A memo by Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign has surfaced that summarizes its case that Sen. Hillary Clinton’s camp is using the race issue — an issue that some believe is an authentic issue and that the Clinton camp argues is mistaken perception and political manipulation.
You can now boil down the arguments swirling in this controversy this way:
IT’S PART OF A DELIBERATE PLAN: The Clinton camp is raising the race issue repeatedly via code words and plausible deniability. Someone connected to the camp uses language that puts the issue into the news cycle. They apologize (or quit) but it is still out there. Sort of like a prosecutor who says: “Isn’t it true Mr. Schmidlap that you molested seven children? I withdraw the question!” Andrew Sullivan argues that this is part of a strategy because Obama does better when race is not an issue in the campaign.
IT’S UNFAIR TO BLAME HILLARY: She can’t control what people connected to her campaign are doing. She has stated she doesn’t want this in her campaign. These are people acting on their own and it is not part of a grand strategy.
IT’S ALL PERCEPTION: These are comments blown way out of proportion by the Obama camp, which then jumps on them and won’t let itself be questioned or criticized. Comments the Clintons make are twisted around by the Obama camp, which is adept at getting its message out through a sympathetic press.
IT’S THE OBAMA CAMP THAT’S PLAYING THE RACE CARD: It’s injecting race by subtly-playing the race card by making a controversy over statements that were not meant as they suggest and even when explanations are given, sticking to the original charges that the comments were racial. It cries foul and paints the portrait of a candidate who is above it all, when the campaign is really highly — and successfully — manipulative.
The memo was published by The Huffington Post. In some ways, it resembles a list I put in several posts detailing “coincidences” in the Clinton campaign. (Footnote: I am not in the Clinton or Obama camp. TMV never gets invited to candidate conference calls due to the fact that co-bloggers call issues as we see them and do not use this site to “support” any campaign. Our writers actually support different candidates).
The HP notes that the Obama camp is trying to capitalize on these controversies. It writes:
Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has prepared a detailed memo listing various instances in which it perceived Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign to have deliberately played the race card in the Democratic primary. [See the full memo here.]
The memo, which was obtained by the Huffington Post and has been made public elsewhere, is believed to have been given to an activist and contains mostly excerpts from different media reports. It lists the contact info and name of Obama’s South Carolina press secretary, Amaya Smith, and is broken down into five incidents in which either Clinton, her husband Bill, or campaign surrogates made comments that could be interpreted as racially insensitive.
The document provides an indication that, in private, the Obama campaign is seeking to capitalize on the view – and push the narrative – that the Clintons are using race-related issues for political leverage. In public, the Obama campaign has denied that they are trying to propagate such a perception, noting that the document never was sent to the press.
Here is the full memo:
Subject: MUST READ: Key S.C. figure takes issue with Clintons
SHUCK AND JIVE
Clinton Supporter Andrew Cuomo, Referring To Obama, Said “You Can’t Shuck And Jive At A Press Conference. All Those Moves You Can Make With The Press Don’t Work When You’re In Someone’s Living Room.” Clinton-supporting New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said the thing that’s great about New Hampshire is that you have to go out and meet people rather than “shuck and jive” through press conferences there. Cuomo said of New Hampshire on an Albany radio station: “It’s not a TV-crazed race. Frankly, you can’t buyyour way into it. You can’t shuck and jive at a press conference. All those moves you can make with the press don’t work when you’re in someone’s living room.” [Newsday, 1/11/08]
MARTIN LUTHER KING / LYNDON JOHNSON COMPARISON
Clinton, Criticizing Obama For Promising “False Hope” Said That While MLKJr. Spoke On Behalf Of Civil Rights, President Lyndon Johnson Was The One Who Got Legislation Passed: “It Took A President To Get It Done.” Clinton rejoined the running argument over hope and “false hope” in an interview in Dover this afternoon, reminding Fox’s Major Garrett that while Martin Luther
King Jr. spoke on behalf of civil rights, President Lyndon Johnson was the one who got the legislation passed. Hillary was asked about Obama’s rejoinder that there’s something vaguely un-American about dismissing hopes as false, and that it doesn’t jibe with the careers of figures like John F. Kennedy and King. “Dr. King’s dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act,” Clinton said. “It took a president to get it done.” [Politico, 1/7/08; Video]Clinton Introducer Said JFK Gave Hope, But Was Assassinated. Clinton introducer: “If you look back, some people have been comparing one of the other candidates to JFK and he was a wonderful leader, he gave us a lot of hope but he was assassinated and Lyndon Baines Johnson actually did all his work and got the republicans to pass all those measures.” [HRC, Dover, NH,
1/7/08] AUDIO ATTACHEDNELSON MANDELA
Bill Clinton Implied Hillary Clinton Is Stronger Than Nelson Mandela. “I have been blessed in my life to know some of the greatest figures of the last hundred years. […] I go to Nelson Mandela’s birthday party every year and we’re still very close. […] But if you said to me, ‘You’ve got one last job for your country but it’s hazardous and you may not get out with life and limb intact and you have to do it alone except I’ll let you take one other person, and I had to pick one person whom I knew who would never blink, who would never turn back, who would make great decisions […] I would pick Hillary.'” [ABC News, 1/7/08; Audio]
DRUG USE
Clinton’s NH Campaign Chair Raised The Youthful Drug Use Of Obama And Said It Would “Open The Door To Further Queries On The Matter.” Clinton’s Campaign Issued A Statement Distancing Themselves From Shaheen’s Comments And Shaheen Issued A Statement Saying That He “Deeply Regret[s] The Comments.” The Democratic presidential race took on a decidedly nasty and personal turn, with the New Hampshire co-chair for Clinton, raising the youthful drug use of Obama. Shaheen said Obama’s having been so open — as opposed to then-Gov. George W. Bush, who refused to detail his past drug use during his 2000 presidential campaign — will “open the door to further queries on the matter. It’ll be, ‘When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'” Shaheen said. “There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It’s hard to overcome.” By the end of the day, Clinton campaign spokesman Phil Singer had issued a statement asserting that “these comments were not authorized or condoned by the campaign in any way.” And Shaheen himself issued a statement: “I deeply regret the comments I made today and they were not authorized by the campaign in any way.” [ABC News, 12/12/07]
Mark Penn, In Trying To Defend His Campaign Over Bill Shaheen’s Obama Drug Use Comments, Used The Word “Cocaine,” Drawing A Rebuke From Edwards Adviser Joe Trippi. Mark Penn, defending the Clinton campaign in light of Bill Shaheen’s comments about Obama’s drug use, repeatedly referenced Obama’s cocaine use. Edwards adviser Joe Trippi accused Penn of dropping the word “cocaine” deliberately. Mark Penn said “Well, I think we have made clear that the — the issue related to cocaine use is not something that the campaign was in any way raising. And I think that has been made clear. I think this kindergarten thing was a joke after Senator.” Joe Trippi responded and said “I think he just did it again. He just did it again. …
This guy’s been filibustering on this. He just said cocaine again.”
[Politico, 12/13/07; Video]FAIRY TALE
Donna Brazile Lashed Into Bill Clinton For Comparing Obama To A “Fairy Tale” And Said “It’s An Insult… As An African-American” And That His Tone And Words Are “Very Depressing.” Donna Brazile lit into Bill Clinton over his insulting comments of Obama, where he called him a “fairy tale” and said “I could understand his frustration at this moment. But, look, he shouldn’t take out all his pain on Barack Obama. It’s time that they regroup. Figure out what Hillary needs to do to get her campaign back on track. It sounds like sour grapes coming from the former commander in chief. Someone that many Democrats hold in high esteem. For him to go after Obama, using a fairy tale, calling him as he did last week. It’s an insult. And I will tell you,
as an African-American, I find his tone and his words to be very depressing. .. I think his tone, I think calling Barack Obama a kid, he is a UnitedStates senator.” [Politico, 1/8/08]Amaya Smith
South Carolina Press Secretary
Obama for America
And here’s my list on coincidences, as published in a post this weekend:
FOOTNOTE: I’m an independent voter registered here in CA. I just got my absentee ballot. I can and will vote in the Democratic primary. I want to see elections that are UNFETTERED by coincidences such as:
–The possibility that members of a union that endorsed Obama may not be able to vote or be in any way hampered from voting their choice by a group that has Clinton supporters.
–The unnamed Clinton camp member who suggested to a reporter people who vote for Obama do so because they want a cool black friend but if they vote for Hillary, they’re voting for change. The official should be fired by Ms. Clinton. If a Republican said that to a reporter, he/she would accused of playing the race card.
–Senator Bob Kerrey, saying later he was only trying to compliment Obama, raising repeatedly Obama’s Muslim ties. With friends like these….
–The “shuck and jive” comment later explained as not referring to Obama by New York’s Andrew Cuomo (explained well).
–The attempt to get reporters to write more about Obama’s admitted early drug use. The official resigned, but the story was shoved into the news cycle and even the resignation stories got what the official wanted into the news cycle.
–Comments former President Bill Clinton had to apologize for as he faces a backlash from some blacks. Bill Clinton has an excellent record in terms of the black community. But by raising this and then denying it, the issue of race is again injected into the campaign. Aren’t there enough ISSUES around for Hillary and Barack (and Bill) to discuss? Some wonder if there is an actual racial strategy at play here.
PS: Posts by several TMV writers recently have been critical of the Clinton campaign. This sparked SEVERAL angry emails yesterday. TMV writers put their posts up as they write them. We pointed out to critics that TMV was accused last year by readers in emails of shilling for Ms. Clinton. The Clinton campaign ran ads on this site. TMV does not do posts to promote or undermine any candidate. TMV will not endorse a candidate in the election. We all do posts that call ’em as we see them based on unfolding events.
SOME OTHER WEBLOG OPINION (these are excerpts so please go to the links):
—Tom Watson defends the Clinton camp and must be READ IN FULL. Part of it:
Does Arianna Huffington really want to be the fourth horseman of that posse of wild-eyed pundits fearing the Hillary Clinton apocalypse? To put it another way, does Arianna really want to play Ringo to Chris Matthews, Maureen Dowd, and Andrew Sullivan – three prominent voices who can’t say the word “Hillary” without sending a river of froth from their own lips, whose rancid anti-feminism and personal hatred for the New York Senator is fully on view in every segment, every column, every blog post?
Huffington comes late to her liberalism, but she has created a juggernaut in her star-studded Huffington Post, a brilliant Tom Sawyerish paint-my-fence media play that has added a site of real substance to the media polity. But she clearly risks her own reputation – and perhaps the future of her business – by lighting out so fiercely after a single candidate that so many of her readers support, and courting the kind of backlash that washes over Matthews, Dowd, and Sullivan.
My big question is, does this mean if Obama gets elected no one can ever use the words “fairy tale” again, or any other words that might suggest he doesn’t know what he’s doing or what he’s talking about or that he might be full of it, because that might be perceived as racially insensitive? That’s a pretty serious issue, regardless of Obama’s politics, if political speech is going to be curtailed about something as important as the performance in office of the president of the United States, because someone’s feelings might get hurt. I’m guessing anything remotely resembling any of the delightful remarks about Chimpy’s appearance, intelligence, preparedness for office and performance in the last seven years would pretty much be out.
—John Cole’s post needs to be read in full. He feels Obama’s camp is indeed manipulative. A tiny taste 4 U:
In the comments yesterday, someone claimed Bill Clinton dismissing Obama as a “kid” was racist. “Why not just call him boy,” the commenter asked? If we are now to the point where snidely and dismissively calling someone a “kid” can be transmogrified into “boy” which is code for “nigger,” then anything and everything you say is now racist. And that is a level of absurdity this campaign does not need.
Do people REALLY think Andrew Cuomo is racist? Or Bill and Hillary Clinton? Really? Seriously? Are the Obama supporters really claiming that “fairy tale” is the new dogwhistle to lure southern voters? Really? Seriously?
And no, this does not mean I dislike Obama. It does not mean I will not support him. I just think he is getting a free ride, and I think his campaign is no different from anyone elses while pretending to be above it all. It is [B.S]. And before you claim I have an Obama obsession, it is primary season. What else do you want me to talk about?
—Michelle Malkin has an excellent roundup-style post with links about various aspects of this controversy.
After a while, a pattern starts to develop, and with Hillary, the pattern is not only developed, but set in stone. I will grant her some leeway; the “fairytale” remark was probably stretched a bit thin, on the other hand, “shuck and jive” was probably not the best choice of words. Whatever the case, let’s make no mistake, the Clinton campaign has chosen to wage this war not on the field of ideas, but in the hip deep eddies of a swamp, and few people are being fooled.
Still, it does leave the focus of her ire in a precarious position. Some things Obama can afford to let slide, but at some point he has to hit back, or else he’s going to lose support from people who want to see a president with some fight in him. In this regard, the mudslinging of presidential politics has at least the benefit of toughening up skin.
It’s political war. If you think the Republicans will do any less you are mistaken. If you write about politics and are aghast at what Johnson might have meant you shouldn’t be in this business because you’re simply too naive to be trusted. But again, paint me amazed. To think this wasn’t going to come up boggles the mind. Considering Obama’s camp was calling the Clintons racist, what did he think supporters of hers in the black community would do in response? Is it right? This is politics. People have a right to be incensed, but that’s assuming Johnson didn’t mean what he said he meant, though I always thought it was 50-50. But even if he did, so what? Obama’s proven himself through the life he has led and what he has achieved, but he doesn’t get to whitewash the rest as he attacks others, expecting nuggets of his past not to be used in rhetorical volleys. The rest is all a political game of gotcha, with the flip side indignation. Again, paint me amazed, because I can’t say color me amazed because that would be racist.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.