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Ladies and Gentlemen, Our 42nd President!
Here's audio of Bill Clinton from Pennsylvania's WHYY, cursing and ranting about how Barack Obama's campaign "played the race card" on him.
I confess, I didn't really miss those January days when Bill Clinton kept springing out from behind the bushes to grab reporters by the collar and turn purple screaming about Obama. But this is sort of fun. Just count the whoppers!
- "We now know from memos from the campaign and everything that they planned to do it [play the race card] all along."
No, we don't.
- "I said that Jesse Jackson had run a good campaign with overwhelming African-American support and white supporters."
No, he didn't. He didn't say anything about white voters.
- "They thought his white support was better because Jesse Jackson had blue-collar working people and most of Senators Obama's supporters were upscale cultural liberals. It was like, beneath them to be compared to Jesse Jackson."
I don't think anyone believes this. Jackson peaked at around 15 percent of the white vote, and did far worse in the South. Obama got 25 percent of the white vote in South Carolina, which turned out to be one of his lowest totals. Clinton's disdain for the upscale cultural liberal is fun, and fitting with his policy of shunning private jets or fundraisers with rock stars, but, well... South Carolina's 1984 and 1988 contests were caucuses, which Clinton has argued are more elitist than primaries. He's just babbling like a crazy person.
- "You really got to go somewhere to play the race card with me.
My office is in Harlem."
At this point I'm not even sure the Obama team will give Clinton a
speaking slot at the convention.
Elemenope|4.22.08 @ 11:24AM|#
Bill Clinton should have remained retired. This is not news. Everyone seems to know this...except, of course, the Clinton campaign.
|4.22.08 @ 11:26AM|#
You sure that isn't Geraldine Ferraro putting her voice through
a synth?
"You really got to go somewhere to play the race card with me.
My office is in Harlem."
I have black friends!
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 11:26AM|#
Dave,
He's just babbling like a crazy person.
Might want to stay away from Rock Creek Park for a while. Stay in
groups of people you know, not the ones you think you know, the
ones you really know.
Naga Sadow|4.22.08 @ 11:27AM|#
Elemenope,
I disagree. Bill Clinton made SNL watchable to me . . . in fact I
should watch the next one just so I don't miss a skit.
|4.22.08 @ 11:29AM|#
Will this get votes in PA or make people say "maybe I should
vote for Obama"?
If it's the former... you're completely misreading whether Clinton
"really" thought the mic was turned off.
|4.22.08 @ 11:31AM|#
He just doesn't want to lose the title of "first black president." It's how he picks up chicks in Harlem... and Williamsburg.
Elemenope|4.22.08 @ 11:32AM|#
Bill Clinton made SNL watchable to me . . . in fact I should
watch the next one just so I don't miss a skit.
By retirement, I meant *political* retirement. If he wants to be a
TV funny man, more power to him.
|4.22.08 @ 11:35AM|#
At this point I'm not even sure the Obama team will give
Clinton a speaking slot at the convention.
Does anybody else think it's getting that ugly?
|4.22.08 @ 11:36AM|#
David Wigel! That shill! Whine whine whine!
Brown people coming into our country.
Whine.
Democratic party.
Whine whine whine.
Naga Sadow|4.22.08 @ 11:38AM|#
Elomenope,
My apologies. I meant his actions are usually potential fodder for
SNL skits. The man is a walking punchline.
Episiarch|4.22.08 @ 11:40AM|#
Oh man, Hillary better win big in PA so we get more of this during the convention. Can you imagine what he may say then?
Elemenope|4.22.08 @ 11:41AM|#
The man is a walking punchline.
Ah, I see. In that case, yeah, but nobody beats dubya in that
regard.
Naga Sadow|4.22.08 @ 11:43AM|#
Elemenope,
Gotta disagree. SNL wussed out on Dubya skits after 9/11 for a
while. I had lost interest by the time they got better. At least
I'm assuming they got better, again, lost interest.
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 11:44AM|#
JsD,
Yea, and I am loving it! See comment in another thread ref. dog
fighting.
alan|4.22.08 @ 11:46AM|#
disagree. Bill Clinton made SNL watchable to me . . . in
fact I should watch the next one just so I don't miss a
skit.
What is it about the spouses of candidates that they do this? Fine
line between Love and Hate? During an argument you can't throw
lamps at the candidate without catching a bullet from the Secret
Service so you pop a verbal turd for the press to examine
instead?
PC|4.22.08 @ 11:46AM|#
"You really got to go somewhere to play the race card with me.
My office is in Harlem."
If somehow Hillary pulls off the nomination what is the betting
line that his office gets torched?
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 11:53AM|#
If somehow Hillary pulls off the nomination what is the
betting line that his office gets torched?
Harlem is in New York city, not Detroit.
Episiarch|4.22.08 @ 11:56AM|#
Bill Clinton made SNL watchable to me
I didn't think this was possible. Has SNL actually improved so much
that it is now watchable? Or just certain skits?
My contempt for the awfulness of SNL is boundless.
|4.22.08 @ 11:57AM|#
The fall of the Clintons serves to reinforce my belief that most
political passion results people using politicians as proxies for
their own individual social status. When their politician is on
top, the feel that they personally are on top.
That is how the Clintons went from superheroes to villains in the
course of year. Nothing about the Clintons changed. People just
found another status proxy. Those who used to support the Clintons'
ambitions when the Clintons served as the status proxies now see
them as threat and despise them.
This kind of behavior makes me worry that libertarians principles
might never catch on. Are people ever really going to a poltician
who says, "let's leave everybody alone," as a status proxy?
Jerry|4.22.08 @ 11:59AM|#
What did Bill Clinton say when he hung up (3:30)? Something with "take shit"; even when you rack up the volume, it is hardly recognizable though.
B|4.22.08 @ 12:00PM|#
The man is a walking punchline.
In a perfect world, we could get Obama as President
and Bill Clinton as First Lady.
Seitz|4.22.08 @ 12:00PM|#
David, you missed the best part: The bit at the very end of the interview where, assuming his mic was dead, Clinton says: "I don't think I can take any shit from that on anybody, do you?"
|4.22.08 @ 12:08PM|#
Does anyone think he got brain-damage from that heart
surgery
Hes seemed completely tone deaf politically since then.
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 12:12PM|#
Seitz,
Thus backing up my advice to Mr. Weigel in my first comment on this
thread.
David! Hide!
Episiarch|4.22.08 @ 12:15PM|#
Cesar, things are tough when you are no longer a media darling.
Do you actually think he talked and behaved differently 8 years
ago?
He's just pissed that Obama already has his crown as media darling
and may take his "first black president" medal too.
|4.22.08 @ 12:18PM|#
Speaking of SNL, Other Matt, have you ever seen the John Belushi
"But NOOOOOO!!!!!" Weekend Update sketches? The ones where he works
himself in a lather, than yells "Gah, ugh!" and falls under the
desk?
Oh, no reason.
|4.22.08 @ 12:18PM|#
Jimmy Carter just builds crappy houses and hangs out with
terrorists and dictators. Bush senior fishes. Ronald Reagan is
dead.
... but Bill really knows how to be an entertaining ex-president. I
voted for Hillary just to have him back in the White House.
If you can't have good government - or small government - have
entertaining government that is hamstrung by scandal, sex and crazy
relatives.
|4.22.08 @ 12:18PM|#
I dunno, I think this only seems like a nasty race because recently these things are decided before now. Given how close things are, how they were not expected to be so, and what's at stake I'm actually suprised at how civil the race is. I mean, listen to an Obama or Hillary speech from beginning to end and you will usually here very little direct putting down of each other...It's 95% "uplifting generic platitudes"
|4.22.08 @ 12:18PM|#
Goddam, Shannon @ 11:57. That is probably the most insightful thing I'll read all day.
|4.22.08 @ 12:21PM|#
I guess you're right Epi.
Still before this race heated up he was supposed to be this great
political mind and her "secret weapon". In reality, hes become more
like a huge handicap with his big mouth and lack of
discipline.
Hmm, maybe I should change my Clinton double digit win prediction
since every other time Clinton opens his mouth his wife goes
down.
|4.22.08 @ 12:21PM|#
"Jimmy Carter just builds crappy houses and hangs out with
terrorists and dictators."
Isn't this what's wrong with the Right these days? Jimmy Carter
cannot be commended on his work with Habitat for Humanity, he must
be ridiculed for building "crappy houses" (for poor people
nonethless, how dare he!). And he doesn't meet meet with terrorists
and dictators in order to urge things like human rights
improvements, hostage release, peace negotiations, etc., he "hangs
out with them."
Do you ever get dizzy from spinning everything, or do you ever take
time out to work towards a fair appraisal of other people's actions
and motives you may disagree with as a first gut reaction?
|4.22.08 @ 12:23PM|#
It would be nuts for Obama to not give Bill a speaking role. He's a scummy character, but face it, the guy made the Democratic party a playa again. He was a political genuis. I remember how he took one of the biggest weights around the Dems neck in the 1970's and 1980's, their soft on crime image, and turned it around by endorsing the death penalty and framing gun control as a pro-law enforcement issue.
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 12:24PM|#
MNG,
Okay, President Carter associates with terrorist leaders because he
has been unable to convince the Israelis to march into the sea on
their own.
Oh, and he is a nice guy for building houses fo poor people and I
really wish he would stick to that.
Better?
Xmas|4.22.08 @ 12:27PM|#
Funny timing...
I was just reading on Jerry Pournelles blog that Bill Clinton may
be suffering from brain damage caused during his open heart
surgery...
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2008other/080412clinton.htm
Neil|4.22.08 @ 12:27PM|#
LOL Guy your so spot on again!
If we left things up to Jimmy "surrender" Carter our grandkids
would all be forced to read the Koran, that is if the Soviets hadnt
won the Cold War and they would all be reading Marx and Lenin
first.
Hes a stupid leftist surrendocrat comsymp. He hates America and
should just be kicked out!!
|4.22.08 @ 12:28PM|#
Old reliable Guy...Carter wants the Israelis to march into the
sea, huh? Coulda fooled me by, you know, his words and actions as
President and ex-President...
This is the crux of the problem. Perhaps you think it is foolish
and non-productive to meet with and negotiate with people that do
reprehensible things, perhaps you think a better approach is to
ignore for a spell and then bomb for a spell, but those who believe
in the former approach are not therefore FOR the goals of the
people who do reprehensible things. They just disagree with you
aout how to make them stop.
alan|4.22.08 @ 12:28PM|#
Isn't this what's wrong with the Right these days? Jimmy
Carter cannot be commended on his work with Habitat for Humanity,
he must be ridiculed for building "crappy houses"
That was meant to show the truly twisted nature of our public
discourse that values the sleaze factor over accomplishment. To
avoid misplaced sanctimony in the future, you may want to take a
few English literature classes at your local Uni or Community
College.
|4.22.08 @ 12:29PM|#
MNG,
I've got big problems with Carter, but I think his work with
Habitat is admirable.
|4.22.08 @ 12:30PM|#
By the way, Bill put his office in Harlem when word got out about how much his first choice (Manhattan) was going to cost the taxpayers.
|4.22.08 @ 12:30PM|#
You see, like him or it or not, Carter seems to be a sincere believer in this book called The Gospels, and he construes a big part of that book to be about things like working towards peace and avoiding conflict at all costs. Yeah, what a nut! I mean, who in their right mind could get such a message from such a text!
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 12:31PM|#
Old reliable Guy...Carter wants the Israelis to march into
the sea, huh? Coulda fooled me by, you know, his words and actions
as President and ex-President...
We must have been observing his words and actions through completly
different gravity lenses.
Episiarch|4.22.08 @ 12:31PM|#
Whoever is behind Neil, you are in danger of jumping the shark. It was absolutely great while it lasted, but you should come clean and let us know who you are so we can congratulate you on this project.
Episiarch|4.22.08 @ 12:33PM|#
By the way, Bill put his office in Harlem when word got out
about how much his first choice (Manhattan) was going to cost the
taxpayers.
Harlem is in Manhattan. But yes, I believe he wanted a midtown
office and went up to 125th St. after the outcry.
|4.22.08 @ 12:35PM|#
Yeah Guy, I've been duped by his actions like approving tons of
money along with military and diplomatic aid to Israel while
President. He really hates those guys! And his taking time and
money to broker a peace with Egypt (I mean, the Israeli's hated
that, didn't they?). Or his repeated statements supporting Israel's
right to exist. But you saw through all that subterfuge!
But oh, he has been critical of some of Israel's policies, so he
must want them to march into the sea.
Guy, you are fucking nuts my man. Turn off the Rush Limbaugh and
get out in the world.
alan|4.22.08 @ 12:35PM|#
Episiarch | April 22, 2008, 12:31pm | #
Whoever is behind Neil, you are in danger of jumping the shark. It
was absolutely great while it lasted, but you should come clean and
let us know who you are so we can congratulate you on this
project.
I definitely new that he was screwing around when he stated a few
weeks ago that Hannity is the Vanguard of the Conservitive
Movement. Real Cons are very suspicious of that word 'vanguard' as
commie vernacular and would have never used it.
|4.22.08 @ 12:36PM|#
most political passion results from people using politicians
as proxies for their own individual social status. When their
politician is on top, the feel that they personally are on
top.
Excellent point Shannon. And conversely when their politician
starts going down (Bush, HRC), people turn into rabid attack dogs
because they feel like their status is being challenged.
More people really should take the time to breathe before getting
so hyperexcited at the latest attack on Hilary, Obama, Bush, Ron
Paul or whomever. The truth is most of us will never meet these
politicians, these politicans don't care about us, and rooting for
them is almost as inconsequential as rooting for the Steelers or
the Browns. Most of us can only really effect political change on a
local level, and most of us are too busy or lazy to actually go do
that, so we root for our team (Go Ron Paul! Kick'em in the balls!)
and post comments instead.
|4.22.08 @ 12:37PM|#
"Turn off the Rush Limbaugh and get out in the world."
Not only might you discover that the world fails to empirically
verify every nutty thing you hear on Hannity, but you might
discover the joys of these things called "women."
Elemenope|4.22.08 @ 12:37PM|#
Anyone who uses the word "comsymp" clearly has Alzheimer's. Of course, Neil would be proud to have Alzheimer's, what with Reagan having had it and all.
Episiarch|4.22.08 @ 12:39PM|#
alan, it's been slowly getting over the top for a week or so
now. Still, that's some great internet performance art.
Now just don't ruin it, "Neil". Do you think that the last season
of Knight Rider was a positive thing?
|4.22.08 @ 12:41PM|#
The only other person on this blog thats ever used the term "comsymp" besides Neil is Lone Wacko.
Episiarch|4.22.08 @ 12:44PM|#
LoneWacko can't be Neil, because that would mean I have enjoyed something LoneWacko wrote. So it's not possible.
|4.22.08 @ 12:46PM|#
Neil=Neil Bush?
You know, the one that went to prison for the S&L
scandal?
He did quote Peggy Noonan!
alan|4.22.08 @ 12:48PM|#
I definitely new
What is it with my errors with the homonyms today? Their, there,
new, knew. Got to get this old brain in for a check up.
The Democratic Republican|4.22.08 @ 12:49PM|#
Episiarch | April 22, 2008, 11:40am | #
Oh man, Hillary better win big in PA so we get more of this during
the convention. Can you imagine what he may say then?
100% agreement on this! His head might actually burst.
|4.22.08 @ 12:49PM|#
Here's audio of Bill Clinton from Pennsylvania's WHYY,
cursing and ranting about how Barack Obama's campaign "played the
race card" on him.
I'm gonna call bullshit on this statement by David Weigel. Didn't
hear a single curse word. Didn't hear any ranting. What I heard was
a calm series of statements about how Bill Clinton thought Obama's
campaign was deliberately trying to go for racial
divisiveness.
I'll leave it to others to parse out whether they agree or disagree
with these statements, but shame on Reason for allowing this kind
of blatant misrepresentation of fact, instead of trying for
reasonably objective journalism.
No cursing. No ranting.
|4.22.08 @ 12:50PM|#
Um, wasn't Clinton the 42nd President?
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III
on August 19, 1946)[1] was the 42nd President of the United States,
serving from 1993 to 2001.
Wikipedia...
|4.22.08 @ 12:52PM|#
Yeah, maybe Neil Cavuto.
He did like the loaded questions.
"How does it make you feel that B. Hussein Obama is tied to leftist
60s radicals?"
ed|4.22.08 @ 1:37PM|#
I have black friends!
Of course he does. He was the First Black President!(tm)
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 1:47PM|#
Wasn't the Rev. Wright one of Mr. Clinton's friends when he was trying to look repentant with 'the great wall of preachers'? I mean, his 'friend' before the ex-pres. had to throw the Rev. under the bus in order to save Mrs. Clinton?
|4.22.08 @ 1:54PM|#
"I don't think I should have to take shit on that from anybody,
do you?"
for a second, i thought i was the only one who noticed that.
|4.22.08 @ 2:03PM|#
Hmm, maybe I should change my Clinton double digit win
prediction since every other time Clinton opens his mouth his wife
goes down.
Obviously not. He's been reduced to chubby interns because she
doesn't.*
*It's so easy it's hard to resist.
|4.22.08 @ 2:06PM|#
He's such a loser - so is his wife. THey are egomaniacs on steroids. Enough of them!
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 2:18PM|#
Remind me again why we should elect this guy's wife? Out of
pity for her?
No, because Nora Ephron says we are bitter White men and we hate
Black folks more than White women.
|4.22.08 @ 3:38PM|#
... wait, wait, wait ... "they played the race card on me" ...
who exactly is he referring to, and which race is he running, and
what exactly does it have to do with the _actual_ Clinton who's
_actually_ running for President?
The longer and more protracted this primary debacle gets, the more
disgraceful the former President and his wife become.
I do love the "but I have black friends and employees" trope.
Nobody's ever used that before to appear egalitarian and
enlightened.
alan|4.22.08 @ 4:00PM|#
Wasn't the Rev. Wright one of Mr. Clinton's friends when he
was trying to look repentant with 'the great wall of preachers'? I
mean, his 'friend' before the ex-pres. had to throw the Rev. under
the bus in order to save Mrs. Clinton?
It had the ring of, 'I've heard of him before from somewhere' when
the matter first surfaced. Perhaps, that would explain it.
Paul|4.22.08 @ 4:05PM|#
"You really got to go somewhere to play the race card with
me. My office is in Harlem."
Which was, in and of itself, a play of the race card.
Paul|4.22.08 @ 4:08PM|#
Are people ever really going to a poltician who says, "let's
leave everybody alone," as a status proxy?
No, but for myriad reasons other than (in addition) to what you
allude, Shannon.
Guy Montag|4.22.08 @ 4:27PM|#
You really got to go somewhere to play the race card with
me. My office is in Harlem.
Perhaps he means that people should not play the race card on him
in person, they should stop by his office in Harlem to throw that
one down?
Oh, it gets better.
He was asked about this today. ABC and NBC double-teamed
him!
|4.22.08 @ 4:31PM|#
"You really got to go somewhere to play the race card with
me. My office is in Harlem."
He needs to say that with "Across 110th Street" playing in the
background.
TallDave|4.22.08 @ 4:40PM|#
Remember when Bill Clinton was universally hailed as a political
genius?
Now suddenly the left realizes he's just a shameless liar, and
Obama is the newly crowned political genius.
|4.22.08 @ 4:51PM|#
Guy, nobody should ever use the words "double-team" and "Clinton" in the same post.
|4.22.08 @ 5:14PM|#
Oh, issn't it rich. Bill Clinton, trying to remain vital to American politics. Everything is about him. He is quickly becomming the oposite of what they accuse their opponent. He is a doddering old man.
|4.22.08 @ 5:43PM|#
He needs to say that with "Across 110th Street" playing in
the background.
Hey white boy, what you doin' up town?
Hey white boy, you chasin' our women around?
No pardon me sir, furthest from my mind
I'm just looking for a dear, dear friend of mine.
*|4.22.08 @ 5:51PM|#
No, no, no, Weigel. That's not what he said. You always follow him around and play these little games, and I'm not going to play your games today. This is a day about election day. Go back and see what the question was, and what his answer was. You have mischaracterized it to get another cheap story to divert the American people from the real urgent issues before us, and I choose not to play your game today. Have a nice day.
|4.23.08 @ 3:18AM|#
Obama has to invite Bill to speak at the convention, transcending divisive politics and all that. The question is, would Bill accept?
|4.23.08 @ 8:39AM|#
Onward & upward. We've recognized the Billary tag-team for who they are for a long time. They even lie to one another & have the most self -serving, narcissistic personalities of anyone in politics (like the Bushes) so we expect them to do just what they're doing, lying cheating,hate mongering,phony tears & gratitude,carpetbagging,holding political hostages (pay-backs to Bill ,e.g. Rendell) & on & on ,you see it . What counts will be seen in mid June. How does it feel Clintons to know you sell your soul for such a small margin. You destroy the Democratic party as well as whatever legacy Bill had.But then again that's true narcissism.
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