OK what's going on here:

[ProSense]

September 24, 2008

Bill Clinton: Will respect Jewish holidays, then 'hustle up ... cracker vote' in Florida

In an interview with CNN's Larry King airing tonight, Bill Clinton offered a slightly unusual reason for postponing his campaigning for Obama: The Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which he's not known to observe.

"When (the Clinton Global Initiative) is over, and after the Jewish holidays, which follow close on it, I intend to go to Florida, to Ohio, to northeast Pennsylvania, and to Nevada at a minimum," he said. "I may do events in Arkansas depending on what the Democratic Party does down there. And I've agreed to do some fundraising for them in California and New York."

"Are you kind of feeling Jewish that you're waiting until after the Jewish holidays?" King asked, according to a CNN transcript.

"No. But I think it would be -- if we're trying to win in Florida, it may be that," Clinton began, before discussing his real Florida target: "You know, they think that because of who I am and where my politic(al) base has traditionally been, they may want me to go sort of hustle up what Lawton Chiles used to call the 'cracker vote' there."

"But Senator Obama also has a big stake in doing well in the Jewish community in Florida, where Hillary did very well and where I did very well. And I just think respecting the holidays is a good thing to do," he said.

WJC's campaign days are over

(video)

In an interview with Fox's Greta van Susteren Bill Clinton says his campaign days are over (around 6:00), and praises Obama for reaching out to Robert Rubin and other Clinonites on economic policy, for his "willingness to get together really smart people, and be open to them, and listen to new ideas."

He struggles, at the end, with a question about how Jeremiah Wright isn't like David Duke, and declines to "wade into" it.

Weird!

[BklynChick]

1. I can understand him waiting to go to Florida because there are a lot of observant Jewish voters

there but the rest of it makes no sense. :shrug:

[secondwind]

2. Clinton is smart in waiting til after the Jewish holidays, because they

wouldn't come out to listen to him if he went for Yom Kippur, when they are all at temple

[rosesaylavee]

3. I think this is smart and sensitive on his part

to who he is going to be addressing. That still gives him a whole month to campaign. Good for him.

[ProSense]

5. "Bill Clinton says his campaign days are over"

Yom Kippur is October 8 and 9, it's curious that he went into such detail.

[rosesaylavee]

12. I don't think Bill does or says anything that is not

calculated. And I mean that in the nicest way (ala Steel Magnolias :)). I would imagine he is warming up his audience in Florida ahead of time, letting them know now that he has their concerns in mind as he plans ahead around their high holy days. I am not Jewish but am very aware that the holy days are to observant Jews what Christmas and Easter are to observant Christians. Christians would certainly think it odd, if not offensive, for a politician to seek their undivided attention the week prior to Christmas or Easter.

I think he's smart to do that.

[dchill]

4. Ritz or Zesta?

:banghead:

[NYCGirl]

6. This is the thing that worried me:

"He struggles, at the end, with a question about how Jeremiah Wright isn't like David Duke, and declines to "wade into" it."

That should be easy to answer, in that Wright is not a racist and has many white parishioners.

[Venceremos]

7. The cracker vote?

[demhistorian]

8. a common term in Florida. Floridians often call themselves as "crackers" or "Florida crackers"

I've also heard it used in other points of the south

[Venceremos]

9. Spare me the Wikipedia definition

My sister has lived in Florida since 1986, along with her in-laws, her grown kids and their families. My parents were born and raised in Atlanta and Savannah. Never heard them (or anybody else I met in Florida or the south) use the term "cracker" except as a derogatory expression for white people.

[demhistorian]

11. sorry, I don't use wikipedia. I've heard the term since I was a kid. Here is a reference for you:

"Political analysts call it the ''cracker vote,'' that of rural whites in the Panhandle and central parts of the state who are registered Democrats out of loyalty but have no trouble voting Republican out of belief."

Florida's Split: Will It Play in the Panhandle?
By MIREYA NAVARRO
Published: September 21, 1998

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E1D81330F932A1575AC0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

[Clio the Leo]

10. crap ....... Clinton's appearance is gonna get bumped because of Bush's speech...

.... they'll air it another time i'm sure .... but I hate that.