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Republicans Issue Press Release Using Clinton’s Words Against Obama Against Obama

June 7th, 2008
By JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief


Tim Russert on MSNBC just held up a three-page list of Senator Hillary Clinton’s primary comments against Democratic presumptive nominee Senator Barack Obama — distributed minutes before Clinton is expected to concede the race and endorse Obama.

It’s now being circulated as well online. Fox Business News is putting out the full press release, which made the front-page of Google News.

Here’s what the RNC is putting out.

And this is only the written statements. Prediction: Republican campaign ads will be featuring a lot of snippets of Clinton comments both to use them against Obama and also appeal to former Clinton voters to support presumptive GOP nominee Senator John McCain. The full-court press to win over Clinton’s disappointed voters is already on — witness recent comments by McCain and one of his most active supporters, Connecticut Independent Democrat Senator Joe Lieberman.



This entry was posted on Saturday, June 7th, 2008 at 9:19 am and is filed under Tim Russert, Elections, Newsweek Blogitics, Primaries, Negative Campaigning, John McCain, Barack Obama, Cable Talk Shows, 2008 Elections, Democrats, Republicans, Hillary Clinton, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 9 Comments

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    With Sen. Clinton's conceding, victory for the Democratic Party in November is a pipedream. "Unity" to win the election is a hopeless cause.

    Sen. Clinton was the only winning choice; she was the best qualified and the strongest candidate to defeat John McCain and win the general election in a landslide victory hands down.
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    I think with Clinton fully behind Obama now, these talking points coming out of the Republicans will have little effect, in fact hardly any. The only people it will convince are those who will always vote republican or those who have already dug in their heels and will refuse to vote Obama. Nothing can be stronger than tying McCain to Bush, so I think his boat, as that of the Republicans is sunk, no matter what. And as long as bad news about the economy continues, and gas prices continue to rise, the republicans have absolutely no hope.

    The Democratic Party is now united despite the media narrative of a disunited party that has lasted for months. The people of this nation are energized, and the majority are energized against republican rule and mismanagement.
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    Can we just give people some time to adjust?

    No sooner has today's baby been born than the fight over his/her retirement begins.
    I'd like to take a moment to think about the baby and his first steps, instead.
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    The RNC has started a dirty and stupid game.

    I'm sure there is a reservoir of statements by other GOP members from past primary campaigns against McCain, not to mention the magnetic Limbaugh center of wisdom.

    Are we really going to go there?
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    "The RNC has started a dirty and stupid game."

    So, it is now 'dirty' to use actual statements (made recently, not in' past primary campaigns')? I guess soon the rule will be any criticism of Obama is dirty.
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    Policywise there was never any difference between Obama and Clinton- their voting records are almost identical. Any statements that she made were political in nature. No thinking American voter would use Mitt Romney's criticisms of McCain against him would they?
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    AR,
    RE:"."So, it is now 'dirty' to use actual statements (made recently, not in' past primary campaigns')? "

    No,and yes and depends.
    In theory it's legitimate, but in practice, it usually degenrates to dirty, and it's the same no matter which side does it. . I'm just sorry that the games have aleady begun.

    My biggest objection is that usually statements are clipped out of their context.
    An example, a mild one, is when a politician responds very briefly to a reporter's question, but the question is clipped off, and the brief reply comes off as a major policy statement,. It's not falsification, but it is distortion.

    In addition to recent statements, there seems to be a frenzied search through archives in search of a phrase,, or even just a word, that can be lifted out and used as a cudgel.

    If and when it's done on a principled llevel, I applaud it. It so seldom is, however.
    So much of it ends up being a game of 'gotcha' and distortion.
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    Runi - I agree that doing that is dirty, and is one of my least favorite aspects of politics.

    But did any of the statements released yesterday strike you as having been clipped out of context? From my point of view (admittedly biased), I didn't get that sense, hence my post.

    So, I am curious as to whether you feel that was done this time, which is what your comment was about, this release.

    Thanks.
    • ^
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    AR-

    First off, bear in mind that I don't like politics in general the way its practiced.
    I wasn't so much lamenting the RNC release in particular. ; I was lamenting the beginning of what I foresee to be tit-for-toat video clip, no context, warfare. I'm sure there are archives of what McCain said about Romney and vice-versa, and now Romney is mentioned as a possible running mate.

    It really begins with the nature of our politics. Things are said, almost anything is said, to discredit the opponent, regardless of how much this really relfects what is true about the targeted.

    Rezko did some fundraising for Obama.
    McCain's campaign was heavily staffed by lobbyistis.

    Does either 'fact' really define these men?
    Some 'true' things can also be false, or heavily misleading.
    Will the RNC now release the positive things Hillary said about Obama in her concession speech, for the sake of context?

    It's just all too much tacttics and gamesmanship for my taste. It always has been,
    Sometimes I get drawn in, too, I admit, but I do try to keep my head above water.,

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