2016 Postmortem

cali

(114,904 posts) Wed Sep 23, 2015, 03:12 PM Sep 2015

Hillary Clinton needs to address the racist undertones of her 2008 campaign

Black Lives Matter, the advocacy group for black interests, has gotten the attention of the Democratic presidential candidates, who are reportedly scrambling to reach out to the movement. Even heavy favorite Hillary Clinton is getting in on it, addressing the movement in a Q&A session on Facebook, where she checked most of the right boxes.

DeRay McKesson, one of the movement's leaders, wrote on Twitter that the post was "solid." But he also noted that she had two days to work on it, and did not attend the liberal forum Netroots Nation, unlike her challengers Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley, who flailed in front of activists from Black Lives Matter.

McKesson is right to be suspicious. Hillary Clinton's record on race is not great. If she wishes to earn some trust on issues of racial justice, a good place to start would be with the distinctly racist undertones of her 2008 campaign against Barack Obama.

As the first primaries got underway in 2008, and Obama began to slowly pull ahead, the Clinton camp resorted to increasingly blatant race- and Muslim-baiting. It started in February, when Louis Farrakhan, the head of the Nation of Islam, endorsed Obama in a sermon. In a debate a couple days later, moderator Tim Russert repeatedly pressed Obama on the issue, who responded with repeated reassurances that he did not ask for the endorsement, did not accept it, and in fact was not a deranged anti-Semite. That wasn't enough for Clinton, who demanded that Obama "denounce" Farrakhan, which he did.

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http://theweek.com/articles/567774/hillary-clinton-needs-address-racist-undertones-2008-campaign

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Hillary Clinton needs to address the racist undertones of her 2008 campaign (Original Post) cali Sep 2015 OP

Some folks seem to have amnesia Senator Tankerbell Sep 2015 #1

Another fond memory Senator Tankerbell Sep 2015 #2

Old article - Here is today's news: Hillary Clinton Will Sit Down With Black Lives Matter Activists OKNancy Sep 2015 #3

hardly old. cali Sep 2015 #6

That's nice. But sheds to address HER racist campaign. DisgustipatedinCA Sep 2015 #16

K&R Katashi_itto Sep 2015 #4

She needs to address her anti-LGBT statements. nichomachus Sep 2015 #5

RIGHT! Since we are now digging up voting records as old as 17 1998... n/t Betty Karlson Sep 2015 #19

I forgot that there was a statute of limitations nichomachus Sep 2015 #20

or what? wyldwolf Sep 2015 #7

Does this mean you're not in favor of Hillary addressing her racism? DisgustipatedinCA Sep 2015 #17

. Metric System Sep 2015 #8

nope. just tired of the hypocritical obsession of Clinton supporters cali Sep 2015 #9

Her employment of the Southern Strategy in '08 is most aggravating. Garrett78 Sep 2015 #10

And of her 2016 campaign Doctor_J Sep 2015 #11

This is why I am lukewarm to her campaign. Nedsdag Sep 2015 #12

2008 campaign??? Really? Because of some supporter's actions? Is Bernie to blame for all the kelliekat44 Sep 2015 #13

I remember that 2008 campaign and it needs addressed. It was only seven years ago and roguevalley Sep 2015 #18

She has zero need to address that aspect of the '08 campaign. NCTraveler Sep 2015 #14

2 days? jfern Sep 2015 #15

No she doesn't. zappaman Sep 2015 #21

No She doesn't need to address any 'problems' with her 2008 campaign. Let's move foward for once. Sunlei Sep 2015 #22

No, she doesn't need to address her racist overtones John Poet Sep 2015 #23

This is 2015, going into the 2016 election cycle. George II Sep 2015 #24

Senator Tankerbell

(316 posts)

1. Some folks seem to have amnesia