Obama Vs. Clinton -- This Time, It's Personal

The presidential race is starting to heat up, especially in the Democratic Primary. First of all, I wasn't surprised that Obama took Iowa. I was more surprised that Hillary Clinton finished third behind Obama and John Edwards.

Then, before the New Hampshire primary, Hillary Clinton "broke down" and almost cried when talking about the rigors of the campaign. Now, let me get this straight. You are the wife of a two-term President... a President who actually was IMPEACHED. Not to mention that the last part of your husband's second term was spent fending off Republican 'moralist' douchebags left and right. You yourself are a two-term UNITED STATES SENATOR. And prior to New Hampshire, you're JUST FINDING OUT that 'OMG ONOEZ POLITIXX IS TEH HARDIST'? This is why it's hard to take Clinton's tears as anything more than a disingenuous political strategy to counter charges that she is "too aggressive." But wait, it gets worse.

Then came this:

In the interview with Fox News last week, Clinton said, "Dr. [Martin Luther] King's dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It took a president to get it done." She has argued repeatedly that her experience shows she can get more done as president than Obama.

What she did in this fell swoop was (1) diminish the actual work of front-line soldiers like Dr. King to that of "Dreamers" who were basically big on rhetoric and little on action, and (2) attempt to diminish Obama as a speechifying orator and not as a candidate for President of the United States. I've said elsewhere that her remarks make it seem like Obama is running for the President of the New Millennium Civil Rights Movement, as opposed to running for President.

The fallout from this comment was pretty huge. But it wouldn't be politics if it wasn't interesting. Clinton naturally blamed Obama for taking her words out of context. This isn't going to help Clinton one bit.

Get this: Former head of BET (and a man probably single-handedly responsible for setting the Black Power movement back 50 years) sided with Hillary Clinton and endorsed her. Yep... the man that brought "Blackberry Inn" to the American TV landscape, and the man that has no problem catering to the lowest common denominator and stereotype when it comes to the portrayal of Black people, has sided against Obama. Now, I'm not saying that because Obama's Black, that Black leaders should automatically side with him over Hillary. What I *AM* saying is that if you are going to side with Hillary, you should do so without sounding like a moron, a Klan-plant (thanks, Chris) or a puppet whose strings are being pulled by the Clinton machine.

Billionaire Bob then expressed this sentiment:

...“And to me, as an African-American, I am frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Hillary and Bill Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues since Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood –­ and I won’t say what he was doing, but he said it in the book –­ when they have been involved.”

Moments later, he added: “That kind of campaign behavior does not resonate with me, for a guy who says, ‘I want to be a reasonable, likable, Sidney Poitier ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.’ And I’m thinking, I’m thinking to myself, this ain’t a movie, Sidney. This is real life.”

Take a look at the bolded comment, if you will. I'm under the impression that the Clinton Crew has been trying to float the "Obama Is A Drug User" balloon for the longest time. There's just one problem with it. It was revealed in OBAMA'S BOOK. *HE* came clean in his book about his drug use. A Clinton aide/worker was fired from the crew for making these remarks (methinks he fell on his sword to keep Hillary from looking like she was desperate). Now, Billionaire Bob sounds like he's on the payroll, trying to float the same balloon. And Bob Johnson is one of the LAST people to talk about the "real life" portrayal of a Black person.

Just how ridiculous it's getting? Before the primaries began, Andrew Young (a stalwart of the Old Guard Civil Rights Movement) said in a (half-)joking manner that Bill Clinton was "more black" than Obama because Clinton dated more Black women than Obama. Of course, this is a throwback to that hot wet sack of gobbige that Bill Clinton was "the first Black President" because he slept around with a buncha chicks and played the sax. Andrew Young and everyone else that invoked that crappy sentiment oughta be smacked. Young also said that Obama was "too young" to be President... but ignoring the fact that Clinton was younger than Obama when he (Clinton) ran. Young's claim that Obama needs a "network" to "protect" him sounds like Young (and other jerks) are worried that they are going to get frozen out should Obama get elected... while an active role in the Clinton campaign may be rewarded handsomely. This, in essence, is exactly what's wrong with the Old Guard. The formerly young guns and radical revolutionaries are so ensconced in their cushy lifestyles, that they don't want to make room for the next generation of leadership and spokesmen. And by sticking with the traditional Democratic base, these old warhorses are trying to make sure that they are remembered.

It's going to be really interesting how all of this pans out, especially after Super Tuesday.

I don't have time now, but next time, I am going to rant about Gov. Rod Blagojevich appearing at my old church gloating about his plan to give senior citizens free rides on the CTA, in hopes of staving off another CTA Doomsday scenario. It's not the free rides that I have a problem with, it's the blatant grandstanding and the continuing blurring of lines between church and state. And best believe that if a Republican politician was in a white Mega-Church like the Crystal Cathedral, bragging about some legislature that he wanted to pass, the liberal pundits would have a field day.