Clyburn: Bill Clinton May Be Damaging His Reputation

[peoli]

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Representative Jim Clyburn, whose neutrality in the Democratic primary has made him something of a political referee between the Obama and Clinton camps, said on Thursday that former president Bill Clinton's campaign tactics may have long-term damage on his reputation.

In an interview with the Huffington Post, the longtime South Carolina congressman would not, as a member of the Obama campaign has, go so far as to compare Clinton's actions to that of Lee Atwater, the famed Republican dirty trickster. But he did allow the idea that the former president had sullied his image within Democratic circles.

"I think that may be true," said Clyburn, the third ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. "I mean, he is speaking out this way, taking hits on Obama. A lot of times these things happen. What you say may hurt the other guy but it also may hurt you."

For the most part, however, Clyburn said he was not dispirited by the tenor and tone of the Democratic race. In the past week both the Obama and Clinton campaigns have engaged in a vigorous back and forth over topics ranging from personal (Clinton's ties to Wal-Mart and Obama's ties to Rezko) to policy (health care proposals and economic stimulus packages). That, Clyburn said, is just how campaigns go.

"I think the debate last Monday night, a lot of people said they were bickering," he said. "I don't think they were bickering. They had competing visions about what to do with the economy and health care. All three of the candidates had different ideas about that. And so, I think, that's to be expected."

What Clyburn did find discouraging was the way the Democratic primary was being framed in racial terms. The idea that Obama is becoming the "black" candidate -- whether it is happening organically or pushed by the Clinton campaign or the media -- is something the congressman rejected forcefully.

"There are more white people supporting Obama than there are black," he said, with a charge of emotion. "Now that's a fact. Just look at the numbers. Look at New Hampshire. How many white votes and how many black votes did he get in New Hampshire? How many white votes and how many black votes did he get in Iowa? Now add that to the black votes in South Carolina. There are more white people supporting Obama than there are black people. Now that's a fact."

The populations of both Iowa, where Obama won, and New Hampshire, where he finished a close second, are both overwhelming white. Moreover, Clyburn added:

"Look at endorsements here in South Carolina... John Matthews, Robert Ford, Darrell Jackson, three black state senators. They are supporting Hillary Clinton. I haven't seen a single black state senator come out for Obama. So is she the black candidate?"

more....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/24/clyburn-bill-clinton-may_n_83127.html


"You are not going to win the White House by avoiding demographics like South Carolina has," he said.

"We are still looking for the first black president."

[jackson_dem]

1. Clyburn may be hurting HIS reputation with his constant attacks on the Clintons

Neutral? :rofl:

[peoli]

3. There are few real men like Clyburn. He is like the Al Pacino of the House.

[jackson_dem]

6. Sunday morning he will join David Yepsen in his early state hole until 2012

[peoli]

16. you should do the same.

[jackson_dem]

18. Another Obamite thug trying to impose pro-Obama orthodoxy

[peoli]

20. just posting some news buddy.

sorry its hurts you so

[cali]

24. you can run around calling Obama supporters thugs til

you collapse in frothing exhaustion, but all it does is clearly display who the REAL thug is- try a mirror, cupcake.

[Unsane]

19. No, he will return to his job as 3rd ranking Democrat in Congress.

[jackson_dem]

21. Good

More focus on getting things done, less on attacking the Clintons. I know he has a high-ranking position but after Saturday night he will largely be gone from the national spotlight.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

28. There Are A Few Men Like Clinton Supporter And Civil Rights Icon, John Lewis, In The House

He is the Muhammad Ali, Malcom X, and Medgar Evers of his milieu.

[bluedog]

4. he should get it over with

and stop playing games.........we all know he'll endorse Obama...way the stall?........oh yea,.....the dramatics..

[Cha]

8. So it's okay for the attack dog bil clinton to lie and smear?

Just checking.

[Barack_America]

2. "We are still looking for the first black president."

That quote, IMO, says a lot about his personal feelings regarding Bill Clinton right now.

[Cha]

10. That was a zinger and I'm thinking bil clinton counldn't care less.

bill wants to be the first president who got elected after 8 years in office.

[ProSense]

5. The NYT agrees

here

[Cha]

15. Yeah, even the NYT who's impressed by

hilary's "experience" wants her to clean up the clinton's act..

"As strongly as we back her candidacy, we urge Mrs. Clinton to take the lead in changing the tone of the campaign. It is not good for the country, the Democratic Party or for Mrs. Clinton, who is often tagged as divisive, in part because of bitter feeling about her husband’s administration and the so-called permanent campaign. (Indeed, Bill Clinton’s overheated comments are feeding those resentments, and could do long-term damage to her candidacy if he continues this way.)

Give me Obama's experience anyday..with all of hilary's so-called "experience" she didn't know enough not vote yea on bushits' IWR.

Obama with his experience in the Illinois State Senate knew enough to be against this War On Iraq from the very beginning.

And before some hilary get on and ask why "he's endorsing" it now..he's not. That's such disingenous bullshit from the hilarys. They'll all funding it so our Soldiers will have supplies until we get somone in there who will bring them home..even though bushit is trying to make it permenantly.. to feed the military complex machine.

[Cha]

7. Clyborn was cool cause he

gave clintons some benefit of the doubt when this first started ..It hasn't changed so now it's down to the reputation of bill clinton being tarnished which has already happened in a lot of circles.

[durrrty libby]

9. Don't you worry your little horseyface about Bill's reputation

He's a great campaigner. Hill's supporters are happy with him...Deal with it

[AX10]

11. Perhaps Clyburn and company are afraid that..

Clinton can still draw massive crowds and bring the money in and Clyburn knows that there is stiff competition for Obama. Clinton is too much of an asset to not be involved in the campaign.

[peoli]

17. or perhaps hes afraid of

the Clintons fragmenting the party and campaigning like gutter repubs.

[jefferson_dem]

12. Clyburn is wrong.

The damage is done.

[Barack_America]

14. Seriously. I would LOVE to see a Bill Clinton approval rating now.

Have you seen any around? I would love to see how it must be plummeting.

[jackson_dem]

22. It is probably still in the 60's. When he left office it was a 69%. Bill was a good president

[mikelewis]

13. His Reputation? If rescuing Jr. hasn't hurt his reputation, fighting for Hilary won't even ding it

[bowens43]

23. May be? Bill has been making an ass of himself.

He needs to sit down and shut up if he can't conduct himself in manner befitting an ex president.

[Nimrod2005]

25. NO shit

[Perry Logan]

26. Go, Bill!

[Inuca]

27. I find these words

What Clyburn did find discouraging was the way the Democratic primary was being framed in racial terms. The idea that Obama is becoming the "black" candidate -- whether it is happening organically or pushed by the Clinton campaign or the media -- is something the congressman rejected forcefully.

painful to read. Forget for a moment about Obama. As Edwards (I think) is fond of saying, he will be fine whether he will get the nomination or not. But the fact that he was able to trigger such enthusiasm and yes, hope, for something different, something better, among so many of such varied backgrounds, the fact that he was able for a while to be indeed a "candidate that happens to be black" only to be forced (kicking and screaming I should add) into being a "black candidate" is IMHO a painful blow with possible long term implications, not only to the democratic party, but to the country as a whole. And possibly even beyond that.

I am white and non-US born, I may be wrong on this, but what I think truly matters to the AA community is not to have a "brother" as president (or at least major party nominee), not for somebody to win IN SPITE of the color of his skin, but for the color of his skin NOT TO MATTER. That's what MLK's dream was all about. Obama could (can? I still hope so) have almost made that dream a reality. What is happening now is pushing that dream back. And that is very sad and WRONG. Thats it is happening as part of a democratic campaign is even worse. The SC poll results I saw yesterday (the shrinking percentage of whites favoring Obama), for whatever they are worth, were demoralizing beyond belief. Again, I am not talking about who will eventually win the nomination, but about the larger and longer term implications of all this. I do not know how much is "happening organically" as Clyburn puts it (I read this as an euphemism for racism), how much is the Clintons' fault (at least some of it definitely is, and I, and I hope many others, will never forgive them for that), how much is the media. But it is BAD beyond what my meager words can express.