I love Keith. But why did he only ask the black man about Barry Bonds?

[chimpymustgo]

Why not ask Bill Richardson - who claimed to have been drafted by a minor league team (falsely)?

I fear (as I posted in another thread) Keith had a bit of a Freudian slip. Much of the Barry Bonds hating is fueled by race. Bonds is an uppity black athlete who doesn't kiss the media's ass. The media hate him for that.

Clearly, he's not the only athlete possibly using performance enhancing drugs.

As much as I like Keith, I don't like his Bonds-hating. And I find it a bit amusing that he only posed the question to Obama. Why did he do that?

[Bluebear]

1. I would hope it would not be an out-of-bounds question only BECAUSE Obama is black,.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. On the other hand, what if he had asked a white guy about Bonds? That would've looked odd! nt

[chimpymustgo]

7. Pray tell, why?

Why would it have been "odd" to ask a white guy about Bonds? I think you're making my point.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

19. To me, two white guy criticizing a black guy STILL doesn't look good. nt

[JTG of the PRB]

35. Maybe I don't remember correctly, but did Keith ever bring up anything about Bonds being black?

I don't recall hearing anything racial specific; I just remember Keith asking Obama if and how he would honor Bonds breaking the all-time home run record. As I said, I don't recall a single thing about Bonds being a black man breaking the record. Obama seems to be a proven sports fan, and I think Keith was genuinely curious about what Obama though.

I agree that the debate was an odd time for that particular question, but the way it's being framed as a racial thing seems WAY overblown to me.

[chimpymustgo]

37. Of course Keith didn't SAY anything about Bonds being black.

He just asked the unlikely, irrelevant question of the one BLACK candidate.

[JTG of the PRB]

39. Well, then I personally have a hard time seeing it as a truly racial issue.

I agree that it was a very odd time for that question, and he asked it of the candidate that would cause it to most likely to be seen as a race issue, but I honestly believe Keith may have just been curious. Keith is a baseball aficionado, and Obama seems to be a sports fan.

A coincidence in my mind, but an oddly timed coincidence.

[trumad]

3. fueled by race---Bull fucking shit!

Right now he's the "only athlete possibly using performance enhancing drugs" who's about to break a major baseball record. He's a lying fucking cheat.

[babylonsister]

4. He asked because it's news of the day; I think you're reading way too

much into it.

[chimpymustgo]

20. I repeat: why did he only ask Obama?

Just saying...

[babylonsister]

28. Because he had a list of questions and very little time? Pleeze. nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

48. I just answered that...

Because to ask a WHITE guy would've looked really ugly. Two white guys discussing a black guy in a potentially negative fashion?

[jgraz]

5. It's not because he's black, it's because Barack's suspected of juicing

Here he is just five years ago:



You decide...

[Debi]

11. !

:spray:

he used to be steve...now he's Stephan

[itsrobert]

6. More importantly why did Obama not answer the question

That's not great leadership.

[Yael]

8. I think you are reading too much into it

Of the bunch, Obama is young and likely the only one on the panel who actually reads to sports pages.

Racial claims -- take it elsewhere -- this isn't about race, it it about youth and interest...

[chimpymustgo]

15. So Edwards, Dodd, Richardson, Clinton, Biden and the Kooch DON'T read the sports pages?

The Barry Bonds issue is about many things - but it's not confined to "youth and interest".

[Yael]

27. I don't follow his campaign

And I am not an athlete/sports person -- I just thought I saw where he had a large interest in sports. I could me wrong -- and may have been from his book (been a while since I read A of H)

[Yael]

29. Oh -- and as a side note

The Barry Bonds issue to ME is an issue of steroids, not ability -- so I will bow out now.

:hi:

[chimpymustgo]

33. And all the others using "stuff"? Where's the outrage?

The whole Mark McGuire/Sammy Sosa farce - EVERYBODY just played along. I won't even mention the "sacred cows" who must not be named.

Still would like a few more to take a bite at the apple of the original question.

[Yael]

38. Sorry -- wrong target here.

I have no children, but feel VERY srongly that those who are thrust into role model roles, take on (whether they like it or not) role model responsibilities.

[Mutineer]

32. Steroids is hardly the most important issue

facing this country. I thought the question was totally inappropriate and yeah, I thought the same thing too about why did he ask the only Black candidate in the field THAT question as well. And if I was thinking it and the OP was thinking it I'm guessing plenty more people were thinking the same. It was a stupid question and yes, even though Obama should have answered it, I can think of a good 999 questions I'd rather have seen asked. Not cool at all.

[parasim]

9. I never understood how a black man breaking another black man's record...

is considered an issue regarding race. Cheating is simply that... cheating.

I suppose it will only get worse once bionics replace steroids for performance enhancement.

[billyoc]

10. Bonds has a head the size of a Yugo.

He's a chemical freakshow that should be jailed for doctor shopping and share a cell
with Rush Limbaugh. Same with McGwire, Sosa and the rest of them.

As to the question, it's Obama's hometown ballfield, that's why I thought he was asked. :hi:

[Zueda]

12. At least he didn't let Clinton follow-up.

I can see the headlines now....

"Obama Endorses Drugs in Sports?" ...with a picture of him with a stogy.

"Clinton Vows to Clean-up Baseball!"....with picture of her with a clinched fist.

[goodgd_yall]

13. It was at a part in the debate when each question was answered by only one candidate

And because of the ordering, it fell to Obama. Maybe I'm being naive, but I think it was a coincidence, but it didn't look good since it fell to Obama.

[frazzled]

18. It was the only non-political question in the debate

No one else got a question about, say, Paris Hilton. There was exactly one question in the debate that wasn't serious, and Obama got it. It did seem a bit race-baiting.

[goodgd_yall]

26. Well, like others have said

"ask the black guy the sports question" mentality. It was a dumb question and too bad Obama got saddled with it.

[frazzled]

14. Better question: why did he ask him a factually incorrect question?

I was pretty shocked that Olberman asked him a question based on apparently untrue premises--namely, why he got money bundled from lobbyists. Obama corrected him, and Olberman had to apologize.

Whazzup with that? Don't they have fact-checkers on these questions? And who fed that false information to him? It was antagonistic, and if anyone other than Olberman had asked such a false question of a Democratic candidate, this board would be all over them.

I agree that the Bonds question was also bizarre. Mostly because no other such "non-political" question was asked of any other candidate, on any subject.

Sorry, but I thought Keith did a less than stellar job in some respects tonight. I also thought it was weird to make all seven candidates answer his "pet" question about why the campaigns start so early. Surely we could have had a denouement more interesting than that.

[trumad]

16. How's it feel to be the lone dissenter on this one?

[frazzled]

24. It feels like I'm thinking ...

and listening, not just an empty-headed adoring fan.

No one gets a free pass from me because their politics generally conform to mine. I calls 'em as I sees 'em.

[Berry Cool]

31. And not everyone is an "empty-headed adoring fan"

just because they happen to disagree with you.

I think too, and I think you are wrong.

[Berry Cool]

30. Well then, I guess he did a godawful job

because he made a factual error, and didn't ask the question you wanted him to at the beginning.

[feistydem]

17. I hadn't thought about it until you brought it up. It is a bit too obvious.

If he had a womens' issue question it would have made sense to ask "I'm your girl!" Hillary. But this wasn't a race question, it was a sports question. Or was it a drug question? Either way... questionable on its merits.

[trumad]

22. It's a topic that is much talked about --- especially with Bonds one away from the record.

[ecstatic]

21. It was a bitch move, done on purpose

And completely inappropriate.

Obama had the option of sticking up for Bonds and incurring the same wrath (and hatred?) of millions of baseball fans or throwing Bonds under the bus and perhaps being viewed as a sellout by blacks. Nevertheless, Obama handled the situation well.

I want you to know I saw through your crap KO, as did millions of other viewers.

[chimpymustgo]

25. Truth hurts - your name says it all.

I will repeat: Keith is one of our few voices of truth in the wilderness. Thus, I was taken aback by the "bitch move". And it was.

[Mutineer]

34. the more cynical part of me

says that it was somehow a loaded question designed to pull African-American support away from Obama.

[book_worm]

23. that caught my eye too, I'm afraid.

[Berry Cool]

36. "BITCH move?" Oh. My. God.

I think some people are reading WAAAAY too much into this.

You don't know Keith. You really don't.

He doesn't play gotcha games with people based on race. Not even subconsciously. Because he's the kind of person who would look at everything he did two or three times to make sure he wasn't subconsciously doing something like that.

I suppose if he had asked Hillary that question, it would have been from some people "Oh, he's trying to trap her--he thinks a woman knows nothing about baseball!" Etc., etc., etc.

One thing's for certain: I've heard Keith say a LOT about Barry Bonds, and he dislikes (not "hates," DISLIKES) the man and it is NOT because of race. Not one bit. Keith believes that athletes should not cheat. He acknowledges, regretfully, that we can be sure Bonds isn't the only one. But that doesn't get Bonds off the hook.

Accusing Keith of racism or of trying to "trap" Obama by asking him specifically is completely unfair.

[chimpymustgo]

40. I watch Keith EVERY night I am near a tv set. And I'm an Edwards supporter.

I just thought Keith was out of line - surely unwittingly - but nonetheless, out of line with the question.

People, we have to stare some things in the eye to understand them - and overcome them.

[frazzled]

41. Then how do you explain

the fact that he asked three antagonistic questions to Obama?

(1) He asked him why he takes money that is bundled by lobbyists--sort of like asking someone when you stopped beating your wife. If there were any truth to the presupposition, it might have been an okay question. As it turned out, Obama doesn't take money bundled by registered lobbyists ... so it was just a plain smear question.

(2) He asked him why he didn't vote "at the beginning" on the supplemental. It was a stupid question, although answered pretty well. It doesn't matter whether someone votes 2 minutes into a 30 minute vote or 20 minutes into a 30 minute vote. (No, even in terms of influencing other senators' votes--since they can change their vote at any time.) This is Keith's bugaboo, and it was antagonistic for antagonism's sake, petty, and pretty irrelevant.

(3) The Bonds question. It was completely irrelevant to a political debate and shouldn't have been asked to anyone. There were no other questions on that order asked during the 90 minutes. That he asked it to the black man is curious at best. It didn't belong in the debate about labor, health care, Iraq, and other important issues of the day. No matter how much Keith "dislikes" Barry Bonds.

I kind of expect we're going to hear a mea culpa from Keith--which will sort of prove everyone's point. And by the way, it appears I am far from beng a "lone dissenter" on this thread.

[chimpymustgo]

42. I thought (2) was a pointed, reasonable question. I wanted to know why Obama

didn't take ANY leadership on that vote. It was troubling. And he stumbled all over the answer.

[mucifer]

45. Yeah I agree with you.

[treestar]

43. So you're accusing him of racism, now?

Maybe it was random.

The ball player could be white and Obama get asked that question. The ball player could be Hispanic and Obama get asked that question.

This is taking this stuff too far. It's insane. Leave KO alone. Geez.

[brentspeak]

44. Holy crow...

:eyes:

[DURHAM D]

46. I thought KO gave him an opportunity with that question.

I assume Keith has been talking about the debate on his radio sports show and some radio fans probably tuned in just because KO was the moderator.

Obama is young and a sports fan (remember the promo he did for the Chicago Bears) and KO gave him an opportunity to win some points tonight with the guys and gals who watch more sports than they do political debates.

[David Zephyr]

47. I groaned at that, too.

I felt that this was not a good night for our candidates. And the crowd was also ill-mannered. Worse debate yet. I hope the one by LOGO later this week will be on a higher ground.