see it now.

[Mme. Defarge]

17. At least

he's a live endorsement.

[Barack_America]

19. Self-serving asshats...

Cunningham, Smiley, Limbaugh, Coulter, the lot of them. All willing to throw the candidates that best represent their interests under the bus unless they personally kiss their asses.

[HeraldSquare212]

20. You know, she just might reject him publicly - it got McCain a lot of press.

[anigbrowl]

28. It would be funny, and no more than he deserves.

[Doctor_J]

21. How sad that NPR has become just another hate radio outlet

Glen Beck, this guy. Stop sending them money until they pull the plug on all these fascists who already have 99% of the dial monopolized

[Mike03]

22. Great post, and I agree, but is it possible to develop your ideas further

towards their obvious conclusion?

Don't you think this is suspicious at best, and flat-out deception at worst? These pieces of shit--excuse my vulgarity--are not voting for Clinton or any Democrat. They only want Democrats to vote for Clinton, because she is more easily defeated at this moment in history than her opponent.

Or am I wrong?

[JuniperLea]

26. Obviously this was a dig...

At McCain for denouncing what he said about Obama. The only candidate left for him would be Clinton.

[JuniperLea]

25. I'm beginning to fear anyone who is attached to any church...

To the point where they actually say it was part of their developement... if they are still in the church, that is.

My church attendance of nearly 20 years, and the hypocrisy I found there, is how I "developed" as an Agnostic.

[TheCowsCameHome]

27. Cunninghanm? Cunningham? Who the heck is Bill Cunningham?

You don't mean that little-league radio wannabe from somewhere out in the midwest, do you?

Who is he to endorse anyone?

[UALRBSofL]

29. I can agree with that but what I would like Obama to do

Is to reject Dr. Jeremiah Wright and distance from him because I have several examples where Dr. Wright has made anti-semite and racists statements. I didn't post them but I'm just saying, if were going to denounce and distance from people who make racial or anti-semite or anti-gay statements then it shouldn't matter whom the person is, even if it's Obama's pastor.