Hillary's campaign using race divisions already having consequences.

[IsItJustMe]

A letter from a group that represents black voters is now in the process of being circulated and sent to the Democratic leadership. You be the judge:


Dear friend,

Thank you for calling on leaders of the Democratic Party to respect the
will of voters and reject the politics of division and fear.

Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and other superdelegates need to
hear from as many of us as possible that the credibility of the
Democratic Party is at stake in their decision.

Can you take a moment and ask your friends and family to join our
call?

Below you'll find a brief letter you can send. Personalize it as you
wish or write your own, but please send it along right away. Also,
please only contact people who know you personally. Spam will hurt the
effort.

You can cut and paste the text below into an email message:

---------------------------------------------------------------------
YOU CAN CUT AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING TEXT:
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Dear Friend,

Some leaders in the Democratic Party are playing with fire. They think
that they can betray the will of millions of voters--and choose Hillary
Clinton as the nominee, regardless of whether or not she is the choice
of the voters. We can't let this happen. It would be the largest
disenfranchisement in modern history, and it would mean the Democratic
Party giving their stamp of approval to a clear and consistent pattern
of race-baiting by the Clinton campaign.

If we make our voices heard, we can stop it. Please join us in signing
an open letter to leaders in the Democratic Party -- DNC Chair Howard
Dean, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid, and all superdelegates -- demanding that they reject an outcome
that involves trampling voting rights and legitimizing the politics of
division and fear:

http://www.colorofchange.org/dems/?id=1891-545449

By the time the last vote is cast on June 3rd under the rules of the
Democratic Party, it's unlikely Hillary Clinton will beat Barack Obama
among voters. But there's a chance that superdelegates will hand
Clinton the nomination anyway.

This would be a shocking attack on democracy, and it would destroy the
Democratic Party's credibility on protecting the right to vote. Black
people have a long history of fighting against voter suppression, and
now the Democratic Party will be the enemy in that fight. As bad as
that would be, there's another reason that a coup by party insiders
would threaten racial progress.

Senator Clinton's plan to have superdelegates hand her the nomination
doesn't make sense without a parallel strategy -- she has to stoke
enough division and race-based fear among Democratic voters to
convince superdelegates that white voters will not vote for Senator
Obama in the general election. One of Clinton's key arguments to
superdelegates is that America won't elect a Black man, and therefore
she's the better choice for Democrats to beat John McCain. While
she makes that argument in private to superdelegates, in public
Clinton's campaign and her surrogates are doing everything they can to
damage Barack Obama by ginning up fear and division and playing to the
worst instincts of our society. It's an insult to Black people and
all Americans, Obama and Clinton supporters alike.

The pattern has been clear and consistent to some party leaders. Last
week, according to the Washington Post, James Clyburn -- who as House
Majority Whip remains neutral and is the highest ranking Black member
of Congress -- accused the Clintons of marginalizing Black voters.
Referring to this strategy in another interview, Clyburn said that
"Nothing in this campaign has been by accident."

Congressman Clyburn warned that "black people are incensed" over the
divisiveness of the Clinton strategy and that it threatens an
irreparable breach between Black people and the Democratic Party.
He's right. And if superdelegates hand Clinton a victory despite her
defeat among voters, they will be condoning and rewarding that
strategy.

Some party leaders have expressed strong concern about superdelegates
overruling voters. But as a whole, superdelegates have not made it
clear that they will respect the will of voters. Today, we want to
send a clear, unequivocal message to superdelegates and other party
leaders: Reject the idea that the nomination can be won with a
strategy that preys on racism, sows division, and disenfranchises
millions of voters.

Please join us:

http://www.colorofchange.org/dems/?id=1891-545449

Thanks.

[paulk]

1. like Obama hasn't run a divisive campaign?

more faux outrage from the Obama crowd, where everything is Hillary's fault.

Exit polling is showing that more of Hillary's supporters are threatening to stay home or vote for McCain than Obama's.

Obama - the great uniter.

[rodeodance]

3. The OP is the outcome of the Obama divisive campaign.

[hokies4ever]

5. *Long-distance pity hug*

You sound like you need one. :hug:
Good luck to Hillary and her Senate career. :rofl:

[cliffordu]

27. What are you going to do with yourself when you can't blame all your

candidates' failures on Obama??

:nopity:

[hokies4ever]

4. Is Obama's camp holding a 1 hour conference call

lamblasting Hillary for getting single digits of the black vote?

[IsItJustMe]

6. I was an Edwards supporter and I am not crazy about Obama and/or Clinton. I became, more or less,

anti-Clinton, after seeing her campaign techniques she has used. Saying that, I feel I am more objective than most here.

This is the reason that more Hillary people say they won't vote for Obama. It is very simple and straight forward if you look at it honestly and objectively.

Hillary,
Through her deeds and actions, has made this a very divisive and tumultuous campaign. She sends out an extreme amount of vile and negative energy. She has personalized this campaign against Obama.

Obama has ran a very different kind of campaign. We will see if her deamonization of Obama will withstand.

That's the way I honestly see it, calling it like it is. and believe me, I have no vested interest nor am I strongly identified with Obama.

For me, Obama passes the smell test that the other two can't.

[paulk]

10. it's all subjective

I think that Obama's campaign has been equally divisive.

I offer as proof the exit polling noted above. Clearly there are a lot of Hillary supporters who feel the same way.

[tyne]

7. I don't get it....

"Exit polling is showing that more of Hillary's supporters are threatening to stay home or vote for McCain than Obama's."

Do you really think this is something to brag about? It's like a freeper pointing out that O'Reilly has the most popular show on cable news, eh?

[paulk]

9. buy a dictionary, kid

and get back to me after you've looked up "bragging".

[George_Bonanza]

16. You're proud of gaining the "support" of Operation Chaos?

Hillary's like Carrie at prom night, honestly believing that she's the prom queen and that people really like her. Meanwhile, the Republicans are ready to drop the bucket of pig's blood on her.

[paulk]

20. do you people have anything but strawmen?

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

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

[TragedyandHope]

17. Yes, there is racism on both sides

But you can speak out against it and start a dialog to understand where people are coming from. You might gain new insights and appreciation for each others' point of view.

You must understand that the tone of this campaign and Hillary's kitchen sink strategy was seen as a direct personal attack and betrayal by many blacks. Obama is certainly not perfect, he's a human being. There are plenty of legitimate issues to question him on, but in this campaign he has been subjected to a ridiculous array of negativity on topics and in ways that white candidates have not. For some doubtful white voters, it may have seemed normal or easily dismissed, but for blacks it was a painful reminder of their history and their own experiences running into barriers in this country (as I can tell many female Hillary supporters felt the same way about her treatment during this race, at least from the comments on DU).

On top of that, the later Clinton camp and media emphasis on how many black votes Obama has and how he can't connect with white voters, is really perceived as a direct insult to black voters and the value of their participation in the political process (and by extension, this country). Simultaneously, this argument is also seen as using the idea of a "scary" monolithic mass of black people as an attempt to strike fear and doubt in the hearts of more susceptible white voters, which is extremely offensive and painful. Doubly so, coming from the Democratic party.

I posted some statistics the other day. White Democratic Presidents have enjoyed 80%+ of the black vote in all recent General Elections and that huge support has never been questioned until now that we have a black candidate in the running. Many blacks are life-long Democrats and many were long-time, loyal Clinton supporters since the early days of Bill's Presidency. Hillary had the majority of black support going into this Primary season. Yes, Obama won some of them over by demonstrating that he was a legitimate candidate with early wins and appealing to them as a candidate who was more in-touch and could make a better leader. On the other side of the coin, Hillary's campaign has offended and alienated even more black voters and pushed them away. Understand that many long-time Clinton supporters feel heartbroken and deeply, personally betrayed by the choices of tone and tactics Hillary made in her campaign. For many, it seemed to contradict what they remembered of Bill and the good things the Clintons used to stand for.

This race isn't about who is the bigger victim out of two groups that have gotten the short end of the stick from society and history. In the end, it's about who will be the better choice to lead this country. As you know, there many factors involved in each voter's personal decision. Judging Hillary on an equal basis and choosing otherwise is showing her as much respect and validity as any other candidate.


The ugly racism and sexism does exist on both sides. I have tried to give you some insight into the emotions behind the offhand offensive comments you may have seen. I hope you might find yourself in a situation where you can actually open a dialog with people in person. Inevitably, you will probably find that you have more in common than not. Everyone is worried about jobs, their children and families, Iraq, health care, education and gas prices, regardless of sex, race, color, age or even party affiliation. That's why so many people want to see a Democrat in office, no matter which candidate they prefer.

Progress isn't easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. Out of this painful campaign season, a wonderful positive aspect has emerged, that shows America is finally ready to start moving forward and elect leaders based on their leadership and message rather than their sex, race or background. No one can argue that Hillary's support in this race was anything other than massive and historic.

I personally feel that there may have been a different outcome to this race if Hillary had chosen to go in a different direction with her campaign after Super Tuesday.

[paulk]

30. the problem is - what Hillary is saying is true

we've gotten to this place where pointing out the truth - that Obama is a black man and that is having an effect on this race - is defined as racism. If you look for racism hard enough you will find it in everything. And I really think that this constant playing of the race card by Obama supporters, while it helps him now, especially among liberal white voters, is going to hurt him by creating a backlash among not so liberal white voters in the GE if he is the nominee.

I would post more, but I have business to attend to. Thanks for taking the time to have a real discussion, which is a rarity on DU anymore.

[FlaGranny]

35. Perhaps if Clinton

would stop pointing out the racial differences, those differences would not be so divisive. I've seen very few posts pointing out the other difference - that Hillary is a woman, reminding people that maybe the country isn't ready for a woman. Hillary is a white woman. It has nothing to do with her campaign or how good a president she would make. Barack is a black man and it also has nothing to do with his campaign or whether he would make a good president. Every time Hillary mentions this white vote, "hard working white worker" thing it will drive a wedge, deeper and deeper every time. It implies subtly that only white workers are hard workers. I don't hear Obama mentioning such things as race and gender unless he is forced to by a questioner. When he answers the questions then Hillary's supporters accuse him of playing the race card. These are things he just does not think are relevant. People who believe they are relevant, well, you have to wonder about that.

Edit: Further, gender OR race could ONLY be considered relevant by the prejudiced, whether they're aware of it or not.

[IsItJustMe]

33. I also believe that there would have been a different outcome. If Hillary had not played to the

worst in us, I believe she would be winning right now. People are seeing through it, and it has gotten the best of her.

[EFerrari]

18. No, he hasn't run a divisive campaign. That's the Faux maneuver.

There hasn't been racism on both sides.

Both sides are not equally guilty. The Obama campaign has not tried to marginalize Clinton as a boutique candidate. And for you to blame him for her divisiveness is just dishonest.

[Bullet1987]

31. I agree...to say Obama has run anything close to as divisive

and poisonous of a campaign as Hillary Clinton is simply being full of it.

[sandnsea]

22. Paul, please

Are you really the same person who backed Senator Kerry with such decency and enthusiasm? You are just repeating brain-dead talking points here. Did I ever know you, or have you been a mole all along?

[roguevalley]

29. if they stay home, I hope they and their kids are the first drafted for

the endless wars these two wankers want. good for them! Roe v Wade? Who needs it! I HAVE A HANGER IN THE CLOSET! Helping the poor? LET THEM EAT CAKE! IF THEY CAN AFFORD IT! WHICH THEY CAN'T! Infant mortality rate due to rising poverty? FUCK IT! MORE ROOM FOR THE RICH! The environment? WHO NEEDS IT! WE DOING FINE IN THE GATED COMMUNITIES! I hope they stay home. I hope they find out there is a HUGE price for pouting, the idiotic assholes. Fuck them,

[paulk]

34. you know, back a couple of months ago

it was Obama people who were threatening to sit this one out.

I hope you posted the same thing back then

[Kittycat]

2. When she started throwing people & states under the bus, she lost.

And to insult the states AA & Activist base was likely the biggest mistake of all (next to penn of course).

[invictus]

8. K & R

[Texas Hill Country]

11. Color Of Change is a dispicable group of bullies and racists

they are the ones threatening people like Tavis Smiley and the members of the CBC

It is people like them who are causing the divisions, not the clintons.



AND STOP CALLING THE CLINTONS FRIGGIN RACISTS!!!!

[screembloodymurder]

12. Color of Change is not the issue.

Read the letter.

[rodeodance]

13. thanks. I have heard of this group---another 'great divider' group!!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

14. More on "Color of Change."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_of_change

Those dirty sons of bitches!

:rofl:

[FrenchieCat]

21. So why does Hillary Clinton feel compeled to give interview where

she chooses to discuss the fact that she can get White Votes that Obama can't? Why is she assigning color to her victory, as though these people are voting for her specificially because she's White? Why is she making that a "good" point for herself?

This is despicable coming from the Clinton camp. Selling racism as a positive for her campaign....instead of trying to do something to change it, she is capitalizing on it.

She's worse than a racist, she is an instigator of racial prejudice.

[goclark]

26. yes to your post

[sandnsea]

24. I've received their emails for a long time

No, they are not bullies and racists - any more than the woman's groups who badgered the media were bullies and sexists.

[dionysus]

28. the clintons are racist. n/t

[ampad]

15. K/R

[DemGa]

19. This is the Obama campaign's doing

We all know the accusations of "race-baiting" began in S.C. based on nothing, and increased from there.

Apparently, the Obama campaign saw this as a necessary gamble - but we'll see how that strategy play out.

[rodeodance]

32. yes, this divide is the direct outcome of the Obama camp and its surrogates playing the race card

[FlaGranny]

36. Bass ackwards again. n/t

[ShortnFiery]

23. Thanks Much! eom