Why Hillary's Comment About MLK & LBJ Had Racial Overtones. It Was Intentional.

[David Zephyr]

In regards to Hillary Clinton's comments about MLK & LBJ in context to Barack Obama being an inspiring leader and speaker:

Hillary claims that she was only making a "point" distinguishing between just making speeches as opposed to really getting progress into law.

Now this is a subject that could be debated either way. Howard Zinn suggests that all progress has come from "direct action" rather than "electoral action." But that debate is open. I do side with Howard Zinn. I respect those who disagree.

Still, there are a million other examples Hillary COULD have used to make her oddly disconnected "point" when talking about Barack Obama who she suggested was merely an inspirational speaker.

She might have mentioned Susan B. Anthony who labored long and never saw women receive the right to vote when W. Wilson signed that right into law.

Hillary might have mentioned the Haymarket Martyrs or the Wobblies and Union Organizers who gave their lives never seeing FDR sign into law labor organizing rights.

But INSTEAD she made her odd "point" about a BLACK man who did not achieve civil rights for people of color until a WHITE president signed them into law.

The metaphor she chose to make her "point" clearly had two ringing similarities: one to make her "point" against "direct action" and the second to draw comparison between two BLACK men.

She could have used a million other examples. She chose the one that also had the ingredient of race.

And in doing this, she continues what her campaign began in Iowa: remind voters that Barack is black.

That is what was shitty about her comments.

Hillary wasn't making a "point".

She was making two points at the same time. And one of them was to remind voters that Barack is black.

[Cha]

1. Black and Beautiful,

hillary.. get over it, cause this country is tired of slime politics like the clintons are dishing out at a rabid rate.

[ursi]

33. Hillary is obviously a divider

[dogman]

2. She might have used those other examples if the Obama camp was using them.

She did not originate the JFK/MLK meme.

[Nimrod2005]

3. K

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. I generally respect you David, but you are way off base here

MLK was Barack's example, not something Hillary pulled from the air.

1) IN debate, Hillary says rhetoric isn't everything.
2) Next day, Barack says Hillary's framing would have undone MLK's dream (comparing himself directly to Dr. King, as if any criticism of him is a criticism of MLK)
3) In response, Hillary cites Johnson's contributions, which is appropriate because she and Barack are both supposed to be running for President, a specific role MLK never played nor even desired.

[TahitiNut]

8. Well, she sure put him in his place, didn't she??

"He started it, mommy!" (That uppity negrah! How DARE he talk about Dr. King??)

:eyes:

[Evergreen Emerald]

12. right on as usual.

good summary of events.

[rodeodance]

5. god said Sunday should be a day of Rest--so rest with this crapola

[DemCam]

7. Agreed and am gonna shut it down and get out my novel. Thanks

[Yael]

6. Well said, David

[Sparkly]

9. She talked about MLK because Obama had talked about MLK.

If Obama had made a point about Susan B. Anthony, and she wanted to rebut that, she'd have talked about Susan B. Anthony.

[sandnsea]

13. Well he has talked about lots of fights

He's talked about a variety of civil rights fights, I think he's tossed in different names here and there. So she did pick MLK. I don't think she did it as a code, I think she blatantly disrespected the man. But she could have made her point more graciously. More important, if it was truly an innocent remark, she'd just apologize and move on. She did with that gas station owner comment, remember?

[Anouka]

15. Would she have said Wilson was more important than Anthony?

particularly since Anthony died 14 years before President Wilson and an all white-male congress passed the 19th Amendment?

Maybe she would have. But Anthony's work as a suffragist (and abolitionist) paved the way for equal rights regardless of race or gender; grass roots sacrifice and hard work and making sure the issues were in the public eye allowed the top to sign off on what should have already been a done deal.

[geiger]

10. the sad thing for me is that i used to think she was smarter and more prinicipled than this

...at least, that is what i wanted to think....

[TahitiNut]

14. You thilly thavage, you!

:silly:

[geiger]

22. i have no idea what your comment means, but have a good day!

[dsc]

25. idle curiousity

but if you said this to or about a gay poster would I be allowed to read it as anti gay using the same theory you are applying to Hillary in regards to race? I have no idea of the the poster you responded to is lesbian or not, but let's assume she is for a second.

[TahitiNut]

29. Well ... I have no authority to "allow" or "disallow" anything.

There isn't the slightest INTENTION to be "anti-gay" ... but, hell, don't let that get in the way. That's not the "DU way."

:eyes:

[dsc]

30. but you just know that when Hillary

says that LBJ was necessary for the passage of Civil Rights she is being racist? Why doesn't her intent matter?

[TahitiNut]

31. Well, I'll ask you after I announce my candidacy for President.

:shrug:

[dsc]

32. Oh so that is the difference?

Only those who run for President are to be judged under your standard.

[sandnsea]

11. I think it's the list of slurs

Any one of them can be an oversight or mistake, it's that they were one right after another that gave the impression of racism.

[ZinZen]

27. Absolutely

I don't think these racial code patterns are going to bode positive for Hillary. Who the hell is advising her that this shit works?

[bvar22]

16. I get it now!

MLK was clearly spinning his wheels not getting anything done.
The white guy stepped in, took over, and got the job done.

Whats the problem? :shrug:

[Occam Bandage]

17. Thank you for continuing to feed World flameWar II.

[David Zephyr]

18. Hillary Clinton "fed it" this morning on national television. And you blame me?

You have very selective outrage. LOL.

[Occam Bandage]

19. She is helping her campaign by doing so. If you intend to help the Clinton campaign

by burning what remains of civil debate in the Democratic party, go for it.

[ruggerson]

20. You should be ashamed of yourself David

not really, but I felt I owed you that. :)

[Tom Rinaldo]

21. You didn't prove your point to me David

Your alternate examples, with the possible exception of Susan B. Anthony, fall far short in terms of mass recognition, and the only actual individual you gave as an example was Anthony. I think there actually are very few individuals in American history who are so personally identified with a sweeping and inspirational social change movement as Martin Luther King Jr. The women's suffragett memvement has a number of leading lights, but more to the point the final victory happened long before the vast majority of Americans were even born. JFK, who of course was in office before LBJ, is a frequently cited relevent political figure in this election campaign. Many have compared him in ways with Obama. Woodwow Wilson has faded n the public imagination. Both he and Anthony are from a long distant era.

The Labor movement had dozens upon dozens of "heroes", but none since the Great Depression with the exception of Jimmy Hoffa captured the public imagination and he anin't exctly Saint Jimmy. MArtin Luther King Jr. and LBJ were contemporaries, King was assasinated after the Civil Rights Act passed. Susan B.Anthony as you pointed laid the groundwork but did not see the fruit. John Brown perhaps was an inspirational Abolishionist while Lincoln "freed the slaves", but Brown was a bit controversial. There isn't exactly a national holiday for him, not to mention that the civil war was 150 years ago. Actually the next best pairing of an inspirational leader rallying the nation and a skilled chief exectutive nailing down the social advance was Thomas Paine and Gworge Washington. That pari has the same sense of history, but that history is almost 250 years old.

Clinton may not have made a wise choice of examples but I honestly do not see any other pairing of people who accomplished so much to change the course of our nation in living memory of American voters as King and LBJ. They are the obvious example from history of the dynamic Hillary wanted to discuss.

[DaLittle Kitty]

23. YEP! Just The Beginning... Racism IS Synonomous W/ Coming Electability Reference

HillBill Wanted to wait til Edwards was out but is being cramped by John Edwards "Recalcitrant" stance...

Johnny boy ain't quitt'n NO Time Soon!

That's a Problemo Numero Uno Fer The Dang Corporatist Powers That Be/ Status Quo Nominee/Election Fix'in Machine.

[Muddy Waters Guitar]

24. Great points, the NYT editorial

also emphasized as you did here: "She could have used a million other examples. She chose the one that also had the ingredient of race."

[David Zephyr]

28. Is there a link to it?

I'm sure they said it better than I did. I'm glad I'm not alone.

[ZinZen]

26. Spot on post, David Z