Clinton cites possibility of Obama assassination reason to remain in race

FB, I simply don't understand your comments regarding Black political leaders and assassinations. Do you seriously believe there is a difference between the races when it comes to this topic? Maybe it's because I'm older than you, but along with the obvious incidents with Black leaders we can all think of, I vividly remember Jack Kennedy being murdered, and Bobby being murdered, as well. What possible difference is there? It was horrible. Unspeakable. A national tragedy in both cases, as was Dr. King and others, some not so famous, who were killed for their beliefs.

I also have to say I'm astonished. Really blown away by a couple of the comments here trying to discount RFK, Jr.'s comment on Clinton's gaff. For God's sake... he's Bobby Kennedy's son. He was at his bedside at the hospital when he died. He was 14, which is certainly old enough to have terrible memories of what happened to his father. I certainly have excellent memories of when I was 14. If anything, better memories from then than something that happened 15 or 20 years ago. Yet he didn't think it was a big deal. And people dismiss that? Unbelievable.



Impeach Bush. Lock Him in a Room with Jim Webb.

 

Obama had to get secret service protection earlier than any other Presidential candidate in history. Colin Powell didn't run for President because his wife was concerned that he would be assassinated. One of the big fears in the black community is that Obama will be targetted because he's black. The single greatest black leader in American history was assassinated. The reality may be that there's not much difference in the likelihood of assassination, but the perception is very different. With a white candidate, the idea that he/she will be assassinated is not at the front of people's minds - with a black one, its very different. The concern of there being attempts on Obama's life due to his race have been bubbling under the surface for a long time. Not so at the same level for any of the other candidates in the race.

 

You have a point. Seeing a documentary about MLK, Jr. you could tell he was very fearful in his last speech in which he is exhausted and mentally drained...It was almost as if he knew he would get his jaw/neck blown off on that balconey in Memphis...

It would be naive to not think there is some nut wanting to go down in history...ever since the death of Abraham Lincoln.

sad...

 

Yes assassination is different between the races when it comes to this. All Political leaders face assassination, but black political leaders face it not only for political reason but also for racial reasons. There are two things would-be assassins hold against them. Other political leaders have but one. Look outside of politics. Baseball fans might have disliked other players but only Jackie Robinson received the kinds of death threats he did.

I dismiss RFK jr.'s being ok with Hillary's comments, because he wasn't the one that should be offended. Merely talking about an assassination that is part of history wasn't the bad thing. It was talking about it in connection with staying in the race(and I agree that it wasn't used as a reason to stay in.), and when looking at the history of our nation.

 

Deckard,

There is a difference simply because a good number of Blacks have an inescapable fear that Obama will be "targeted" one way or another if he's elected. They still remember the assassinations of MLK and Malcolm X, perhaps the two most prominent Black leaders in the history of this country. They see the polls that say nearly one out of five Americans says Obama's race factors into their voting tendencies, and those are just the ones that have the galls to admit it. So yes, there is a difference, there is a huge cloud of fear and 'distrust' that still lingers over race relations in this country, and many in the Black community are skeptical, highly skeptical...and for good reason. It's a natural paranoia given the history of Black leaders in this country. I really do think that America as a whole is on the cusp of a 'breakthrough' in terms of ethnic relations. Whether anyone admits it or not, the Black community as a whole has a strong, historically rooted distrust of the 'establishment' in this country, and I really think seeing someone like Obama break through on his own can ease up those feelings a bit, may be even turn things around for the younger generations.

Let's hope for the best, a lot of good can come out of Obama's candidacy, but should anything go awry, a lot of bad can happen as well.

 

Obama's generous and classy response:

 

The Cat - honestly. . . if you not going to vote for Obama. . just don't . . . don't use euphemisms and innuendo and various what if statements to justifiy it . . . judging by various statements here. . . it seems voting for him is more about what he doesn't do or say than what he does or say . . it is tenuous at best to begin with . . . . . .

Deckard . . . as others have said. . . It is not RFK Jr's place to be offended . . . it was referencing his father but directed at Obama . . . .If your father died of cancer at 34 . . and someone is approaching 34 . . . . and has history of cancer in his family . . . telling that person . . .Well never know you can get cancer like Deckard's dad . .. while it maybe offensive to you . . .it is way more offensive to the person . . .

Honestly .. . . her references to assassination makes her overtures about being VP even more disingenuous . .even more problematic
If she became VP it would be like she is simply WAITING on him to be assassinated. . . .like a fricking specter of death waiting just over his right shoulder at every turn . . . ..

Rocket River
Megatron Meet StarScream

 

If this thread's any indication, her diehards will gladly go down the ship with her.

 

I didn't know TheCat was already allowed to vote. Last I remembered seeing any of his posts, I think he was not 18 yet. And now I see him using big words and saying "as someone who worked in the DC media".

I guess I've been here too long.

 

there is a part of Clinton's core constituency that'll never vote for Obama.

sure, some of them will demand that he jump through hoops, designed to ignore all Sen. Clinton's gaffes, for their support. don't believe it ... policy wise the remaining Democratic candidates are virtually identical.

anyone unstable enough to demand Sen. Obama wear a blue suit every third Tuesday to garner their support away from polar opposite McCain ... is just toying with yah.

 

While we are on this RFK thing, as anyone noticed this guy was cockeyed? I mean, really cockeyed:



"Say man, who is that guy lookin at"
"Sheeeeet, he lookin at you and me son!"

 

Go step in front of a large bus. Or jump off a cliff. Or make manly love to George W. Bush. Just get the hell out of this forum. For me, at least, you are gone. Member #2 on my ignore list. I've never seen a more tasteless post, even from Trader_J and his twin brother. Seriously, I'd cuss your sorry self out, but I wouldn't want to offend your tender and obviously immature sensibilities.



Impeach Bush. Sentence Him to Live with a Fool.

 

Was RFK your brother or something? If sorry sorry. If not, was just a joke. Don't take it so damn seriously.

 

You also put me on after one comment I made that you think was the worst thing in the world. Not like I have a history of making horrible comments (in your opinion). Peace.

 

Apparently it's Obama's fault now. These people never cease to amaze me.

Obama's RFK response "inflammatory"?

by Christi Parsons

Hillary Clinton's team this morning is suggesting that the flap over her RFK comments owes in part to Barack Obama's campaign fanning the flames.

On CBS' Face the Nation program this morning, Clinton aide Howard Wolfson said he thought it was "inflammatory" for the Obama campaign to "attack" Clinton for the remarks, in which she cited the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in a way that some found offensive.

Speaking to a newspaper editorial board last week, Clinton cited two historical examples as reasons that she isn't dropping out of the current race for the Democratic nomination.
Her husband didn't lock up his first nomination until June, she said, also adding that Kennedy was still campaigning in June when he was assassinated.

Some saw that as a suggestion that the same thing could happen to Obama, who leads Clinton in the race for the party nomination. The Clinton team vehemently denies that was her intent, pointing out that she was simply naming lengthy primary campaigns of the past when she mentioned Kennedy.

"She was talking about it in a historical context," Wolfson told host Bob Schieffer. "To claim that she was making any other kind of reference," he said, " is wrong. And I think some in the news media did overhype this."

The press isn't the only one to blame, he suggested.

"The Obama campaign did put out a statement almost immediately condemning the remarks," he said. "I think what the Obama campaign did on Friday was unfortunate . . . to attack Sen. Clinton's remarks without knowing fully what she had said."

Wolfson also said that Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe was "absolutely right" this morning when he made a similar observation.

He also pointed to the words of Obama strategist David Axelrod, who says it's time for the campaign to move on to another topic.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/05/obamas_rfk_response_inflammato.html

 

This has happened many times now. They say something politically insensitive or stupid, get attacked for it, and then blame Obama for it. They did it with Bill Clinton's Jesse Jackson stuff in SC, the MLK comments, etc.

I hope there is a Primary Colors type book about the Clinton campaign somewhere down the road. I'd really be curious how delusional they are and if they realize how stupid they sound at times.

 

hillary's supporters are right on this one, she was just referencing timeline, however i don't think obama has to forgive her **** ups, that's ridiculous, even with his message

 

could you be anymore of a self righteous obnoxious person. thanks for giving obama the benefit of the doubt. might magnanimous of you funny how you're so quick to jump in these threads and defend clinton but you give obama no slack on taking advantage of her enormous screw ups. one wonders what your real problem with obama is?

 

He does seem really young -- maybe it was an internship.

 

another grand statement, he's with holding his tried and true vote that he has reserved all these years for the democrat, and never voted voted republican in all his years of life. LOLOLOLOLOL