The racial undertones of Hillary offering Obama VP is like the Harold Ford Ad

[TAWS]

Remember that Harold Ford ad that everyone decried as racist? How is this any different? Hillary says Obama is not ready to be president but says he could be VP if he proves himself to them by passing the "threshold" for commander in chief. Like Tom Daschle said, this would be the first time in history the front runner is offered the VP slot by the person behind.


Here is the Ford Ad for those that do not remember: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWkrwENN5CQ

[NMMatt]

1. Spot on

If Obama were white there is no way this would be floated as a possibility.

[Not the Only One]

2. They are about different things

The Ford ad was about this stereotype that black men are pouncing on the available white women, so the ad was meant to get white men to not support Ford.

This VP thing is more a Rosa Parks/back of the bus deal. Obama, you need to know your place, boy! The President is a job for white folks. You understand? Now, get back to where you belong, at the bottom of the ticket.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Agreed

[joeybee12]

3. This is one of many such pathetic posts here...crying racism where

it doesn't exist helps no one.

[TAWS]

4. Please point to where I said it was racism

I used the phrase "racial undertones" for a reason.

[cooolandrew]

5. Hillary is doing this intentional Barack needs 2 highlight what she isdoing trying to change percept

I saw one of HRCs surrogates say as much in Ohio. That planneeds to be exposed.

[Arkansas Granny]

6. You are imagining racial undertones where there are none.

[wndycty]

10. Because there are

You and I both know if Barack were in Hillary's position he would have been forced out and if he had the nerve to suggest she should be his VP there would be hell to pay.

There is definitely a racial undertone at play here.

[Arkansas Granny]

12. If, if, if. You cannot use a hypothetical question to prove racism where none exists.

Sometimes people see things differently and some people see things that aren't there. Hillary is still in this race to win, the same as Obama, so to suggest herself as the VP for Obama would have been an admission of defeat in itself.

[Dave_Fl_50]

7. You are why I won't support Obama if he wins the nomination

[sniffa]

8. You are why I won't support Clinton if she wins the nomination

[ldf]

43. then why don't we ALL

stay the fuck home.

[sniffa]

44. Because some DUers will say

"Fuck you, fuck your mother, and fuck your whole family." - from a well written OP.

[Frances]

11. I think your accusation loses some of its potency

because Hillary is a woman. A case could be made that Obama doesn't want to play second fiddle to a woman.

However, I don't like any of these kinds of threads because I will support whoever wins the nomination.

[earthlover]

13. 20% of Ohio voters said in exit polls that race was the deciding factor in their decision...

85% of these racists voted for Hillary. Which means that about 31% of those who voted for Hillary did it because she was white and Obama was black.

Just sayin.

[NJSecularist]

14. Racists whites are one of the pillars of Hillary's base

[TAWS]

16. Reason why Obama only does poorly among whites in southern states

[MagsDem]

20. So how is he going to win the GE then?

[jackson_dem]

33. Ohio and Pennsylvania are southern states?

He's been losing the white vote almost everywhere. Fortunately for him he wins blacks 88-12 now and that gives him a net gain of 14 in the average Democratic primary. He doesn't need to win the white vote--in the Democratic primaries. The general is a different animal...

[Frances]

41. That's not true

Ohio isn't a Southern state. It's a state that has seen blue-collar jobs that pay well leave the state. In 1992 and 1996, blue-collar blacks voted overwhelmingly for Bill because Bill was better for their economic interests.

The reason that blacks are not voting the way they did in 92 and 96 (for a Clinton) is that Obama is black.

That's understandable. But I don't think you should conclude that whites who are voting the same way they did in 92 and 96 (for a Clinton)are necessarily racist.

Personally, I want either Hillary OR Obama to beat McCAin.

[MagsDem]

19. Welcome to the reality of AMERICA

Hillary didn't create racial politics, and she was the only other person on the ballot, so yes, they voted for her not because she was white, but because she wasn't black. That her fault too?

Your guy is not going to win in the GE and what you saw in OH is part of the reason why. But scream if we don't nominate him anyway. Because we love to lose, right?

[earthlover]

35. er...Obama seems to have done pretty well in many states....better than Hillary....

So I am not worried.

Hillary, on the other hand, has so many negatives built up she has no chance whatsoever of winning in november against her buddy McCain.

Too bad for her that she had to blow her chances of being asked to be Obama's VP. None of her million dollar advisors told her of the idea that she could attract more with honey than vinegar.

[jackson_dem]

32. Yeah. And in some states the race vote went to Obama

Guess how Obama is going to win Mississippi tomorrow? It won't be by "transcending race" as advertised. In other states the sexist vote went to Obama, in some it went to Clinton.

[MagsDem]

15. WTF does that have to do with the legitimate idea....

... that a candidate ought to actually have some experience before he touts himself as ready to run a country? For gawd's sake, BO is just no experienced enough for the job. He's so busy running for president he doesn't even want to get the experience he needs in the senate. He might make a good VP if he could actually get his huge head around the idea that president need more than just the experience of running for president to be effective.

[scheming daemons]

18. He has as much experience as Abe Lincoln or JFK had before they became President...

If "experience" really mattered to the electorate, he would've been defeated a long time ago.


Besides.... Hillary loses the "experience" argument to McCain as much as Obama does.

[earthlover]

22. Obama has more foreign policy experience than Bill Clinton did when he was elected

[MagsDem]

27. No he doesn't

He has zero foreign policy experience just like he has zero experience outside the state legislature in every area. Clinton ran a state for 12 yrs before he ran for president, with impressive actual (versus made up) accomplishments (of Obama).

[earthlover]

45. so Arkansas had a foreign policy? pfffft!

As a member of the Senate, Obama has at least some foreign policy experience. Clinton had zip.

Clinton did very well as president, I might add. Which shoots to hell the idea that experience is the sole factor.

Lincoln did not have much Washington or foreign policy experience either. 8 years in the illinois state legislature. A term in Congress. Some activism. Some speeches (like the Lincoln-Douglas debates). If hillary were running in 1860 she would no doubt say he only has some speeches, is not fit to be commander in chief.

[jackson_dem]

37. When did Clinton win after serving six terms as governor?

1992. Anything big happen in the years leading up to 1992, oh like anything in 1991 in a big country or a wall coming down somewhere in 1989? Foreign policy was not a big issue in 1992--it damn well was in 2004 and will be in 2008 due to 9/11.

[earthlover]

49. If we went by the most experienced foreign policy-wise in 92 that would be Pappy Bush

I'm glad the voters opted for the candidate who campaigned on the idea of Hope (from Hope Arkansas). How about you? Or would you think Bush getting reelected would have been better since he was so experienced in foreign policy?

[MagsDem]

25. Quit with the BS argument about Abe Lincoln -- it's bullshit

Lincoln had over 28 yrs experience in govt by the time he ran. Get a history book for crying out loud. And JFK, sorry, was a joke of a president. Had he not been assassinated he would have been remembered as a bungler like Bush.

[TAWS]

31. JFK was a joke?

You wouldn't be alive if the Cuban Missile Crisis wasn't resolved the way it was.

[jackson_dem]

38. He resolved it successfully because he had immense experience on international issues

JFK had 14 years in Congress but even well before that he had access to diplomats and other foreign policy experts as early as his college days thanks to his father being ambassador to England. He had visited numerous countries, talked to important folks there long before he even entered politics. Has Obama even been overseas aside from Kenya?

[earthlover]

46. lincoln had 8 years in illinois legislature. he served a term in Congress

Obama has more experience than Lincoln at this point. Obama served 8 years in Illinois legislature, and is in his fourth year as senator.

If you can find any other elected offices Lincoln served, be my guest know it all!

[jackson_dem]

36. JFK had 14 years in DC (equal to Nixon). Obama had 1 before he began running for president

Why does Obamanation continue defiling JFK's record with lies to prop up their inexperienced hero?

There won't be an experience argument when there are two experienced candidates. It is about clearing the experience threshold, not the length of your resume.

[TAWS]

21. You do not offer the VP slot when you are behind...

and you do not offer the VP slot if you think they are unqualified for president. As they say, VP is a heartbeat from the presidency. It's illogical what they are trying to say.

[MagsDem]

29. He could benefit from the on the job training

And I think that is what she is saying. I say she is right. I still wouldn't vote for him because he is a liar and a phony, IMO. But if he is intent on being president a little experience would be nice.

[jackson_dem]

39. Bush tapped Qualye. Speaking of Dan, even he had 4x more experience than Obama!

He is no Jack Kennedy--he isn't even a Dan Quayle in terms of experience! :scared:

[Maribelle]

17. I don't think she was talking any differently than other candidates

did during the debates.

I clearly remember two others talking about who would make a great vice president on their ticket.

[TAWS]

23. That was before super Tuesday, when the race was close!

It's not that close anymore.

[MagsDem]

28. It's not close? LOL!

She is ahead in popular vote by 20K votes. He is ahead by 111 delegates only because they will not count delegates from MI and FL. Neither can get to the magic number without supers. It doesn't get much closer than this.

[jackson_dem]

24. What does Obama vying to be the least experienced prez ever have to do with color?

Do you think Hill would claim John Lewis is not ready to be president? It isn't his color. It is the fact he has no experience.

[MagsDem]

30. Exactly

It's truly a joke as far as I am concerned that a person with so little experience is arrogant enough to even run other than as a Stephen Colbert style joke. I have worked in Dem state and federal politics for 30 yrs, and I have never met a state senator that was even close to being qualified to be president. It's a complete joke as far as I am concerned.

[Bucky]

26. I'm not seeing the racism here.

I'm seeing the condescension; I'm seeing the desparation; I'm seeing the recognition that she can't win November with her current trajectory. God help me, I might even be able to read a touch of regret in there for some of the overreaching on her part.

But does anyone seriously doubt she'd try the same gambit if she was dogging Edwards's heels?

[Medusa]

34. Driving Miss Hillary

would she make him ride on the back of the bus too?

[Auntie Bush]

40. Is there anything you Obamites won't make racial?

WTF...Everything anyone says about Obama is considered racial?

[Dave_Fl_50]

42. Everything. Absolutely everything. By November it will be a race v. race election

becasue of all the spurious charges of racism, and guess what whites are in the majority. 4 More years of the right wing

[UALRBSofL]

47. Dave_FL_50 you missed a good segment on TV

You should have seen Rev Al Sharpton about 45 minutes ago on TV. He was going off about Obama denouncing Louis Farrakhan and how this was racial that Obama was forced to do this, then, when Rev. Jeremiah Wright was brought up he really went off and said well, what about Billy Graham who was in the White House when Bush41 was in office and Billy Graham said something, I couldn't quite get all of it. There was too much arguing going on. Also, Sharpton was very matter-of-fact about his law suit against the FDP, Bill Nelson, and Gov Crist. It was one of those knock down drag out kind of discussions.

[Dave_Fl_50]

48. Farrakhan will be a big part of it. It's gonna be nasty but the overraction to it will make it a

wildfire story. The media will be spending a lot of time on it.

When his supporters freak out claiming mention of him as a VP is racist I know what we're going to see. White versus black and the middle backing away from him fast.