I just read the transcript of Sen. Clinton's comments.

[nemo137]

I'm not entirely convinced she was malicious in making them, but they disturb me for a couple reasons.

First, within living memory in this country, we have seen an organized campaign of violence aimed at excluding black Americans from the political process. The assassination of Dr. King and the murder of SNCC workers stand out in our minds about this. A century before that, another organized campaign of violence led by remnants of what was then called "the late rebellion" waged a similar campaign, ending with the "redemption" of the South. This is not a matter of the "race card," alluding the an act of violence against a black politician brings back memories of things that really happened within the lives of many people in this country.

Second, if Sen. Clinton is willing to accept the VP spot if/when Sen. Obama wins the nomination, then this was a horrible gaffe. I'd go so far as to call it a massive fuck-up. You don't agree to be an understudy and then talk about all the terrible things that could happen to the lead - it's not proper, I'd argue it makes you look scheming and untrustworthy. Vulturish, even. Even assuming that she was not making a subtle ploy for support on the grounds that she is less likely to be assassinated, it was a terrible thing to say.

This is a classic "idiot or asshole" moment. I really hope it's "idiot" from the stress of the campaign - it doesn't excuse it, but it makes it understandable. If it was intentional, then there's simply no reason for her to continue, she has hit bottom and is playing to the basest fears imaginable.

[Bicoastal]

1. As far as I'm concerned, she hit bottom when her campaign started using the racist vote

...as a bargaining chip. The media took up the meme of "hardworking middle-class whites" all too happily, but it seemed completely un-Democratic to frame the debate for electability that way.

That was said knowing full-well knowing what she was saying. THIS was just a stupid gaffe, but in a malicious way I hope it makes up for the lack of criticism she received the last time.

[Starwars Hillary]

5. The media said the words "white voter" long before Hillary did

See every exit poll after every single primary and caucus this election season (and just about every election year before that). Go back and read any article after Iowa and it highlights that Obama captured a good portion of the "white vote". Was that racist talk then? In fact, Hillay was just citing the media itself (see AP article) regarding the exit polls after PA, NC, and IN.

She wasn't "using the racist vote" any more than Obama does when he talks about the black vote, or when he sat in that church, or when his surrogates shamefully called the phrase "fairy tale" racist. White doesn't automatically mean "racist". That's your code, not hers.

[Bicoastal]

8. AHEM, hardworking whites who WON'T vote for Obama--"there's a pattern there."

Strum Thurmond would know which pattern she was referring to, and he's 100 years old and DEAD.

Did Obama ever say "there's a lot of men out there--decent, hardworking men--who aren't going to vote for Senator Clinton. There's a pattern there." Did he? I rest my case.

[Muttocracy]

10. how many hours are you going to last? so now she's quoting the sexist, hateful media? nt

[emilyg]

14. Welcome to DU.

[sandnsea]

2. Not the first time she's said it

So how is it a gaffe if she's said it before? How is it just idiotic when she's been warning the supers about something happening to Obama's campaign for months?

[nemo137]

4. because I am trying not to contribute to the shitshow that GDP can become

and because I haven't seen the transcripts or videos of the other times yet. Could you link me, please?

[sandnsea]

6. So you made a judgment with no knowledge??

Seriously?

Today has been wild in more than one way. Search. Go over to the video forum. You'll find the details quite easily.

[nemo137]

7. tried to give the Senator the benefit of the doubt.

I may have been hasty. I'm heading to the video forum now. Thank you.

[nemo137]

17. I spoke too soon. She has said it before.

So, we swing perhaps more towards the "asshole" end of the spectrum. Thank you for pointing me in that direction.

[Starwars Hillary]

9. When she said it before, she better clarified her emphasis on late primaries and JUNE

And nobody cared. She repeated a talking point almost word for today and then about about going late in the primary - all the way to June - as a response to "get out of the race" or we can't unify. She gave examples to show it wasn't out of the ordinary. Today however everybody cares because the pro Obama media wants an excuse to kick her out before she wins the pop vote by blowing Obama out in PR. They want to block her from VP consideration because they hate her. Proof of that is the bias against her all campaign, this example today in sharp relief. Today's "gaffe" is totally bogus. A cursory understanding of context puts the raging fake debate to rest.

Go back and read her earlier "gaffes" instead of pretending she's been cleaning her guns.

[Muttocracy]

13. and in your post above you excused her quoting racist media remarks - the same pro-Obama media?

get your story straight before you get tombstoned.

[Starwars Hillary]

15. Oh, so the media is racist!

Everybody is racist these days. Who isn't!

[sandnsea]

16. It was an awful thing to say then too

What is proof of is how much of a pass she got on so many things all through the campaign. There was never any reason for her to refer to primaries going to June because the CA primary was in Feb, the calendar changed. There is no comparison between the 1968 nomination and even the 1992 nomination, and certainly not this year's. They're completely different. There's only one reason for her to keep talking about assassination, and that's to scare people.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

3. The kitchen sink has a clog.

[Muttocracy]

11. and then she dropped it on her foot. nt

[TexasObserver]

12. Like her sniper story, she contrived this one months ago.

Hillary Clinton did not "oops" her way into this. She crafted a storyline several months ago, and wove into that storyline a reference to RFK in 1968. Never mind that today's primary and caucus system is much earlier overall, rendering her comment idiotic.

Hillary used the "A" word because that is what is in her head. She's THAT egocentric.

[iconicgnom]

18. "I really hope it's "idiot" from the stress of the campaign"

whatever.

If someone can't even handle the stress of a campaign, where they've got total control of how they're going to deliver their message, where there aren't any (gag) "3 AM calls" to throw a truly deadly wrench into the smooth running of things -- then that person hasn't anywhere near what it takes be the kind of POTUS that the times need.

[tyedyeto]

19. Not malicious? She knew exactly what she was saying.....

and knew that possible right-wing nutjobs would hear those statements. To me it is a wink, wink, nod, nod to some crazed bozo who has delusions of grandeur should any attempt on Obama's life happen.

She is not an 'idiot or asshole stressing about the campaign' as you imply. Her comments are very understandable to me...... she is expecting some wacked-out crazy wing-nut to do the job that happened to RFK.

[nemo137]

20. I reall don't think she was calling for an assassination

After reading about the other times she said it, I think it was ghoulish, desperate and wrong, but I don't think it was a "wink, wink, nod, nod" type situation. I think it's a logical extension of her repulsive "America won't vote for a black man" argument.

[tyedyeto]

21. And the 'logical extension' of that argument.....

is a 'lynching or assasination of that black candidate.

Sorry, but she, by way of her speeches, has invited the racists in this country to 'make 1968 happen again', this time with the first black frontrunner for POTUS.

[nemo137]

22. I have a hard time believing that she's that evil.

That's on the level with the Scaife-funded, "Clinton Death List" paranoia. I think she's making a desperate argument that she'd be the safer candidate, because she won't rock the boat.

[tyedyeto]

23. I guess that I'm just not as naive as most Hillary supporters

What does rocking the boat have to do with her statement and how is she safer?

[nemo137]

24. I'm not a Hillary supporter, sir.

But, I grew up with a Moonie-media-loving Evangelical father, who believes with a dead certainty that the Clintons are the ruthless, murdering elite, so I tend to have a bit of a problem when Democrats go on the same trip about the Clinton's intentions.

As for "rocking the boat" and safer, her entire campaign has been about going back to the 90's, back to the way things were, with a nasty undercurrent (that's become sadly dominant at times) of her being "electable" because she's nice and safe and white. This was a terrible outgrowth of that, suggesting that it's really, really not safe for the party to have a black candidate.

[Qutzupalotl]

26. This Obama supporter thinks the OP is magnanimous but correct.

Thinking the best of someone who's done a lot that did not look at all ghoulish is appropriate. Her career inclines one to give her the benefit of the doubt. But it is definitely strange and if it is as it appears, it indicates an unhealthy reason for staying in the race. She needs to get off the campaign trail and into therapy, pronto.

If it is worse than that, then she needs to get out either way. And I say this as someone who was seriously considering posting that she should stay in because it help's Obama's ground game in every state -- which it does, but the kneecapping of her opponent and herself is getting tiresome.

[OneBlueSky]

25. thoroughly malicious or just thoroughly stupid . . . doesn't matter which just as long as . . .

she goes away . . . and stays away . . .