Bill Clinton refuses to state if he'll vote for the eventual Democratic nominee if its not his wife

[Joe the Revelator]

Mr. Clinton refused to say whether he would vote for Mr. Obama or John Edwards if the race came down to them. "I don't think that that's fair to get me into that," the former president said.

http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2008/01/president-clinton-does-more-damage.html

[MonkeyFunk]

1. A good answer

[rodeodance]

4. I agree

[pampango]

I don't. I think all of our candidates (and spouses) should commit

to voting for our eventual nominee. That applies to Obama and Edwards, as well as the Clintons.

[MonkeyFunk]

36. and they all WILL commit

after the primaries.

[pampango]

40. Frankly, I would be shocked if, in a debate, any of our candidates

would refuse to commit to supporting the eventual Democratic nominee, no matter who it is.

[MonkeyFunk]

43. I believe all the candidates already have

except Kucinich.

But nonetheless, nobody is going to present ANYTHING that indicates they have less than total faith that they will win.

[pampango]

55. I thought they had. But by the same rationale, I seems to me that

stating an obvious intention to vote for the eventual nominee, no matter who it is, simply confirms that you are a real Democrat, not that you have no desire to be the nominee yourself. It would actually improve my perception of a Democratic candidate rather than make me think that the person really doesn't want to win.

[George II]

77. News Flash for everyone here!!!!

Bill Clinton is NOT a candidate for President!

[sufrommich]

38. Please point out the part of the quote

where Bill Clinton refuses to back the eventual nominee.

[George II]

78. That would simply be too easy....

It's much more effective for anti-Clintonites to simply throw out a misleading or incorrect statement in a blatant attempt to make Clinton look bad. Thankfully most here have seen through that and called the OP out on it.

[Bitwit1234]

35. I thought a vote was a private thing. otherwise

they wouldn't have booths and having a distance between voting machines. Now would they.

[stillcool]

54. delete...

[papau]

62. I agree - Bill's answer to that - and his other comments are solid - but as with the OP they'll be

twisted

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MaineDem]

3. I don't have a problem with that response

(And I'm not a Hillary supporter)

[RoadRage]

5. Although it's a decent answer..

If Michelle Obama had said the same thing - I believe there would be an uproar about her & the Obama's being unpatriotic. Just my guess....

[MonkeyFunk]

8. and this OP

was an attempt to stir up the same kind of uproar against Clinton.

[Joe the Revelator]

15. I just put it out there. Obviously, most posts seems to think it wasn't a foul

I'm ok with that.

[rodeodance]

21. Putting things 'out there' as your IP did in not helpful

[Joe the Revelator]

24. You post a lot, but don't really say anything

Feel free to offer a response in the form of copy/pasting someone elses post.

[MonkeyFunk]

22. bullshit

it's typical of you and a handful of other posters to scour the internet for things that could be viewed or skewed as negative toward a candidate, and then post it without any comment. It's shit-stirring, and you're a pro at it.

[Joe the Revelator]

30. Say what you will about me, but I never post and run.

Although I do have to get ready to go at the moment, I always back up my posts, good or bad. You'll always get a discussion out of me.

[polmaven]

41. Please tell us, Wolsh...

As vehemently as you hate anything Clinton, have you committed to vote for Hillary if she is the Democratic nominee?

[Joe the Revelator]

72. I will vote for the most progressive person in the GE...

whoever that may be.

[polmaven]

73. So you are refusing to say that you will vote for

the eventual Democratic nominee, whoever that might be? .....Hmmm!

[Joe the Revelator]

75. If the democratic nominee isn't the most progressive person in the race, then no I will not vote for

her. What point do you think you've proved?

[polmaven]

83. What point have I proved?

Well, how about your hypocrisy, for one thing.

Your OP is denigrating President Clinton for not doing what you will not do yourself.

'Course, as pointed out numerous times throughout this thread, the title and content of the charge itself is at best deliberately misleading, if not an outright untruth.

[Joe the Revelator]

84. I am not President Clinton, I am not the supposed leader of the democratic party, My wife is not....

running for the Democratic nomination. I am a progressive and will vote as such.

[polmaven]

86. The fact remains that you

deliberately put up a false headline, apparently to stir up a hate fest, but you will not do it either. Being an everyday citizen does not put you in a different league from President Clinton.

Edited to add.....I am a Democrat. I will vote for whichever candidate the Democrats nominate....I will, as a matter of fact, campaign enthusiastically for whichever candidate the Democrats nominate. I will not sit at home and pout if my candidate does not win the majority of votes at the Convention. I am a Democrat.

[Joe the Revelator]

88. Yes it does.

My votes isn't based on party affiliation. As the former head of the party, his is.

[polmaven]

90. I still have not seen

anyone point out, by the way, where it is in that article that he did what you claim he did. Where was the question asking if he will support the eventual nominee?

....and....umm...you do know this is DEMOCRATIC Underground.com....right???

[Joe the Revelator]

91. And you know that Democratic Underground isn't strictly for Democrats, right?

Democratic Underground (DU) was founded on Inauguration Day, January 20, 2001, to protest the illegitimate presidency of George W. Bush and to provide a resource for the exchange and dissemination of liberal and progressive ideas. Since then, DU has become one of the premier left-wing websites on the Internet, publishing original content six days a week, and hosting one of the Web's most active left-wing discussion boards.

We welcome Democrats of all stripes, along with other progressives who will work with us to achieve our shared goals. While the vast majority of our visitors are Democrats, this web site is not affiliated with the Democratic Party, nor do we claim to speak for the party as a whole.

[polmaven]

92. Yes, of course I know that....

Just putting it out there.......(Heard that phrase somewhere recently)

And yet still.....exactly where in the article posted does President Clinton say he won't commit to voting for the eventual nominee of his party????

[sufrommich]

48. Except you didn't "just put it out there"...

You gave it a dishonest title.Tell us where in that statement B.Clinton refuses to commit to the eventual nominee.

[George II]

79. Then why did you put that misleading comment out there?

Especially when Bill Clinton DID NOT REFUSE!!

[rodeodance]

16. yes, this poster is infamous for that.

[MethuenProgressive]

6. ObamaNation lowers the bar below all reason.

...

[PresidentObama]

65. Hold on a fucking minute, when Edwards "didn't" commit to support the nominee you and others pounced

Got hypocrisy?

[sufrommich]

70. The question wasn't whether B.Clinton would

"commit to the nominee" it was whether he would choose Obama or Edwards as the nominee.I don't understand why that's not obvious from reading the post for so many.

[George II]

80. I'm an Edwards supporter, hope he gets the nomination...but...

Edwards IS a candidate, Bill Clinton is not! BIG difference!

[Botany]

7. I support John Edwards .... I have given money to his campaign.

I also worry about Hillary getting the nod but Bill's answer is 100% fine by
me. It is kinda like a "when did you stop beating your wife," question.
No way would Bill answer it.

BTW this was done to Edwards about 2 months ago too.

[Perky]

9. It was an eefus pitch.. He was wisenot to swing at it.

I am an Obama supporter....it was a fine answer. Of course he is going to vote for the nominee...but he is not about to conced that Hillary might not be the nominee.

It was a puffball question

[rodeodance]

10. The article did NOT print the question that was posed--also it seems to be

biased toward the clintons---stirring up trouble.

"I think we should just take what they say on the merits….I'm really proud to be in a party where you've got a woman and an African-American fighting out their differences of opinion." Mr. Clinton refused to say whether he would vote for Mr. Obama or John Edwards if the race came down to them. "I don't think that that's fair to get me into that," the former president said. He did say he considered Mr. Obama more qualified than any of the Republicans seeking the White House. Mr. Clinton also appeared Monday morning on the syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show.

[peacetalksforall]

We can't assume from his answer that he wouldn't.

[Kittycat]

11. What an ass.

[Zynx]

12. Is that anymore outrageous than things that have been said here?

[sufrommich]

13. What a ridiculous attempt at an attack.

Where in that statement does he even begin to suggest that he will not vote for the eventual Dem nominee?

[rodeodance]

14. Anyone know the leanings of the NEW York Sun??

[George II]

81. It's just slightly to the RIGHT of Fox Noise.

[ShortnFiery]

17. The Clintons have been "in power" far too long. Bill's behavior is often petty. He's not good ...

in subordinate positions. I was totally duped by the Clintons in the 1990s. I even stood up for both of them within the active duty military on base. When HRC came to visit our base, I wore my "I'm a Hillary Clinton Fan."

Wow! After media hyper-consolidation and NAFTA destruction, I have zero respect for either of these spoiled "power players."

Toto has pulled back the curtain on HRC's smarmy campaign to reveal Mark Penn and a vicious DLC, whose tactics WORK because they rival the RNC.

If you wish for "more of the same" plus the lagniappe of "endless Clintonian scandal" vote for HRC. :(

[JohnnyLib2]

18. I'll be damned. He seems to be posting on DU regularly.

Or at least the sentiment is familiar. :evilgrin:

[rodeodance]

26. The odor is very familiar.

[JohnnyLib2]

33. .....

Got me, ya rascal.

[dmallind]

19. I'm sure he will - and would have preferred him to say so

I suppose he's saying it this way to show confidence and not deal in the possibility of his words being twisted into an "endorsement" but Koresh knows he's smart enough to know how to say that surely?

[antigop]

20. HA! I'll remember that and post that response next time someone asks about support for the nominee.

I can just post, "I don't think that that's fair to get me into that."

WHAT A WONDERFUL RESPONSE! THANK YOU!

[dmallind]

29. And that would work

if you are a former president whose every word is liable to be twisted on the front page of every scandal rag. Or - I suppose - if you are the spouse of a major candidate. barring that, not really applicable really.

[antigop]

34. Nice try. n/t

[dmallind]

44. not trying anything - just don't have delusions of grandeur to apply ex-pres criteria to me. NT

[antigop]

45. Oh, that's funny! n/t

[dmallind]

46. Whatever. No clue what you are getting at and no more interest in finding out. NT

lkjlkj

[antigop]

50. Yeah, well that's the problem with this election, isn't it? n/t

[polmaven]

47. WOW! Is your spouse running too?

:shrug:

[antigop]

52. My spouse doesn't have to run to use that line. IT'S GREAT! I'll use it from now on. n/t

[MADem]

23. Well, DUH--to say he would suggests the possibility of defeat, and that cannot be acknowledged in

ANY campaign.

I don't think that that's fair to get me into that," the former president said. He did say he considered Mr. Obama more qualified than any of the Republicans seeking the White House.



I'd expect any candidate's spouse to answer in similar fashion.

[NWHarkness]

25. He did not n/t

[Arkansas Granny]

27. If Bill Clinton were to state which one of the candidates he would

vote for if Hillary doesn't win the nomination we would have it all over the news cycle that he doesn't support Hillary. There is no way that he can show any preference right now for anyone other than Hillary.

[geek tragedy]

28. That's not what he said.

What he said was that he had no preference between Edwards and Obama.

[MannyGoldstein]

31. Funny As Hell

If someone does that at DU, there are calls for banishment.

What a scream. :rofl:

[sufrommich]

37. If someone on DU does what?

Refuse to back one particular candidate over another? How would that get one banned?

[MannyGoldstein]

42. That's Not What The First Torture President Did

RTFA

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Adelante]

39. Let's not twist the truth

He said he won't choose between Obama and Edwards; obviously that choice is not in the GE. He didn't say he wouldn't vote for the eventual Democratic nominee.

[Mass]

49. That is not what he says. He says he will not choose between Obama and Edwards.

Not at all the same thing.

[Mass]

51. He did say he considered Mr. Obama more qualified than any of the Republicans seeking the White Hous

I guess he also said the same thing concerning Edwards, though the article does not state it. So, it seems the blame is really unwarranted here.

[saracat]

53. Wow,Remember when the Hillary people had a fit when they interpreted something Edwards said

to mean he wouldn't support the Democratic Nominee? But they will give Bill a pass?

[polmaven]

56. If President Clinton had said he would not support the nominee...

whoever that may be HELL NO....He would most definitely NOT get "a pass".

That is NOT what he said, however.

He refused to choose between Senator Obama or Senator Edwards if his preferred candidate is no longer in the nomination race.

The question was not "Will you support whomever is the eventual nominee?" The question asked him to choose between the other candidates if Hillary is no longer viable for the nomination.

I think his answer was the proper one.

[Mass]

57. Read the article. It turns out that Clinton did not say that. He said he would not give his

preference between Obama and Edwards.

[saracat]

61. I am sure that is true, Just saying Edwards was attcked for a similar answer by the same people

justifying Clinton. It really doesn't matter to me.I am sure both will vote for the eventual nominee!

[polmaven]

74. Please read the article!!!

The question was NOT what the OP is alleging it was, so the answer could not be "similar", and there is nothing to "justify"!

[LynneSin]

58. You know he's going to support the ultimate winner of the primaries

Clinton ain't that stupid and there isn't any reason for him to make that announcement right now during the primaries

[IndianaGreen]

68. In the same way the Clintons supported Ned Lamont?

The Clintons are as petty as the Bushes.

[madrchsod]

59. stupid question----good answer

[Onlooker]

60. Gee, Bill sounds like a member of DU n/t

[GalleryGod]

63. Oh, REALLY ???????

Could I have my $5,000 back, Big Dawg?????

[rinsd]

64. What a lying headline...

:eyes:

[IndianaGreen]

66. Bill Clinton did campaign for Joe Lieberman, but after Joe went independent

neither of the Clintons lifted a finger to help the Democratic nominee Ned Lamont, while Obama contributed money to Lamont's campaign.

[MonkeyFunk]

67. That's blatantly false

And you know it.

[IndianaGreen]

69. You only spout Clintonian fairy tales

The facts are on my side, and I have posted about it at the time it happened.

[MonkeyFunk]

71. No

your assertion above is wrong. Blatantly wrong.

[George II]

76. HIs comment was correct

This is not the time to ask those ridiculous questions, especially asked of the spouse of a candidate.

Has anyone asked Obama's wife? Biden's wife? Edwards' wife?

And he didn't "refuse", he just said it was unfair to get into it, at this time.

Wait until after the convention - I'll bet he campaigns all over the country for the Democratic nominee, regardless of who it is.

[hayu_lol]

82. OK, lets get one of these bright people to run over to the Obama camp...

and pointblank ask Obama if he will vote for Hillary if he loses.

Wolsh...you ought to be the one to ask Obama.

[bunnies]

85. People get ripped apart on DU for saying the same thing.

Yet Bill gets defended for it. Go figure.

[Bluerthanblue]

89. ? People get ripped apart for refusing to answer? Or is

it people who volunteer their choice, and are looking for comment?

[Bluerthanblue]

87. since America has secret ballots, is it really anyone's business?

Should it matter to anyone but him?

I think his reply was reasonable.