January 11, 2008
I thought Bill Clinton was the first black president
Posted by Jamelle under black people, democrats, politics | Tags: 2008, clintons |The Clinton campaign gone into damage control with the black community after a series of remarks made by Bill and Hillary Clinton:
The Clinton campaign moved Friday to try to quell a potentially damaging backlash over recent comments by Bill and Hillary Clinton that have drawn criticism from African-Americans just as the presidential primary campaign reached Southern states with significant blocs of black voters.
Former President Bill Clinton called into Al Sharpton’s nationally syndicated talk radio show to say that his “fairy tale” comment on Monday about Senator Barack Obama’s positioning on the war was being misconstrued and that he was talking only about the war, not Mr. Obama’s overarching message or his drive to be the first black president.
“There’s nothing fairy tale about his campaign,” Mr. Clinton said. “It’s real, strong and he might win.”
Mr. Clinton’s fairy-tale line and a comment by Senator Clinton that was interpreted by some as giving President Johnson more credit than the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. for winning changes in civil rights laws have disturbed African-Americans who saw them as unfair and diminishing the role of civil rights activists.
The frustration came as a Jan. 26 primary loomed in South Carolina, where up to half of the Democratic electorate could be black, followed by voting in other Southern states.
During his eight year term Bill Clinton expanded the reach and scope of the “war on drugs”, passed NAFTA, and signed off on a bipartisan “welfare reform” bill. None of which were particularly good for African-Americans. With an expanded budget and greater police powers, law enforcement renewed the war against drugs by targeting the most dangerous offenders, poor black drug users. By the end of his administration, the overall prison population grew from 1.3 million to 2 million, with drug arrests driving most of that growth. Clinton’s “tough on crime” stance devastated black communities; thousands of black men were given felony convictions for non-violent crimes, sent to prison for absurdly long periods of time (mandatory sentencing laws) and once released, couldn’t even vote (laws preventing felons from voting).
NAFTA may have given North America a bigger pie to share, but it also wrecked havoc on American workers, destroying hundreds of thousands of well-paying industrial jobs and disproportionately affecting African-Americans and other minorities.
And Clinton’s “welfare reform” did move poor African-Americans off of the welfare rolls, but it also cut their benefits when they needed it the most. As soon as the recession set in, thousands of poor blacks returned to a welfare system that offered diminished benefits.
All of this is to say that the Clintons have received a free pass from the African-American community for too damn long. Sure, the Clintons are comfortable with African-Americans, but when push came to shove, they were more than willing to throw us under the bus for short-term electoral gain. I hope their recent Obama-related comments are enough to sow the seeds of doubt among African-Americans and at least prompt a reevaluation of the community’s relationship with the two most powerful Democrats in the country.
January 11, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Well, like so many things in politics, the image is worth more than the reality it would seem. Good post.
January 12, 2008 at 9:32 am
I voted for him twice, but his allure has been tarnished in my opinion. What say you?
January 12, 2008 at 4:08 pm
I’m not old enough to have voted for him and only somewhat remember the latter years of his term (but I was a kid so wasn’t really paying attention to anything). Based on what I’ve read about his term, Bill Clinton seems like a cautious, centrist, pro-business Democrat. If he had been prominent fifteen years earlier, he’d be a Republican.
January 14, 2008 at 9:17 am
Take a look at this:
http://environmentalrepublican.blogspot.com/2008/01/donna-brazile-speaks-for-all-african.html
And tell me what you think…….
January 14, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I think it’s annoying that CNN has essentially anointed her as spokesperson for all black people.
January 14, 2008 at 5:03 pm
TAKE THIS AND SPREAD IT:
http://bloggersforobama.blogspot.com/2008/01/editorial.html
THIS SISTER IS RIGHT ON!!!!!
January 14, 2008 at 5:38 pm
It’s bad enough to listen to conservative talk radio instigate from the sidelines., But the Clintons “playing the victims this week”., All the while taken passive agressive shots at Obama..(slimey) After Bill Clintons blue dress (DNA) saga(lying to the country)and being ran out of office in disgrace., I’m sickened at the thought of a ex-president acting like this.. The democratic(black vote)party saw fit to put the Clintons in office twice.(like mangy dog w/ conservative fleas)and as if the country has forgotten.. Here comes “Scarlet O’Hilary” using her husbands former flawed/tarnished reputation as her political “trust fund”. Granted the republican are a easy target this election, But the Clintons have to stop using the Democratic Party as thier own personal Plantation.. Use that experience to coach from the sideline.. Hilarys blind ambition needs to be checked. Her at all cost, No shame to the game. REAKS.. Her marriage in reality has become her “political investment”. That just as disgraceful as those George & Jeb Bush hanging chads.. Not my vote,Not my president. PLEASE not my country..