*Hey, someone’s bound to call it that of they haven’t already: I am just getting the jump on the bandwagon.
I am genuinely bemused by the "outrage" (or display of it) in the media and elsewhere over the dressed-Obama photo and the current dearth of denials. How on earth can the Clinton campaign deny it? It’s certainly conceivable that some Hillary supporter, somewhere, circulated it.
How could Hillary validly deny it unless she checked with every single person connected to her campaign?
If she did deny it, and it later developed that someone in the campaign had circulated the photo, she’d be accused of lying to cover up the campaign’s involvement.
I understand that the photo would get Drudge readers excited. But I’m a Democrat, and all I could think was, "So?"
First, I know Obama’s not a Muslim. Second— and here’s controversial for you—-I wouldn’t care if he were, because I don’t believe all Muslims are terrorists or hate America. I can’t imagine that any Democrat thinks this.
Consider Clinton campaign spokesperson Maggie Williams’ statement:
"Enough.
“If Barack Obama’s campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him [BELOW THE FOLD] wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely.
“This is nothing more than an obvious and transparent attempt to distract from the serious issues confronting our country today and to attempt to create the very divisions they claim to decry.
“We will not be distracted.” (Quoted in No Quarter)
Distraction is exactly what resulted. In reality of course, the people who are now whipped into a froth of "outrage" couldn’t be more gleeful.
The media hardly mentioned Clinton’s foreign policy speech (yesterday), despite the importance of foreign policy to the presidency.
Also yesterday, Clinton got an endorsement from Army Major General Antonio Taguba: now she has endorsements from 27 "flag rank military officers" (and 2000 veterans). That sounds like news to me, but the Obama-besotted media barely covered it.
Back to the photo: here’s one possible reason why some Hillary supporter, somewhere—albeit, someone who hasn’t been paying close attention—might have decided that circulating the photograph would be a good thing.
In Texas, where there is an open primary, ‘Republicans for Obama‘ seems pretty intent on not having ‘another Clinton in the White House.’ Perhaps an overzealous Hillary supporter in Texas circulated the photograph on the theory that Republicans might be turned off by it. It’s also possible that it came from attentive Republicans who are finally starting to worry about what an Obama presidency would mean or from the Obama camp. Who the hell knows?
If it the photo did come from someone directly connected to the Clinton campaign, it was a stupid move. Anyone who hasbeen following the campaign and has a grain of media savvy would know in advance exactly how such a gesture would be construed: against Hillary.
After a perfectly benign statement about MLK got turned into a "racially insensitive" comment, no one directly connected with Hillary could possibly think that circulating the photograph would do anything but create a backlash among Democrats and give volume to the chorus of anti-Hillary cackling.
And so I’m torn between my annoyance over the circulation of the photo and my annoyance at the input of Clinton-hating Republicans picking the Democratic nominee on the highly rational ground that he’s not Hillary Clinton.
Though no matter what her campaign or those connected to it might say or do, I am increasingly convinced she’d still make the better commander-in-chief. And that’s one unshakable reason for me to support her. There are a host of others, but that’s one that no one has so far successfully disputed. And the more time goes by, the more I’m at peace with my support for Hillary (which is only growing stronger with reports that her chances are gone).
Finally, shut up, Dana Milbank. (See Memeorandum here).
Cross Posted at Buck Naked Politics.
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