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David Gergen challenges Hillary to denounce racist votes

culturekitchen.com — Gergen makes an excellent point: She's raised the issue of sexism in this race and she's complained some about it the in the last 24 hours? Race is playing ... it's an increasing issue. That raises the question in my judgment, whether she shouldn't say, "You know, if you don't want to vote against him because he's black, then I don't want your vote

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  • dotlizard, on 05/21/2008, -11/+83hmm i wonder if the transcription of that quote is a bit off. anyway what he MEANT and i am sure of it is, "if you don't want to vote for him because he's black, then I don't want your vote".

    and that's exactly the stand that the Clintons should be taking rather than running around saying how electable she is b/c the white people love her so much. ugh.
    • stonewaljacksn, on 05/21/2008, -18/+5who the hell is gergen and why does he matter? id be interested in knowing but the ***** site using anti-hillary stuff to get hits from digg isnt loadin.
      buried.
      • conmulligan, on 05/21/2008, -3/+8Former adviser to Bill Clinton and a pundit on CNN. He's known Hillary for years, so he's not just another talking head.
      • RebeL5K, on 05/21/2008, -1/+4David Gergen is a famed senior Presidential advisor who worked at the highest levels of the 5 president's prior to Bush W.
    • kreneskyp, on 05/21/2008, -3/+2i was watching cnn last night and thats certainly what he meant. i can't recall if thats exactly how he said it though. I understood what he was getting at so i didnt critique his choice of words
    • RX9735, on 05/21/2008, -3/+8Is Obama going do the same and say "if you are voting for me because I am black, I don't want your vote."? Seems only fair since racism runs both ways.
    • jabberwolf, on 05/21/2008, -7/+1092% of black men voted for Obama in PA
      90 % of blacks for Obama in North Carolina
      90% of blacks voted for Obama in Kentucky.

      No other race voted for their own race more so that blacks...
      That's blatant racism = they should be thrown out right?
      Or is racism acceptable because they are black?
      Voting and bigoted preachers are exempt I guess.
      • bignerd, on 05/22/2008, -6/+10So for the last 200 year I guess all white people are racist b/c 100% of the voting whites have voted for a white president.... Wah?... Yeah, sounds silly doesn't it? Did 90% of the black population vote for Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton? Hell No. Maybe a big majority see a strong viable black candidate with whom they care, somewhat, relate to. Many whites do the same when they vote for a candidate... i.e., vote for someone with whom they feel a connection. Sure some blacks are racist but your statement is outrageous.
        • dexter411, on 05/22/2008, -5/+5His statement is right on and the truth hurts. States in which 90% of whites vote for Clinton are backwood hick-country, but North Carolina is a beacon of enlightenment? Double standards suck.
      • keishax, on 05/22/2008, -3/+3You are WAY off! African Americans ALWAYS! vote in huge blocs during Presidential elections. The only Democratic candidate to obtain under 90% of the electorate with Bill Clinton in 92 and 96. Gore and Kerry averaged around 90%. African Americans have been a loyal base. That is why you hear so much about how the Democrats court or count on the African American voters.
        • Kautylia, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2Yeah, in the presidential elections. That's because democrats almost always represent blacks better than Republicans. But these are two democrats, and they are overwhelmingly voting for the black candidate. It may not always be because of outright racism, but they feel more of a connection with him because of the race issue. Many whites may feel the same about Clinton. But it truly is a two-way thing.
    • Charlotte_Web, on 05/21/2008, -2/+5This is pretty stupid, the whole hysteria around denouncing voters and returning campaign funds.

      Take the money and the votes, and get elected. You're not going to please every group anyway, so don't worry about it.
      • VinceNoir, on 05/22/2008, -3/+2Says the disgusting ***** ***** who apparently believes in blatant opportunism. What next, are you going to admit you love Ayn Rand too?
  • liza, on 05/21/2008, -8/+10the post is updated with the actual transcript.
    i have to re-edit the entry to strike out my horrible transcription job, lol!
  • foggygurl, on 05/21/2008, -9/+3That's what I thought when I read it too. Or maybe he does mean to say she's acting racist?? Nah.
  • mnemy, on 05/21/2008, -6/+17I guess taking the high road might help her a little now, but it's really too late. We all know she'd just be saying that for political reasons. The truth is, you just can't trust anything she says to be the way she actually thinks.
  • itzdiceman, on 05/21/2008, -46/+47Ahh, the racist double standard.

    Clinton is expected to decline votes she's gotten because Obama is black.

    But Obama isn't expected to decline votes he's gotten because he's black. You'll never hear Obama say anything about the 90-10 black vote that goes in his favor in 60-40 lost states.
    • blackbeardtron, on 05/21/2008, -10/+56Obama doesn't go around bragging about his "working class black" voting base, and being critical of Hillary for not being able to secure those votes. Therein lies the difference, my friend.
      • dan.stryker, on 05/21/2008, -30/+12No but his pastor of 20 years says whitey is evil and god dam america. Those statements are not racist though, right?
        • TheThirdLevel, on 05/21/2008, -2/+17Is his pastor now his campaign manager or something?
        • ehalasey, on 05/21/2008, -2/+2Baaaaaaaaaaaa.
        • Eezyville, on 05/21/2008, -2/+14I didn't know his pastor was running for president?
        • petebot, on 05/21/2008, -2/+11Way to change the subject Stryker.
        • jamesfaction, on 05/22/2008, -2/+4Where the heck did his pastor actually say "whitey is evil"? He didn't. I don't think he said anything that didn't need to be said.

          Even given that, Obama has still distanced himself from those comments.

          Stop your hate speech.
      • PhoenixAvatar2, on 05/21/2008, -6/+15So you think Obama was lying through his teeth when he said he denounced everything Wright said? You can be friends with a jackass without being the jackass.
        • geneikillua, on 05/21/2008, -13/+7Would you have a jackass convert you to Christianity, marry you and your wife, baptize your two children, attend his church for 20 years, and donate tens of thousands of dollars to that jackass's church?

          I don't think Obama's a racist or anti-American at all, but this certainly does call into question his judgment. That's probably why Obama himself said Wright is a legitimate topic.
        • Tenlow, on 05/21/2008, -2/+7I think the important thing here to remember is that Wright is not Obama. If we're going to talk about this again, lets also talk about Hagee and McCain.

          http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?story ...

          Wright said 9/11 was caused by American foreign policy. And it was. There is no way you can misconstrue that statement to be false. Hagee said Katrina happened because of gays, Hitler was right because he killed Jews, and is generally ***** insane. I don't think he's any more or less insane than Wright, but he's just as relevant. Either both are an issue, or neither.

          Personally I don't think someone should be held accountable for the words of someone they were once affiliated with. If we're going to hold everyone accountable for the actions of others outside of their control, you know by the transitive properties of thin air that George W. Bush is every bad thing that has ever happened in the history of man.
      • geneikillua, on 05/21/2008, -8/+4He doesn't need to because he's in a position of dominance over Clinton right now. However, you can be sure he is extremely grateful for his winning the African-American vote 90-10 over Clinton. This has pretty much handed him the candidacy.
        • ehalasey, on 05/21/2008, -2/+4Because all them dang young voters shore don't add up to nuthin'.
        • Loonatickle, on 05/21/2008, -1/+3The don't add up to enough to beat Clinton without the 90-10 split geneikillua described.
      • astronomical, on 05/21/2008, -3/+6That's irrelevant because they both got racist votes. I don't follow the logic that because Obama allegedly never stated he had 90% of black votes, the votes weren't racist thus not being a double standard.
        • hempydave, on 05/21/2008, -0/+2both black and white racists vote
          1 ) be racist
          2 ) get votes
          3 ) win
        • jamesfaction, on 05/22/2008, -4/+1Obama got racist votes?? Go look at what racism is, what it means to be racist, and the real damage has been done by racism and come back with something more relevant and thoughtful to say, please.
        • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1Apparently james thinks black people can't be racist. I wonder what definition he is using that excludes them... Must be the moronic one Al and Jackson have been spouting for years about "the oppressive majority making it impossible for black people to act racist towards whites." What a joke.
        • jamesfaction, on 05/25/2008, -0/+1I didn't say black people can't be racist. But do you see blacks treating whites as second class citizens? Pulling them over for "driving while white"? Shooting, lynching, burning? Acting out of hate and fear?

          I see all that going kinda the other way. You need to put racism in context my friend.
    • dotlizard, on 05/21/2008, -10/+31no, you DON'T hear Obama talking about how popular he is amongst African Americans. but you DO hear Hillary talking about how popular she is amongst whites. you DO hear Hillary implying this white popularity makes her more electable in the general election.

      it's a pretty huge difference there. if Obama was claiming to be more electable and the better nominee choice because of his popularity with African Americans, would you as a white person vote for him? can you blame African Americans (whose support for him was initially very low) for not wanting to vote for someone who equates popularity amongst whites with electability? really.
      • TheThirdWheel, on 05/21/2008, -6/+6Stop making excuses for the high percentage of black voters voting for Obama, if this was an election between Obama and a republican and he showed these numbers then you would have a point. The fact is he's running against a democrat who's husband has always been held in high regards by the black population and he's still pulling in 90% of the vote. People who say that he is getting all of those votes based on policy and not based on race are delusional.
        • ramunenke, on 05/21/2008, -2/+5she is not her husband. Black people always thought Bill and Monica made a better couple because she would do something strange for a piece of change. Many black people did not support Obama at first, just like people of other races, they changed over to him grudgingly not because he was black but because he seemed more like a change due to his rhetoric and his youth.
    • MotherGinSling, on 05/21/2008, -4/+36I'm not aware of any black people saying they would never vote for a white person, yet many voters in West Virginia and Kentucky said they would never vote for a black man.
      • Dibou, on 05/21/2008, -6/+7That is because the media does not go out into the black communities asking them such questions. IT IS NOT ASKED OF THEM.
        The same media bends over backwards looking for white racism.
        The simple fact that you guys pretend doesn't exist is 90%+ of blacks are voting their skin color in the DEMOCRATIC primaries.
        So many racists in the Democratic party.
        • GroundhogBoy, on 05/21/2008, -3/+10You're right, black people have never voted for white people before.
        • SpinningHead, on 05/22/2008, -2/+3Last I checked most white male democrats won elections with the black vote. Someone remind me how many black members of the senate we have...how many black presidents. That said, I'm a Hispanic male who didn't vote for Richardson. i voted for Obama.
        • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1Last I checked, not every black person in America voted in every election. Could it possibly be that some opted out because they did not want to vote for a white person? Nahhhhh, not according to the mind readers on digg.
      • dan.stryker, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1Ever heard of rev. wright?
      • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1Wow, one anecdotal example. You have completely convinced me that there are no black people who have decided to not vote because they didn't want to vote for a white person.
    • pardonmedoug, on 05/21/2008, -5/+10So if I support members of my ethnic group, that means I have to tolerate people who are bigoted against me?

      Think harder.
      • hempydave, on 05/21/2008, -1/+4only if your white.
      • jamesfaction, on 05/22/2008, -5/+4You can't make a comment like that in isolation without looking at the backdrop against which it stands. The history of racism, fear and hatred that goes back hundreds of years.

        Far too many commentators here are doing that, trying to divorce themselves from the past, the lynch mobs, the slavery, even now black men are stopped by cops for driving while black.

        It's not a level playing field, it's not an equal balance, stop treating it as such.
        • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1I thought you guys just wanted equality? I guess you seem to think that double standard = equality now?

          "Ohes noes, look at the past and then allow me to be racist while I bitch at you for doing the exact same thing I am!!!" What a ***** joke.
    • trouserslacks, on 05/21/2008, -3/+3I think, though I can't reach the article, that the issue is Clinton decrying sexism but accepting racist votes. If Clinton were to come out and say a racist voter was a lousy democrat I would be pretty impressed.. for any politician to alienate potential voters based on an ideal like that is impressive. I would expect Obama to follow suit say that a sexist voter is also a lousy democrat. If he took the initiative and did so... would you expect Clinton to come out against racist voters? I think it would be nice to see. Something tells me people are less worried about Clinton supporting a anti-male/pro-female agenda than Obama with an anti-white/pro-black agenda. I personally think that the fact issues like this have even arisen speaks volumes about the unfortunate amount of venom released by the detractors of either campaign.
    • woofers07, on 05/21/2008, -4/+5No, it's not a double standard at all actually. People aren't voting for Obama out of hate, where as some people voting for Hillary are.
      • malanic, on 05/22/2008, -2/+2I don't really think that statement holds true.
        I'm sure that there are some who are embittered about how their race has been treated in the past, and they vote accordingly. There's probably more whites who hate blacks, than there are blacks who hate whites, but then there are more whites in America than there are blacks. The proportions to their own race could very well be comparable.
        In an ideal world, race shouldn't come into it at all, but there's no denying that blacks have been treated pretty badly in America in the past, and it would be naive to suggest that there aren't any blacks who are bitter about it, and who cast their vote out of hatred.
        For the first time they have a clear cut opportunity to show their hatred by voting for a black man, and I believe that some would be doing just that. Perhaps they're just smart enough not to go blabbing about it on MSN because it would obviously harm their objectives.
      • Kautylia, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2Just because you say something doesn't mean it's true.
      • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1I'm so glad you know exactly what every single person was thinking while they cast their votes.
    • 4d669, on 05/22/2008, -3/+1So Obama has to denounce sexist voters?
      Fail logic is fail.
      • SpinningHead, on 05/22/2008, -2/+2I seem to recall Hillary forcing Obama to denounce anti-Semites (Farrakhan) on national television. I still haven't heard her tell McCain to denounce Hagee who is a bigot to nearly everyone.
    • JointVenture, on 05/22/2008, -7/+4If you looked at the Unemployment level of Urban blacks you would understand why he doesnt run around talking about the "WORKING CLASS BLACKS"
  • slightlygifted, on 05/21/2008, -20/+21pretty much every black person voted for obama and thats not racist? if 90% of all white people voted for clinton then all hell would break loose.
    • kc8ukw, on 05/21/2008, -4/+6Here here. The exit polls showed quite a racial divide among voters in Kentucky. Being the party that loves to divide people by race and gender in the name of "diversity" is finally coming back to bite the Democrats.
      • petebot, on 05/21/2008, -3/+7YEAH! They should have just had white guys running for president! I can't believe those dumbocrats!
        • kc8ukw, on 05/21/2008, -4/+3See, that's the point. You shouldn't care about their race at all. We're all human. The fact that the Republicans happen to have a white guy, and the Democrats happen not to, shouldn't matter at all. You're commiting their mistake of dividing people by race. While some of us seek a colorblind society, many liberals want race to become even more important than it already is.
    • MotherGinSling, on 05/21/2008, -4/+14I'm not aware of any black person saying they would never vote for a white person, yet ,any voters in West Virginia and Kentucky said they would never vote for a black person.
      • JointVenture, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1I hope you dems keep comments like this going, it will backfire on you.
    • centerblack, on 05/21/2008, -3/+23Not all white people voting for a white candidate are racist.
      Not all black people voting for a black candidate are racist.
      Not all men voting for a male are sexist.
      Not all women voting for a female are sexist.
      • DVision2406, on 05/21/2008, -2/+2THANK YOU!!!! FINALLY SOMEONE WITH SOME COMMON SENSE!!!!!!!!
      • stanleyford, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1"Not all white people voting for a white candidate are racist." -- No, but if all white people vote for a white candidate, then it's a pretty good sign that racism is affecting at least some of their votes, because one would expect a more even distribution otherwise.
        • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1And if all black people vote for a black candidate, then it's a pretty good sign that racism is affecting at least some of their votes because one would expect a more even distribution.

          And if all women vote for a women candidate, then it's a pretty good sign that sexism is affecting at least some of their votes because one would expect a more even distribution.

          Etc...
    • pardonmedoug, on 05/21/2008, -5/+5Supporting members of one's own ethnic group is not "racist."
      • stanleyford, on 05/21/2008, -0/+3Treating someone either favorably or unfavorably because of their race is racist.
      • JointVenture, on 05/22/2008, -2/+2unless you're white and you're honest about it.
      • SpinningHead, on 05/22/2008, -1/+4Actually it is when that's the only reason you're voting for them...and I voted for Obama. However, blacks have clearly shown they're willing to vote for white candidates. The hills of Appalachia have yet to show they can do the same.
        • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1What threshold are you using to make your conclusion? At what percent did blacks (those who do and do not vote) magically show they were willing to vote for white candidates?

          I could make up some magic threshold and equally claim whites have clearly shown they're willing to vote for legit black candidates (not the constant joke racebaiters) because over 1 million have voted for Obama. Or I could say that blacks have not proven they will vote for whites because a majority of them don't even vote. Hell, I could make the point that whites don't even support whites because more of them DONT vote than DO.
        • SpinningHead, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1In 2004, 65% of whites voted and 60% of blacks voted. That's from the census bureau.
      • carpespasm, on 05/22/2008, -1/+3Working AGAINST someone and supporting for their opponent based on race is racist. There are plenty of people who would like Obama's stand and message if he were a white man, but since he's black they "can't let them *****" win. I'm paraphrasing members of my own family with that.
    • kreneskyp, on 05/21/2008, -2/+4the problem is that 18% of the white votes claimed race was an issue and the white voters made up 90% of the voters. of that 18%, 88% voted clinton. That means she gained 14 points based on race. her lead was only 30 points. if those 14% of people voted on issues, the state would have been within reach for obama.

      without access to the raw polling data its impossible to determine what a non-white-racist outcome would look like. with it though you could use previous trends in specific demographics to figure it out roughly what could have happened.
      • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1The problem is that you took an example from one state and acted like it applied all around. Then you also failed to look at states with a large black population and see how race affected their vote. It was a nice spin on things while it lasted though.
    • poxonyou, on 05/21/2008, -3/+7CLINTON HAD MOST OF THE BLACK VOTE IN THE BEGINNING!

      They lost it after the race baiting they did in South Carolina.They've continued to do it ever since then. Not to mention the lady on Fox News, among others, who keeps saying it's racism and sexism against Hillary. Do you expect blacks to keep supporting Clinton when she, her husband, and campaign surrogates do that? Believe it or not, people can change their mind no matter what their skin color or ethnic background is. Even still, Clinton still has some prominent black supporters, like the head of the BET network.

      If the Clinton's didn't blow it in SC or after, the argument would be, if Obama was winning say, white voters in Kentucky, that something must be WRONG with Obama if white voters like him but black voters don't. After all, he looks black, so if blacks don't support him, it means he'll be unelectable in the main election. That's exactly what was being said before when most blacks supported Hillary.
      • JointVenture, on 05/22/2008, -6/+2No, she lost it because at first black voters didnt think he could win because of past candidates like Jesse.

        Now that the Republicans have fooled the democrats into believing he can win they are voting for him by 97%.

        Watching the dems crumble has never been more fun.
        • keishax, on 05/22/2008, -2/+2You have the history a little wrong. Bill and Hillary started race baiting with the Jesse Jackson comment. Then came the MLK, Jr. Anniversary and Hillary discounted MLK's accomplishments in pushing the Nation to address its civil rights problem. She dismissed MLK's work by saying that it took a President to make it happen.

          That really was the straw that broke the camel's back. The nation had lost two national heros, JFK and MLK and LBJ HAD to sign the civil rights bill even though he was against it. That didn't take courage, he HAD to show both White, Black, Asian, Jewish, and Hispanic populations that the government was listening.

          She was out of line, and black voters reminded her and Bill that they saw right through them.
    • kernel16, on 05/22/2008, -2/+5As if black democrats never voted for white candidates before, it just so happens a good black candidate happens to be on the ballet so they vote for him, its a first. Furthermore, they aren't saying that they wouldn't vote for Hillary IF she does become the nominee (fairly). What is different with the 20 or so % of the white people who are voting for Clinton in places like Kentucky is that on exit polls they said that they wouldn't vote for Obama because of his race or so says CNN.
      • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1"different with the 20 or so % of the white people who are voting for Clinton in places like Kentucky is that on exit polls they said that they wouldn't vote for Obama because of his race"

        Try taking a look at the importance of race data in states with a large black population; it will cut into that biased view you're spouting

        I'm glad you provided proof that supports this claim.

        "they aren't saying that they wouldn't vote for Hillary IF she does become the nominee"
    • SpinningHead, on 05/22/2008, -1/+3It happened in Mississippi and Appalachia and "all hell" didn't appear to break loose. Instead she talked about how strong she was with "hard working white Americans". Nationwide, you might also note that most white Democrats ARE voting for Obama. That's why these isolated areas where people admit race played a part in their vote stand out. Blacks have always voted for the best white candidate. Many of these particular people wont vote for a black man no matter what.
  • zephyear, on 05/21/2008, -6/+13finally someone points out that this whole -ism debate is a double edged sword
    • JABro, on 05/21/2008, -0/+0Hell, it's worse than a double edge sword. More like a self destruct bomb. There is absolutely no way to win that debate...not even Obama could win it. It is best to leave it alone and walk away.
  • alanr19, on 05/21/2008, -48/+10This story is inaccurate. It implies she is embracing racists which she is not.

    Obamas campaign will be all about the race card. Its all he has. "Vote for me or you're a racist" Yawn!

    ,
    • cupofjoe88, on 05/21/2008, -3/+8Right... I'm so sure he's gonna say that. Get real.
      • alanr19, on 05/21/2008, -4/+1Nope but its the kind of crap that you obamabots are spouting.
        • cupofjoe88, on 05/21/2008, -1/+1Way to generalize. I never said I was an Obama supporter.
        • GroundhogBoy, on 05/21/2008, -1/+1You just said his who campaign has been about the race card, now you're saying it's the Obamabots. I hate to tell you, but those are two completely separate groups of people.
    • dannyknight, on 05/21/2008, -1/+3Did you really just take his comment literally?
  • geneikillua, on 05/21/2008, -9/+35A substantial portion of the Democratic black community feels as if it's a betrayal to their race if you don't vote for Obama, and a substantial portion of the Democratic female community feels as if it's sexist not to vote for Clinton. These viewpoints in and of themselves are racist and sexist. I don't think Clinton or Obama has to apologize for sexist or racist voters who voted for them unless of course they specifically targeted that vote. However, what shouldn't be pussy-footed around is the fact that both sexism for and against women, and racism both for and against blacks, is being a major factor in the Democratic primaries.

    • conmulligan, on 05/21/2008, -1/+8I think Hillary Clinton should speak out against any racist support, simply because she chose to address the perceived sexism against her campaign. If you're going to denounce bigotry it should be absolute. I doubt it would even harm her support; if someone is vehemently opposed to a black candidate a repudiation by Clinton is unlikely to dent their views, and she would look much more level-headed than she does now.
    • trouserslacks, on 05/21/2008, -1/+1agreed. A strong statement denouncing such attitudes from either or both parties would win a lot of respect from me. Though it wouldn't be very prudent politically. Scolding the easily agitated, very vocal (hopefully) minority singing your praises, albeit belligerently, isn't necessarily a wise move. I am growing tired of hearing it from people though.
    • rald84, on 05/21/2008, -3/+3that is completely incorrect. if you look back at the beginning, before south carolina, for black men, it was something like 1/2 obama, 1/2 clinton, women, 1/3 obama, 2/3 clinton. obama didn't get this 90% support until after bill opened his fat mouth and both clintons started showing their real stripes.

      please do some research next time

      http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/17/poll.blacks ...

      The former first lady's strongest support among blacks came from black women, 68 percent of whom identified her as their likely choice, versus 25 percent who cited Obama, the senator from Illinois who is African-American. Video Watch Bill Schneider examine CNN poll results on black political support ยป

      Black men who are registered Democrats were nearly evenly split, with 42 percent favoring Clinton and 46 percent favoring Obama. The sampling error of that question was plus-or-minus 8 percentage points.
      • geneikillua, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1That poll is well before primary season in October of 2007, back when there was quite a bit of discussion as to whether Barack Obama was "black" enough. Many African-Americans expressed concerned that he was more like a white person and might not identify with him. Thus your poll is quite a bit bogus. Obama was pulling in huge percentages of black voters before the South Carolina event.
        • keishax, on 05/22/2008, -1/+2No, he started pulling MORE black support after African Americans saw he was embraced by Iowa. That he could create a message that would extend to White American Mid-Westerners. That was when African Americans started paying attention. Then Bill's comments, then Hillary's comments on MLK. That is when the bloc of African American votes changed.
  • jbenson2, on 05/21/2008, -22/+8The reason the O-man is having so much difficulty landing the nomination from his own party is not due to racism. It is due to his inexperience. He is not ready for Prime Time.
    • Strungout, on 05/21/2008, -1/+9This shouldn't even be a issue, since we've had presidents with little to no experience before. FDR, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson are the ones off the top of my head.
      • jbenson2, on 05/21/2008, -8/+5They were not extreme far leftist with socialism written all over them.
        • Strungout, on 05/21/2008, -1/+5I was commenting on the main argument against Obama seems to be "lack of experience"
    • 5seconds, on 05/21/2008, -2/+8Obama has more elected experience than Clinton. He has served longer as an elected official than she has.
    • 4bit, on 05/21/2008, -2/+8So, he's winning, against the Clinton Political Machine, has the inevitable candidate on the ropes, and people keep claiming he's having trouble landing the nomination?

      Seriously, he's ahead of the other candidate, if he's doing poorly, she's doing worse.
    • Stormwern, on 05/21/2008, -0/+5And the reason Hillary is having alot more dificulty? Wait, let me guess..conspiracy!
  • preludeofme, on 05/21/2008, -7/+6aww leave her alone, old hill-bags needs all the votes she can get
  • blob4000, on 05/21/2008, -12/+5Gergen is a member of the Bohemian Grove:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euHKd3VhQ48
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_grove

    I can't believe anything he says.
  • FuckXboxx, on 05/21/2008, -14/+4David Gergan is a Bohemian Grove attending tool.
    • offput, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2If I were invited to a secret club house where I could pretend a giant concrete owl was a god, I'd totally go.
  • D4M4N, on 05/21/2008, -12/+3i hate Hilary just as much as the other guy, but to be honest i think digg users are really Obamas biggest fanboys. I support obama and hope he wins, but no one is perfect and people on digg seem to ignore that and just target Mccain (who i used to have much respect for and still do a little) and Hilary (never liked)
    • kreneskyp, on 05/21/2008, -0/+3just cause we post anti clinton or anti-mccain things doesn't mean we think obama is perfect. In fact i know he is not perfect, because noone is.
  • Hetman, on 05/21/2008, -6/+4I agree she shouls do that but so should Obama. Why does Obama not go on CNN and say if you are only voting for me because I am black then I do not want your vote.
    • Dibou, on 05/21/2008, -2/+1He would lose half of his support then.
    • Balks, on 05/21/2008, -0/+2Because he's a politician and politicians don't have spines or morals. Doesn't matter what party they are from either. Just look at the tool shed we have in office right now.
  • cupofjoe88, on 05/21/2008, -5/+9I saw this on CNN, and you know.... I completely agree. She should denounce racist voting... especially with how hard she has supposedly worked on equality issues in her line of work.
  • papipablo, on 05/21/2008, -8/+10The Clintons used to be champions of civil rights. It's sad that they are now running on the redneck vote.
    • Balks, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1It's because politicians will do what ever it takes to get votes, that's the only reason she is pulling in the rednecks/hicks. Democrats are just horrible to each other.
    • cadmiumpaint, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1you can take the girl out of arkansas....
  • popstop785, on 05/21/2008, -12/+9This whole race has been on nothing but Gender and skin color. Every time I hear someone ask "why do you support so-and-so?" the response is always "I think they have great leadership skills and will bring change to the country". Hell my dog showed the new puppy how to use the doggy door to take a leak and drop a load, he has good leadership skills and brought a change to the freakin' house. People never respond with facts or real answers when they get that question. Why? because they are only educating themselves on one of two topics, what is the gender or what is the skin color.
    This is by far the most reverse sexism and racism scene I have ever seen in my life and it is deciding the fate of this country. What is that all about? The local news station did a poll on adults ages 18-25 asking them if this race is about skin color and gender or not, 68% said it was. So the majority of the young adults see it, why not the older adults?
    I have been voting since I turned 18 and I was damn proud of it. Now I think I actually may not vote this time around...I mean what is the point of a educated vote in a pile of mindless ones? I am really disappointed with this country right now. :(
    • gcraig, on 05/21/2008, -2/+1Good thoughts popstop, I totally agree. I'm not perfect but the majority of people in this country are very close minded.
    • Dibou, on 05/21/2008, -0/+3There is no such thing as "reverse sexism" or "reverse racism".
      There is just racism and sexism.
    • PolishLogic, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1"The local news station did a poll on adults ages 18-25 asking them if this race is about skin color and gender or not, 68% said it was."

      In my opinion, this stems from the fact that every story about Obama or Clinton usually has a line similar to: "is hoping to become the first ____________ President of the United States". Um, excuse me, is there anyone in this country who is voting that didn't already know this little tidbit? Do we need to have it said for the 148635489687th time?

      Sadly enough, if either one of them wins, the next black person or woman running will then be "hoping to become the second _____________ President of the United States".

      Elections stopped being about the issues, and more about shortcomings or other frivolous things like race and gender, a long time ago. Well, least as far as the coverage goes, and the coverage is something that helps shape public views.
  • fleischner, on 05/21/2008, -8/+3High-mindedness from a politician? A Democrat? A Clinton? Surely you're joking. And it goes without saying that BHO must not accept any vote from a man (of any color) who doesn't want a female president of course.
  • pintomp3, on 05/21/2008, -2/+7my supporters are racist. that's a qualification that obama simply cannot match.
    • PolishLogic, on 05/21/2008, -1/+1Ah, but when you change that sentence to "my supporters are preoccupied with the race issue", it actually fits well on all sides.
  • ed3839, on 05/21/2008, -2/+28Edwards said during one of the debates, "If you won't vote for him because he is black, or for her because she is a woman, than I don't want your vote." But then, he has a lot more class than Hilary, and isn't willing to do anything to get elected.
    • Balks, on 05/21/2008, -0/+3edwards is one of the few respectable politcians out there, well former politicians. The man gave up his seat in the senate to run for office. Did Kerry or any other politcian? ***** no. Why? because they are in it for the money and the power. I firmly believe that if you are going to run for presidency, you should be required to vacate your current position.
    • jamesfaction, on 05/22/2008, -2/+1and... Edwards has said he supports Obama. Edwards may not yet be an ex-polititian. Let's wait and see who will be Obama's running mate...
  • bradysdaman, on 05/21/2008, -8/+1I totally disagree with this point of view. If people don't want to vote for him because he is black then they have that right. Is it stupid, sure, but that doesn't mean that they should vote for Hillary, who btw in their mind they believe would be a better candidate because she is white. I don't see the problem with that and you'll never hear the Clinton's come out and say that. Stupid article. Buried.
    • Mejari, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1The article isn't talking about restricting people's right to vote, simply saying that Hillary should denounce any racism coming from her supporters. They have the right to be close-minded racist-*****, but that doesn't mean that Hillary should lovingly accept their support. It's the same reason McCain should denounce Hagee.
      • bradysdaman, on 05/21/2008, -1/+0"then I don't want your vote"

        really cuz i'm pretty sure it says well exactly what that little quote says right above this. She would be telling people not to vote. You would be a moron.

        McCain doesn't need to do that because its not his spiritual advisor, he didn't marry McCain and hell they aren't even friends. Just give up and crawl in a hole somewhere.
        • Mejari, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1Wow, you have no reading comprehension, do you?

          'I don't want' does not equal 'You cant' She wouldn't be restricting anyones right to vote, she doesn't have that power even if she wanted to. All that would be is a statement of renouncing any racially charged support.

          And if you were paying any attention you would have noticed how McCain sought out and praised Hagee and his endorsement.
  • geneikillua, on 05/21/2008, -6/+5I hereby challenge all Diggers to denounce all racist, sexist, ageist, etc. diggs dugg on behalf of their posts. If you don't, you're obviously harboring racist, sexist, ageist tendencies.
  • executorzz, on 05/21/2008, -6/+8This is absurd. Should Obama say: "if you're voting for me because I'm black, then I don't want your vote"

    Where does it end?
    • chocolatekp07, on 05/21/2008, -1/+0I didn't know that in 2008 that race and sex were still big issues!!! It doesn't seem to be ending at all.
    • winmywii, on 05/21/2008, -2/+2If this all happens then everyone who is outed by this will just support McCain because you know he wont come out and say "don't vote for me". This is just stupid. Racism is stupid, but racists still have a right to vote based on whatever the hell they want to base it on.
    • corygreenwell, on 05/21/2008, -0/+2No, but what he could say is that if you're voting for me because my competitor is a woman, I don't want your vote.

      That's all that is being asked of Hilary.

      This weekend I read a sign that said "Obama is Osama, Vote Freedom, Vote White". In my city, Obama won handedly, but lost my state terribly, largely because of the old way of thinking that I forget even still exists...and you may too....but Hilary plays on it subtly, and I also believe she should request that voters voting for her solely on the basis of her competitor's skin color not vote.
    • jabberwolf, on 05/21/2008, -3/+3He can't, he would lose !!

      92% of black men voted for Obama in PA
      90 % of blacks for Obama in North Carolina
      90% of blacks voted for Obama in Kentucky.

      Obama depends upon his own race being as race biased as possible! = RACIST
      • toastjam, on 05/21/2008, -2/+1What if the truth is somewhere in the middle? IE if Obama was white he would get 70% of the vote on merits alone... but when race becomes a factor, 50% of whites and 90% of blacks vote for him. Or maybe instead of 70% originally, 75% or 80%, etc.

        My point is that it's possible, under this confounding race factor, that he's simply the better candidate and the gap between the white and the black vote doesn't necessarily mean the blacks are as racist.

        Of course, this argument technically works both ways, but as a white guy I have not heard any convincing arguments for Hillary.
        • toastjam, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1Can someone give me a counter-argument instead of digging me down?
  • bartofdahammer, on 05/21/2008, -7/+2I haven't read the article, so maybe my comment is moot, but if she said that, then she would have absolutely no chance in winning the nomination, she would go from zero to nil.
  • arlok789, on 05/21/2008, -7/+6There is no way that Hil-Dawg is giving up votes EVER. Seriously, this woman loves votes like Scientologists love eating babies and stealing money.
  • Stormwern, on 05/21/2008, -2/+4Good try, but if anyone, let alone a polititian starts discrediting votes, they are in very dangerous territory.
  • Jebra, on 05/21/2008, -2/+10What irks me is that Obama is half black, yet apparently that one half lumps him solely with one group. What happened to his white half hmm?
    • chocolatekp07, on 05/21/2008, -0/+2I couldn't agree with you more!!!
    • Mejari, on 05/21/2008, -1/+4Yes, because racists really bother to do critical thinking like that figuring out his lineage. White racists see someone w/out pasty white skin, they hate them. They don't put any thought into it more than that. There's a reason racists tend to be uneducated.
  • RandomTidbits, on 05/21/2008, -5/+3Wait.... Kentucky is primarily white and votes for Hillary. Oh wait... Oregon's population is also primarily white as well. How does Hillary say that this election is racist? How does the race card play in this?
    • popstop785, on 05/21/2008, -1/+0Well back at the poles a some months back it was visually sexist and racist. Women on one side and blacks on the other. I kid you not. The sad part is is that the people are doing it. They are reverse racists and sexist. Sad.
    • Mejari, on 05/21/2008, -1/+1Because Obama doesn't have a race problem, he has an education problem. People who are more uneducated (WV, Kentucky) are more likely to be racist, while people who are more educated (Oregon) are less likely.
      • enzomedici, on 05/22/2008, -1/+2*****. How about the poor and uneducated that don't vote Democrat at all? That's a little
        monkey wrench in your theory there skippy.


        • Mejari, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1um... that isn't my 'theory', actually.
          Uneducated = more likely to be racist has nothing to do with which party you vote for, we're just seeing an example in the democratic primaries because a black guy is running. You let me know how a black guy does as the republican nominee, alright? also, skippy? really?
  • vexingmodstwo, on 05/21/2008, -7/+2...annnnnd I still don't care.
  • Strungout, on 05/21/2008, -2/+3Personally I think people would have less of a problem voting for a black man then they would voting a woman into office. It's disgusting that race and sex would even be a issue today.
    • winmywii, on 05/21/2008, -0/+3Uninformed people have to use something to make a decision. I support Obama, but I heard someone say they would never vote for Hillary because she's ugly and I wanted to punch then in the freaking face. People don't vote based on real issues, this is why we are int he situation we are in. Average Americans are completely ignorant to politics. I don't know anywhere near enough about it and I know 90% more than a majority of voters.
  • pkulak, on 05/21/2008, -1/+2No idea if this was just a transcript or not since the site is hosed, but here's the video, if it's what I think it is:

    http://pkulak.com/articles/76
  • mikestone1783, on 05/21/2008, -2/+4Gergen speaking about race on CNN.

    http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/05/ ...
  • popstop785, on 05/21/2008, -6/+1Throughout history every president has been called by their last name, father and son. Why is it people tend to call Hilary Clinton, 'Hilary' instead of 'Clinton'? Because she is a woman or what?
    • pkulak, on 05/21/2008, -1/+6Maybe because all her damn campaign signs have only "Hillary" splashed across them in huge font?
      • popstop785, on 05/21/2008, -2/+0Yeah, that is my point. But why?
        • Mejari, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1Ask her, she's the one that prints them up. Maybe because a lot of people in this country have bad memory's associated with the name Clinton? Oh, and she's not the president.
    • baldr, on 05/21/2008, -0/+4because that is her political strategy to make herself more likable and differentiate herself from bill. Go look at her website for proof that it is what she wants to be called.
  • stix213, on 05/21/2008, -8/+11Like Obama's 90+% of the black vote in North Carolina was all because they like Obama because of his stance on the issues.... Had nothing to do with his skin color.....

    Why is voting against someone because of race being racist, but voting for someone - in even higher percentages - because of race not considered racist?
    • pkulak, on 05/21/2008, -3/+4So why did Hillary have the majority of the black support until December? I remember all the networks saying Obama didn't have a chance because he didn't even have the black vote. I think he has the back vote now because they got to know him and a black person is not very likely to refuse to vote for a black man just because he's black.
      • stix213, on 05/21/2008, -2/+6Because no one, including black voters, thought Obama had a chance back then. Then when the tide turned and it turns out Clinton wasn't invincible and Obama at least had a shot, 90+% of the black vote went along racial lines.

        Yeah all of North Carolina just suddenly got to know him... Maybe the 60+% of whites in West Virginia just suddenly got to know Obama too? Which is why they voted against him? Ohhh I forgot.... Whitey is racist and blacks are victims.... my bad
      • utahnkid, on 05/21/2008, -0/+4Come on man, would you really make the argument that none of the black votes for Obama are because he's black? That's not even KIND of realistic. Ignorance must be bliss
    • matadata, on 05/22/2008, -1/+1I can't tell if you guys who keep whining about the white vs. black race-voting double standard are trying to justify your own racist voting or just pointing out the obvious.

      Yes, whether you're black or white, voting for someone based on their skin color (or gender, for that matter) is morally reprehensible and irresponsible. However, you're just moving the goal post to argue that there is racism on both sides of the aisle, or about which side is more racist . The extent to which racism still exists in this country is embarrassing, and you're not helping.
      • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1Sometimes you must point out the obvious to show those who need glasses.

        Would you have us sit here ignoring the one sided nonsense spewed by people who think blacks can't be racist and/or claim there is some stupid justification for double standards? You want us to sit around while they make these claims under the guise of "seeking equality"?

        Thanks, but no thanks maradata.
  • cacique83, on 05/21/2008, -3/+2Is it possible to put this problem aside?
    • popstop785, on 05/21/2008, -1/+0When they both announced they were running they started they problem.
      Yeah I said THEY. Both the female and the 1/2 black male. If they didn't know this would happen from day one then they are f-ing retarded and should drop out now.
  • gcraig, on 05/21/2008, -6/+2I just have a quick question. People do realize Hillary Clinton is crazy, right?
    I have a very good friend who was in the Marines during the early 90's when Clinton was elected. He was telling me how Hillary would come around to the base where he was stationed every once in awhile and act very rude. He said that she would curse like a sailor and spout off orders basically just yelling at everyone, including her secret service guys who also told my buddy that she would often talk down to other people. This is not made up, this guy would not lie to me and I'm pretty sure this is widely known by military personnel enlisted during that time. If you are a clinton supporter, that's fine. I just thought you should.
  • unpolloloco, on 05/21/2008, -3/+2There's racism and sexism playing into both of their campaigns, in both directions. It's bad, but we can't do anything about it. Get over it.
    • popstop785, on 05/21/2008, -0/+0I know right, we are having financial problems as a country and people are still worried about Race and Sex. How sad is that?
      • unpolloloco, on 05/21/2008, -0/+1Never said anything about not dealing with race/sex issues as a country/long term - I'm just talking about this election
        That said, financial issues are way more important than talking about race/sex - right now, we're on a path to drive the country absolutely bankrupt, in which case, race/sex won't matter after China buys the entirety of the US. I know I could care less whether my dictator is black or white, male or female.
  • thatguy11, on 05/21/2008, -6/+1Challenge Obama to say the same about voting for a Woman.....
    Ohh wait, we're not trying to even the field here... I keep forgetting..


    Fanboy, its just another form of cancer.
  • cgrado, on 05/21/2008, -5/+4And if you want to vote for him BECAUSE he's black, i don't want your vote either.
  • ecarver530, on 05/21/2008, -6/+4why is she responsible for the racism of others? And as cgrado said, 90% of blacks are voting for him, and I doubt his race has NOTHING to do with it. Should he denounce those as well?
  • kalvinb, on 05/21/2008, -5/+9According to CNN exit polls:

    Obama won the male vote in 23 races. Hillary won it in 9. They split 50/50 in one.
    Obama won the female vote in 13 races. Hillary won it in 20

    Obama won more than 70% of the black vote 22 times. Hillary never did.
    Obama won more tha 70% of the white vote 2 times. Hillary got more than 70% of the vote 6 times.

    Why isn't Obama speaking out against men who vote for him because he's a man and blacks who vote for him because he's black?

    Why is the media obsessed with the women's vote when the male vote is siding much more with Barack than the female vote is siding with Hillary?

    He's won the
  • macslut, on 05/21/2008, -6/+2Hillary WHO? WTF, it's May 21. Move on people.
  • larryjr88, on 05/21/2008, -6/+1It shouldn't be hard for her considering how great her lying skills are.
  • The_Red_Monkey, on 05/21/2008, -4/+6I she has to denounce the votes then why don't we ask Obama to denounce racist votes. 92% of blacks have voted for Obama. No other candidate has carried that much of any race. So where is the racism in this race?

    This is all stupid. Who cares who votes for what reason. If they vote for her because they are racist that is their right to do so. If black vote for the first viable black candidate because he is black then who cares, more power to them. If I vote for McCain because I am a fiscal conservative who cares. Your vote is yours to cast for whatever reason you want.

    Fear mongering, race bating, gender bating needs to stop. The Democrats are only hurting their own party with this crap.
  • 9bpm9, on 05/21/2008, -4/+3What ***** idiot would come out and say that? Buried for stupidity.
  • bronxelf, on 05/21/2008, -4/+2While I appreciate the point the article strives to make, I fail to see how it *matters*. It's all talking head fodder. I am by no means a Clinton supporter in this race, but I see NO reason why Senator Clinton would or even *should* say such a thing- in politics, especially at *this point* in a race, you don't go out of your way to alienate those who are willing to vote for you, even if they're morons, and second, because as macslut said above me- "Hillary who?" Folks, it doesn't MATTER what she says or doesn't say. It's over. Other than as a talking point for someone on tv, what she says about *anything* right now is largely irrelevant.
    • jamesfaction, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1wrong. It's what it would do for people who would appreciate her saying that. Also as they said she still has plenty of political career ahead of her. Even as a losing nominee what she says and does now will impact on her career in future.

      I think it would be an excellent move for her to take the high ground at this point. Not nearly as good a move as it would have been a couple of months ago though.
      • bronxelf, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1I guess it comes down to how much political career she really has left after he behavior in this race. If you think she really has something strong and viable, then it matters. If you don't, then it doesn't.

        The longer she waits (and my guess is you'll be waiting forever) for her to "take the high road" the more damage she does to herself. I doubt she will ever say such a thing. It's simply not part of how she runs her railroad, so to speak. Since she is under the delusion that she can in fact win the nomination she has no reason to alienate people who are planning on voting for her in this race and therefore won't make that statement.
  • mrogi, on 05/21/2008, -8/+4"If you vote against Obama just because he is black, Muslim, anti-Semitic, sexist and anti-American; I don't want your vote" - Hillary Clinton
    • Chassit, on 05/21/2008, -1/+1Care to cite your source?
    • jamesfaction, on 05/22/2008, -0/+2lol. He's not Muslim, anti-Semitic, sexist or anti American. I see what you did there.
    • jameskong15, on 05/22/2008, -0/+1I appriciate the humor here; at least I hope you were trying to be funny with that one.
  • jp12380, on 05/21/2008, -4/+1"That raises the question in my judgment, whether she shouldn't say, "You know, if you don't want to vote against him because he's black, then I don't want your vote"

    Was that truly what the author of this text meant to say?

    This statement basically meaning that she only wants the votes of racist people?
  • MacintoshSauce, on 05/21/2008, -3/+2The intelligence of some of the people in Kentucky is most likely lower than that of a dead seagull.
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