Clyburn Fears Clinton Conduct Could Doom Dems’ White House Chances
Rep. James Clyburn says Bill Clinton's conduct in the Democratic primary could hurt the party come November. (AP Photo)
The highest ranking black member in Congress issued grave warnings to the Democratic candidates Friday, saying the racially charged contest could turn away black voters and doom the party in November.
South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, in an interview with FOX News, singled out Bill Clinton for comments he said were not “seemly” and could damage his wife’s presidential campaign if she becomes the nominee. Clyburn on Thursday had told The New York Times that the former president’s “bizarre” conduct had “incensed” the black community.
“I am concerned … that the conduct of this campaign could very well make the nomination not worth having,” Clyburn told FOX News. “Our party is much bigger than Bill Clinton. It is much bigger than Sens. Clinton or Obama. It is a party that is here to serve the American people. … And I don’t want to see us conduct a campaign in such a way that it does irreparable harm to our being able to do that.”
Clyburn voiced concern that if Hillary Clinton beats Barack Obama, she might do so at the expense of the party’s usually loyal black base.
“When this campaign is over, if Hillary Clinton is the nominee, she cannot get elected president if 25-30 percent of black people vote for (John) McCain. She is going to have … to have that same 92 percent of black people that Obama (has) now,” he said. “And if (Obama) is the nominee he is going to need her help and her husband’s help getting white voters that he is not now getting.
“And I don’t see how you can go back to these people and get them to vote for the nominee if you have done all these things and said all of these things about him during the campaign … because you are not going to be able to reverse field in the middle of general election,” he said.
Bill Clinton took heat in late January for equating Obama’s victory in the South Carolina primary to Jesse Jackson’s win in the state 20 years ago. Obama supporters said the remarks were demeaning since they compared him with a black candidate whose appeal was more narrow.
But the comments came up again Monday, when Clinton told a Philadelphia radio station that he believed Obama “played the race card on me” during the incident.
Clyburn said he didn’t understand that.
“Many of the surrogates in the Clinton campaign of recent days have been saying things that have been angering African American voters over again,” he said. “I mean, who played the race card on President Clinton? … What does he mean by that unless he is trying to send some kind of signal on race?”
Clyburn, an influential superdelegate, says he hasn’t taken sides in the Obama-Clinton race, but analysts say he, like many other prominent black politicians, has been swept up in the near-lockstep support that Obama’s historic bid for the presidency enjoys among black voters.
“Jim Clyburn … is squarely in the corner of Sen. Barack Obama,” FOX News contributor Juan Williams said. “Jim Clyburn and a lot of the older black politicians started out with Hillary Clinton because of their long standing ties to the Clinton camp, but as they saw black voters overwhelming going to Barack Obama they have run to the front of the parade.”
Clyburn stressed Friday that he still hasn’t declared whom he will support at the Democratic convention in August.
Obama himself disputed the notion that the contentious tone of the race is doing irreparable harm to the party.
“I never believe in irreparable breaches,” he said Friday. “I’m a big believer in reconciliation and redemption.”
And Hillary Clinton has repeatedly said it’s Obama who’s running the negative campaign.
Asked about a mailing that criticizes her trade stances during a round of local interviews Friday, she sharply rebuked him.
“He’s done this repeatedly and I don’t why he keeps doing it. It’s misleading, it’s factually wrong,” she told a Louisville, Ky., station. “He’s running a very negative campaign below the radar screen with all of his mailings and phone calls.”
FOX News’ Major Garrett contributed to this report.
The only thing that will doom the Democrat chances at the white house if Obama.
after listening to all the retoric, im better than you, no im better than you, i did more than you oh i did, lets get real, they both have had their 15 minutes of fame and its turning to shame and degrading our beautiful country, i didnt believe her so called tears , i guess i knew then shes a phoney, is she going to do that if the country gets in trouble, oh by the way who said the democrats were going to win. you people sound like those two hillary and o bama are the only two people in the country, yes i am a registered democrat but im so fed up with them no way am i voting for either one of them have a blessed day
Obama, maybe you like “reconciliation and redemption.”, but it pales in comparison to Hillary’s belief in retaliation and retribution. Don’t expect to sit down and enjoy a meal with an anaconda unless you have a long spoon. How do you expect to get the nomination when you make Ted Kennedy look like a right-wing loon?
Obama is half white and half black. Nobody is playing the “race card” on Hillary. Just more bad politics as usual. Why don’t those Washington politicians start trying to bring gasoline and food prices down. People have had enough. I’ve had enough. Let’s hear about the issues instead of bickering and accusations and finger pointing. What are you going to do about these price gouging oil companies?
For the life of me, I do not understand why Clinton cannot do the math. Even a lay person like myself can see the damage this prolonged engagement is doing to the party. John McCain “must be in hog heaven during slop day.”
Jimmie from WA
The only people dividing the black leader who keep dragging race up everytime Barack loses a contest and threatening to riot if he does not get the nomination. It justs makes them look babaric and turns white people off who are going to switch to Mccain in November.
I agree that Clinton conduct during this campaign has hurt the Democratic Party and has set them back another four years.
Her plans mentioned in the news today of possibly running in 2012 should be shot down now by the Democratic Party. If she wants to run in 2012 let her run as an Independent.
Clinton has caused sucha split in the Democratic Party that will take years to recover.
If you really there to help the American people then vote and endorse Hillary. It is no brainer than Hilalry is the only qualified candidate this year and deserve to be the next President. That shoudl be the headline and not criticing Bill but not Wright, Rezco and Ayers and Richardson, who is traitor.
Clyburn is just a distraction….
One could just as easily say that Obama’s conduct is doing the same. Only one candidate has been on camera flipping their middle finger while referring to the other candidate, then snickering about it.