The Candidates
Obama has crossed a line that he may not be able to survive.
In an interview on Philadelphia radio, Obama said:
The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. But she is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn’t know. . .there’s a reaction in her that doesn’t go away and it comes out in the wrong way.
When I got up this morning the liberals on MSNBC were talking about these comments. If the MSM covers this it will permanently turn Obama into the “black identity candidate” he strived to transcend. Can you believe a few months ago he had to prove he was really black?
If these rookie mistakes continue Hillary will be the nominee, but she’ll have defeated the ‘black candidate’ on the basis of his identity. That could cripple the Democrats this year.
March 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Obama is deffinately working as hard as he can to make himself the “race candidate”. Not only did Obama attend the church of a anti-american preacher for 20 years, but he lied about knowing about the reamarks of Wright, and refused to distance himself from him.
Now, he’s suggesting that the “typical white person” makes a habit out of making racist remarks.
March 21st, 2008 at 2:25 pm
He shoulda just shut up. he’s just sinking in quiksand.
March 21st, 2008 at 2:31 pm
He’s not sinking in quicksand. He’s sunk.
March 21st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
Hillary can’t make up for the lack of delegates unless the super delegates choose to go her way. Gov. Richardson even joined up with Obama. There is a pretty slim chance that the super delegates would go against the “will of the People” as well. I think it will be Barack for sure even with the bad week he has had. People can’t take their votes back now. McCain matches up nicely against him.
March 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Are superdelegates required to cast ballots in the first round?
What are the chances they would sit out until the second round - when all the delegates are released?
March 21st, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I think there a lot of BS going on. Just wait till after PA.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Uh. But, as a typical white person myself, with a typical white grandmother. It’s true.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Personally I think this is going to backfire on the GOP. FOX has been nitpicking the speech for minute flaws and people are getting tired of it. If it’s become too much for Chris Wallace just what is the average person going to think? Seriously, I’m getting tired of it myself. Pretty soon it’s going to have the reaction of making people roll their eyes and forget the reason he had to make the speech in the first place.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:51 pm
The American people aren’t going to forget “God Damn America” that quickly. Sorry to burst your bubble.
March 21st, 2008 at 6:58 pm
No kidding.
Look, you can try and make Fox the bad guy, or try to make the GOP look like a bunch of racist old men, or whatever you like, but Obama willingly and knowingly spent 20 years in the church of a preacher who attacked the country as a terrorist state, and relished in our pain after 9/11. Not only that, but he lied about his knowledge of it, and refused to distance himself from the preacher.
Do you really think Americans are just going to foget about that from a man who wants to be President?
March 21st, 2008 at 7:10 pm
Its a sad day that a man like Obama is within reach of the Presidency. Can you say an absolutely ignorant electorate?
I’m not saying that people are stupid overall, but in terms of politics, most are pretty ignorant, even Republicans.
March 21st, 2008 at 7:21 pm
well, lets see what the actual results are before we make that decision, shall we?
March 21st, 2008 at 7:32 pm
The GOP has a tendency to give the nomination to the next guy in line.
The Democrat Party tends to reject anyone who has run in the past as the nominee without getting elected.
If Obama does get the nominee and does not get elected in 08, he can kiss (imho)his presidential aspirations good-bye.
That is, unless he wants to change his party id to Republican!
March 21st, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Man, Obama is really letting it slide these days.
March 21st, 2008 at 11:45 pm
So what would be the reaction if McCain generalized about the thinking patterns of “a typical black person?”
March 21st, 2008 at 11:50 pm
For what it’s worth, I don’t freak out every time I see someone on the street I don’t know.
I guess I’m not your typical white guy.
March 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 am
I’m an X-Marine with marshal arts, but there are plenty of streets here in my little city that I would not be crazy about walking down in the dark, where they are black, white, or anything else. Heck, I wouldn’t be crazy about walking down them in the day time in some neighborhoods, so I can imagine his grandmother’s fear is well founded.
March 22nd, 2008 at 2:26 am
whatEVAH!!! Does Obama have experience in anything other than racial controversy? There ARE NO typical white people, is the point. My 10 year old boy asked me if he were black the other day ’cause another boy told him at gym class he was the first black person he’d ever met. Funny thing is my boy isn’t black. That I know of. Tan maybe. So everyone is pretty much a different shade of grey, including Barack. So now if Obama wants to get into dividing who’s white, who’s black, who’s what degree of what, what group does he fall into? Hitler tried to divide folks up-the hypocrite-he was Jewish himself I’m told. Like my brother says, the first step is separating different people out. Segregation it’s sometimes called. The end purpose is usually to enslave or eliminate one of the groups being separated out. So a presidential candidate who is still divvying up races into “typical” this or that gives me the willies. Or else he’s just immature and has a wild and loose tongue. I am SOOOO burnt out on this, bringing back the sixties or whatEVER Obama’s program is, you bet I don’t want to hear another word about or from Wright, or his cohort Obama at this point. I am really disappointed in the whole business. Shoulda kept his racism to himself, he was so much more likeable that way.
March 22nd, 2008 at 6:58 am
Casey,
You’re making a mistake. To whatever extent people “get sick of this” they’re also going to “get sick of” Barack Obama. Wright and Obama are tied at the hip now, rightly or wrongly. Wright is to Obama as the Iraq War is to George W. Bush. And nothing the Democrats do or say can undo that fact.
It’s a bitch when the shoe is on the other foot, eh?
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:17 am
Does Obama hate his white grandmother? He certainly has been very disrespectful of her from his comments. Seems like all he remembers of her is how racist she was.
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:29 am
Illinois,
You don’t like walking in certain neighborhoods regardless of race? Then you ARE the “TYPICAL WHITE PERSON!!!”
Remember though, that Obama went further than that. Obama didn’t say that “a typical white person” gets nervous when they see a black guy, or are walking a bad neighborhood.but rather when they see a stranger.
Apparently, in the racial typology of Barrack Obama, your “typical white person” is paranoid. I suppose this means that Obama will not consider white people fit for high level appointments, particularly ones where a cool, calm demeanor is required.
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:32 am
For what its worth. I must not be a typical white person, because I’m not paranoid of strangers.
Neither did I observe such paranoia in the small, mostly white town I grew up in. It sort of makes me wonder, has Obama ever lived in a white neighborhood? Does he truly know any white people? Are any of his best friends white?
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Exciting News!!!
Word is “A Typical White” is just the first installment in a series on race and causality from Obama. Future installments of Barrack’s wit and wisdom regarding pigment and behavior patterns will include “The Typical Mexican,” “The Typical Black,” and “the Typical Jew.” If these go well, the franchise will expand to further probe Obama’s wisdom regarding “The Typical Filipino,” “The Typical Chinese Guy,” and “The Typical Arab.”
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:47 am
MWS, I’ve said it before but you really ought to be blogging.
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:14 am
Doug,
Thanks, but this is serious stuff. What’s really keeping me up at night and giving me ulcers is the thought of a white President. I mean, think about it. What if A Typical White is President, and he’s got some meeting with the head of another nuclear power he’s never met before? Being white, he’s gonna start freaking out and badda-bing, we’re in nuclear war.
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:19 am
Obama’s race theory does explain why Washington went through all the trouble of crossing the Delaware in a boat with a bunch of armed attendents instead of using the sidewalk.
March 22nd, 2008 at 9:22 am
Did anyone here see James Carville’s reaction to Richardson’s endorsement of Obama?
He called it “an act of betrayal” Then he went on to note that it happened on Good Friday, “around the anniversary of the time Judas Iscariot sold out for his 30 pieces of silver. So the timing is nothing, if not ironic”.
Say what you will about his politics, but I’ve always liked Carville as a guy who has fun, makes things interesting, and most definitely knows what he’s doing. I said after she lost Iowa that Hillary should bring him back and he’s been making mor and more appearances lately. The NYT even describes him as a Clinton advisor which I guess means he’s back on staff. I wouldn’t count out any candidate with Carville advising them.
But that is a great comment.
On a side note, after some research, I think if Obama does get the nomination, McCain’s best choice for VP is Gov Palin of AK. The boost she’ll provide among female voter and white women in particular will just about guarantee McCain the WH. Few of the other candidates(Pawlnty, Sanford, Romney, Thompson, etc…)really would seem to increase votes in any important demographic or region that McCain himself hsouldn’t have an easy time with against Obama.
Palin, otoh, owuld definitely give a boost among women and white women, and white men for that matter, as well as disgruntled dem/ind Hillary supporters, that would give him the win.
Even if as little as 2% of women vote for McCain because of her, he wins. And I suspect the number would be much higher. We’ve already seen how white women came out for Hillary in NH, OH, TX and we’ll soon see in PA. Palin will see a similar effect, and because of her attractiveness will likely have even higher male support than Hillary.
her attractiveness and nature will help her with the media and the historic nature of her candidacy will give McCain press that just another older white guy never could.
An appearance on Oprah, the View, Jay Leno, Regis, maybe a Rachael Ray or Martha Stewart would do wonders.
On policy she’s pro life, and endorsed by the NRA, the 2 biggest interest groups in the GOP coalition and I think she’d go a long way towards helping McCain secure an NRA endorsement for the fall.
The best thing would be for McCain to announce her before Obama announces his VP. If Obama goes first and picks a woman it would just seem like pandering and be a bad move, copying him. But if McCain follows the Bush Doctrine and pre-empts Obama, it would make it very difficult for Obama to pick a woman because the reverse would be true. It would help McCain get an early lock on the white female vote at a time when they’d still be very upset about Hillary not getting it.
I have numbers that support this and I’ll probably post them in a some future VP post.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:05 am
If I had not been on this site for the last 14 months, I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea who Palin is, and neither does 98% of the people. We need someone fully vetted and able to fill in for McCain’s weakness in the economy, and someone who still balances the ticket. Palin’s experience level is about that of Obama, so we loose that argument, because with an old President, she’s a heart beat away. It will look like pandering to the general electorate, and for that matter, to me.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:12 am
“It will look like pandering to the general electorate”
Hahaha. O man. That’s funny coming from IL Guy. Any what, pray tell, will it look like to the general electorate if McCain were to pick your homeboy?
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:22 am
Intelligence!!!
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:23 am
Just because McCain finished 894th out of 899th in his class, doesn’t mean he is not smart enough to pick MItt. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:25 am
Palin’s pro life and pro gun credentials dwarf those of Romney’s and those are the two things most Republicans and conservatives care about. She’s strong on ANWR and energy and could provide an opportunity for McCain to move to the right on those issues.
Electorally, I think she adds more than Romney or just about any other VP through her potential with the disaffected white female vote.
Palin’s experience level will be about the same same as Romney’s. 1 term as Governor.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:28 am
OMG - experience same as Romney’s - you have got to be kidding me!!!!! That’s one of the nuttiest things I”ve seen said on here. No one, and I mean no one, ever acts as if someone else is more qualified to be VP than Mitt ROmney. That’s just plain nuts!
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:37 am
I’m talking about elected/political experience.
Mitt had 4 yrs/1 term as governor, the last year+ of which most everyone agrees he was out of the state most of the time and planning his run for the nomination.
Palin will have 1 term as Governor and 2 terms as mayor, so when you add it up she actually has MORE elective/Political experience. Part of that includes running a primary against an incumbent Governor and taking him down, no small feat.
March 22nd, 2008 at 10:47 am
Anyway now to once again try to steer the convo AWAY from Romney, what is the fallout on the Dem side if Barack can only win in Philadelphia County in PA? What do the superdelegates do?
I suspect that if Obama only wins in Philadelphia and Centre (Penn State) counties - supers might really start to give Hil a second look. It’s going to be fascinating to watch how much of a blowout the PA Dem primary turns out to be.
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:20 am
“elective/Political experience.”
But her experience doesn’t even come close to Mitt’s when you add in his work as a non-political executive, and, considering how much people seem to hate politicians right now, and what the major issue of this campaign is going to be, its not a terrible idea to have someone who has actually done some things outside of the political/military arena.
Romney: 30 yrs. in private sector + CEO of SLC Olympics + One term as Governor
Palin: Beauty Queen + Two terms as mayor + One term as Governor
You are honestly going to tell me that Palin is more qualified?
—-
“Part of that includes running a primary against an incumbent Governor and taking him down, no small feat.”
And Romney ran as a relatively Conservative candidate in the most liberal state in the country - and won, also no small feat.
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:49 am
Adam: I was reading an interesting couple of articles recently in Politico, making the case that Hillary is toast, regardless. I’m not totally convinced, but they were well-reasoned (sorry I don’t have the links).
The reasoning is that there’s no way in the world, regardless of her margins in the remaining states, that she catches Obama on delegates. OK, I’ll buy that. The other argument was that the remaining states have about 5-6mil votes collectively, and that for her to catch Obama would require a 12-14 point margin across all the states (~57-43) and she’s gotten 57% in only a very few states (NY and a couple others).
That part I have a few problems with. It’s certainly true that getting those margins will be tough, but I don’t think it’s impossible. Those other votes were pre-Wright, and it’s not out of the question that she could win PA/WV/KY/IN by something like the 20-point margins that are showing up in some polls. North Carolina will be her real test, since it’s the second-biggest state outstanding, and presumed to be an Obama state. If she doesn’t at least tie there (one poll showed that as possible), I don’t see how she does it. And she really needs to win it by a bit.
If she can do that, and wipe out his lead in popular vote, while cutting his lead in delegates to a near-tie, then I think she has a very strong argument to present to the supers: “It’s a virtual tie, and you know darned well I would have won in Michigan and Florida if Obama hadn’t sabotaged the re-vote (Note: she’d be telling the truth here, which is rare enough for Hillary that it will get the supers’ attention), and I finished with a streak of winning X of the last Y primaries, plus all the biggies.”
It calls for her pulling an inside straight, but it’s do-able.
March 22nd, 2008 at 11:53 am
McCain would be wise to make Romney Secretary of the Commerce Department. Bush’s team at the Commerce Department has been very weak.
March 22nd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Romney has no incentive to take that job. Romney wants to be President, and he has two ways he could get there. He can become VP, and be the heir apparent in four years, or he take over as a general Conservative leader, and possibly defeat the sitting VP in four or eight years as the nominee - he would deffinately be running the strongest challenge this country has seen in a long time - if ever.
Secretary of Commerce does nothing for Romney, and it does nothing to provide a more united ticket in november - which are the only two reasons Mitt will take a job in McCain’s administration.
March 22nd, 2008 at 1:09 pm
BobH,
I agree with you. On the pledged delegates, she can’t make up enough. I have to say though, at least anecdotally, she is in a strong position in Pennsylvania. I wouldn’t be surprised at a 60/40 showing or even better on April 22, especially if the Wright story stays in the news. It will be interesting to see NC polls after the PA primary is over. If Obama only gets 30 or 35 percent of the white vote there are going to be plenty of talking heads feeding the story line that Obama’s white support has crashed and burned. It will be very interesting to see how attentive the superdelegates are to that.
March 22nd, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Act, the only thing Romney at commerce does is benefit America. Sometimes I wish these politicians would think of America before their ambitions. Mitt Romney ought not to live to be President. He ought to be willing to help where he’s most needed.
March 22nd, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Sarah Palin won the support of the Libertarian Party of Alaska in the final days of the election. I was right there, waving signs on a busy Anchorage street corner in the median with Sarah and LP of Alaska Chairman Jason Dowell the day before the election.
Libertarians, including libertarian Republicans like me, are skeptical of McCain right now. He’s done very little to reach out to libertarian voters.
He picks Palin, a libertarian-leaning conservative, and he’ll win over the libertarian swing vote easy!
I’m a McCain skeptic, and I’ll instantly become a McCain hardcore volunteer if he picks her as VP.
March 22nd, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Illinois guy, this is not the only website on the Right pumping up Sarah Palin for VP. She’s the darling of the entire libertarian/conservative Blogosphere right now.
We talk about her almost daily at http://www.libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com
HotAir covers her. NewsMax, Hedgehog, RightwingNews, American Spectator you name it.
March 22nd, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Doug Forrester,
Now I’m not one to put words in other people’s mouths, but I think Mitt has done what he can to help the American people (Olympics, Governor of Massachussetts). I think he thought he could help the American people out a whole lot more by being President. So it becomes a question, would Mitt want to help America some by being in a “lesser” position, or would Mitt want to raise the stakes and forge ahead on being able to help American more by “saving himself” for the Presidency. It’s a good question that no one can answer for someone else.
McCain has a lot of proving to do to most conservatives. His VP choice will go a long way to proving or disproving his “conservative cred.”
March 22nd, 2008 at 2:07 pm
It always amuses me at how willing people (on both sides) are willing to take one soundbite and inflate it into absolute PROOF of a candidate’s horrible nature.
You saw this a few days ago with McCain’s “Iran is funding Al-Qaeda,” which liberals took to mean that McCain is completely unqualified on national security.
And you’re seeing it now with this comment.
March 22nd, 2008 at 3:52 pm
WE NEED TO START A TREND …NOW!!! Everyone, and tell everyone you know, to go out and get a T-shirt with the words
“TYPICAL
WHITE
PERSON” wrtten on it.
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Sarah Palin is an expectant mother. She will deliver her new baby sometime in May. No way is she on the ticket this time around.
March 22nd, 2008 at 4:58 pm
“Mitt Romney ought not to live to be President.”
…and instead be relegated to some bottom-of-the-ladder position where anything he wants is still subject to approval by not only Congress, but also the President and every advisor who is more worried about keeping McCain’s image up than passing a policy that would actually do some good?
Besides, Palin is going to have a baby in May. She won’t be VP this time around.
—-
Kavon - how about replacing that photo of McCain that makes him look like a potato with white mold on top?
try this one: http://project25.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/john-mccain-r.jpg?w=180&h=250
March 24th, 2008 at 10:26 am
There’s nothing wrong with pandering, IG. If you aren’t blatantly obvious about it, the electorate likes it. Even when you are obvious, they still mostly like it.