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.
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Bill Clinton should have remained retired. This is not news. Everyone seems to know this...except, of course, the Clinton campaign.
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!
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.
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.
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.
He just doesn't want to lose the title of "first black president." It's how he picks up chicks in Harlem... and Williamsburg.
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.
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?
David Wigel! That shill! Whine whine whine!
Brown people coming into our country.
Whine.
Democratic party.
Whine whine whine.
Elomenope,
My apologies. I meant his actions are usually potential fodder for SNL skits. The man is a walking punchline.
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?
The man is a walking punchline.
Ah, I see. In that case, yeah, but nobody beats dubya in that regard.
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.
JsD,
Yea, and I am loving it! See comment in another thread ref. dog fighting.
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?
"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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
minor nit:
Clinton was the 42nd president. W is the 43rd.
The man is a walking punchline.
In a perfect world, we could get Obama as President and Bill Clinton as First Lady.
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?"
What Seitz said.
Does anyone think he got brain-damage from that heart surgery
Hes seemed completely tone deaf politically since then.
Seitz,
Thus backing up my advice to Mr. Weigel in my first comment on this thread.
David! Hide!
I have black friends!
joe's caught in an echo chamber again.
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.
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.
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.
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"
Goddam, Shannon @ 11:57. That is probably the most insightful thing I'll read all day.
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.
"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?
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.
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?
for*
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
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!!
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.
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.
MNG,
I've got big problems with Carter, but I think his work with Habitat is admirable.
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.
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!
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.
BTW, I'm twisted and loving every minute of it!
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.
Yeah, wtf? How can anyone be opposed to private charity?
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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."
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.
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?
The only other person on this blog thats ever used the term "comsymp" besides Neil is Lone Wacko.
LoneWacko can't be Neil, because that would mean I have enjoyed something LoneWacko wrote. So it's not possible.
Neil=Neil Bush?
You know, the one that went to prison for the S&L scandal?
He did quote Peggy Noonan!
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.
Neil Cavuto!!!
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.
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.
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...
vanya -- very insightful stuff.
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?"
Nice headline, moroon
"I don't think I should have to take shit on that from anybody, do you?"
I have black friends!
Of course he does. He was the First Black President!(tm)
HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!
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?
"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.
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.
The previous was me. Joke name screw-up.
He's such a loser - so is his wife. THey are egomaniacs on steroids. Enough of them!
Remind me again why we should elect this guy's wife? Out of pity for her?
YEA! Dave fixed the title!
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.
... 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.
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.
"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.
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.
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!
"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.
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.
Guy, nobody should ever use the words "double-team" and "Clinton" in the same post.
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.
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.
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.
Obama has to invite Bill to speak at the convention, transcending divisive politics and all that. The question is, would Bill accept?
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.