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.
I would not be able to support Hillary Clinton no matter what. The Dem. will lose all the voters in my family if she is the one chosen. Her past comments about Obama, her lies, and her husbands actions have just turned me off.
This guy is just to unbelievable. To state that President Clintons remarks will ruin the Democrats chances amongst black voters in November makes me believe that he is an Obama supporter. What about the Rev. Wright statements and that effect of the white vote in November due to that. I love these elite Democrats coming out and trying to put fear into the Democrats that if it does not go the way of BO that the nation will be racist. They fail to mention that the mass amount of blacks votes are going to BO because he is black. That sounds racist to me. The Democratic Elite should keep their fear remarks and sneaky way to push the superdelegates to BO. The superdelegates should vote for who they believe will win in November….end of story… They should work on getting Florida and Michigan included in this campaign… By the way, President Clinton remarks were not racist, they were spun that way. What he said were facts.. If they were not, then I think that could then be called racist.
ALL
Let us be honest. The candidate from Ill is black. The candidate from NY is a female. With this volatile mix there can be no doubt but that some folks will be offended, some will be angry and some will be turned off.
Now. The Super Delegates in the Dem party have a problem of thier own making. The GOP have solved this, democratically. So, to the Dems, quit whining. Get on with it. Choose a candidate, make the convention a “Happy days are here again” theme and try to win the General.
The Dems are sadly lacking in Leadership, that is the whole crux of the Parties problem. From the Congressional leaders, to the candidates, to the Black Caucus and on into the DNC. If the truth be publicly stated, their move to secure funds from the UE Favorite, Mr. Geo Sorso, is at the heart of their problem. They owe the farm to this individual as well as his surrogates, Moveon.org and OSI. They made their bed, now let them enjoy the fruits.
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Hillary is not dooming the white house chances for the Dems. If anyone is it is Obama. I for one will be voting for McCain should Obama get the nomination. There are many like me out there who think that Obama just isn’t ready for the most important job in the world.
What’s NEXT? What will be blamed in Hillary Clinton NEXT? I can see it now - “Hillary Clinton responsible for upcoming Category 4 hurricane headed toward America!” “Hillary Clinton responsible for tsumami headed toward Hawaii!” For Pete’s sake - Grow up! Stop whining! Take responsibility for your own life and campaign. What a wimp!
Clyburn is so incredibly full of himself and frankly, I think he just likes to hear himself talk. Bill Clinton has done nothing but speak the truth. To say he has a racist bone in his body is ludicrous. Those of you who are twisting his words and yelling “racist” (that includes you, Clyburn) are in fact the racists. Stop reading into things. Stop trying to find race in sentence someone utters. Stop trying to predict the future.
EVERYONE, let the candidates keep doing what they’re doing and vote for whomever is the MOST QUALIFIED for the position.
The Clintons are reprobate. They will say something or do something, you hear and see what they are doing, and then they say, “I didn’t do it!” They are so blinded by their deceptive devices that they think America is blinded. This is very sad, to have a person running for President with a reprobate heart! A sad day for America.
It amazes me how such a simple process can be drawn out. In this we have the perfect storm, a half white and half black man running against a woman for commander in chief. The pity is that between the two of them, there has been in excess of $100 million spent to say how good they are and they are so much better than anyone else. If they are so good at uniting and reconciling, how come they haven’t done anything from their Senate seats? That is where bills get written.
This is just a distraction. Bill Clinton has not played the race card and nobody that supports Hillary has. This is all nonsense.People that support Hillary are being acussed of playing the race card and we are all getting sick and tired of this.We simply don’t think he is qualified, it has nothing to do with the color of his skin.I think that Senator Clyburn is dividing the party even more by making this comment.
All you hear now A days is who is gonna get the black votes.It makes no different who gets them as long as the people get to vote.This has been A race gender thing its time for us to wake up let the States finish voting put Fla and Mi in it looks like some one is jealous about those votes.So let the race card go on.