Political Hay
A Bruised Reid Obama Will Not Break
Understanding the dialect of Democrats.
In the 2008 primary, according to Game Change, Harry Reid judged Barack Obama by the color of his skin while Hillary Clinton honed in on the content of his character. Reid thought him sufficiently “light-skinned” for victory; Hillary thought him corrupt enough for defeat.
The book says Hillary approved of the comment made by her New Hampshire campaign co-chair, Billy Shaheen, who had said that Obama’s disclosures of cocaine and marijuana use would expose him to Republican attacks. “The Republicans are not going to give up without a fight…and one of the things they’re certainly going to jump on is his drug use,” he said.
Press accounts at the time said Hillary apologized to Obama directly for Shaheen’s remark. In reality, according to Game Change, she was overjoyed by it, saying to aides privately, “Good for him!” and “Let’s push it out.”
As cynical apologies go, however, Hillary still can’t top her husband’s mea culpa to “mafioso type” Mario Cuomo for that remark to Gennifer Flowers which he had insisted to the press he didn’t make.
Hillary’s now-known pride at Shaheen’s slight, by the way, throws light on another glorious moment in the campaign: BET founder Robert L. Johnson cast Obama as a former drug dealer at a Hillary event while the candidate looked on approvingly. “Good for him” was apparently the thought behind Hillary’s purring gaze.
But these days the Democrats, while not exactly a happy family, are a less rancorous and more pragmatic one, even if Nancy Pelosi at press conferences flinches a bit at Harry Reid’s touch. They rallied to Reid without hesitation this week, judging him according to the content of his voting record. Reid enjoys the protected status of a rapper: he can use “N” words with impunity, because his “heart” is in the right place.
“What is the big fuss about the word ‘Negro’?” said James Clyburn of the Congressional Black Caucus on that source of enlightenment and subtlety, MSNBC’s The Ed Show. Racial unity has taken an unusual turn in Obama’s first year, with black and white Democrats joining together to prop up a pol who uses anachronistic racial language.
Bill Clinton has received much more of a drubbing for his reported comment in Game Change, though it is not clear if he was referring to Obama’s race or inexperience. According to the book, he had offended Ted Kennedy by dismissing Obama as a “guy who would have been getting us coffee” a few years ago. Perhaps that was Clinton’s way of referring to Obama as a political novice.
Why is Reid’s comment understandable and Clinton’s “disturbing,” as Al Sharpton put it? Because Clinton isn’t crucial to the passage of ObamaCare. Pent-up anger at Reid has found an outlet on Bill Clinton.
But Hillary is safe. She won’t have to resign for having peddled cocaine stories against her boss, an odd line of attack since drug use was a qualification for high office during the Clinton years. Like Reid, Hillary is crucial to the success of the Obama administration, so all can be forgiven.
Obama, in his largesse this week, seems to be treating Reid like his late white grandmother. He once referred to her as a “typical white person” who didn’t harbor “racial animosity” but was thrown by unfamiliar circumstances. Obama had to retrieve his grandmother from underneath the campaign bus after Hillary Clinton’s adviser Mark Penn sought to marginalize him as too alien for ordinary Americans. Retrieving Reid this week was another unpleasant chore for Obama but simply had to be done.
The Democrats’ picture of comity is shredded by Game Change’s picture of sinister comedy. How they view each other is bad. But how they view the American public is even worse.
About the Author
George Neumayr, a contributing editor to The American Spectator, is co-author, with Phyllis Schlafly, of the new book, No Higher Power: Obama’s War on Religious Freedom.
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Oldefarte| 1.14.10 @ 11:38AM
Perhaps the lesson learned is that Democrats LIE/PROVARICATE in order to get elected. No, no, that can't be, since confirmation of this would render the voters for/supporters of them as STUPID!!!!!
MTB| 1.14.10 @ 2:54PM
Good one, oldefarte. They are no stupider than Charlie Brown believing that Lucy was actually going to hold that football for him to kick each time. They keep voting for whoever promises them the most (free health care, free mortgages, free kitchens, free cars, free gas, free, free, free), only to find out that the ball has been pulled away at the last minute, so they land flat on their butts. But do they learn? Nope! They go right on and vote for the next dem that makes the same impossible promises. Rush Limbaugh once said something like this (paraphrasing) during Clinton's first election: "If someone promises you the moon, make sure they can deliver it." Dems will say and do anything to get elected. Then when they're in they say, "Oh, I won't be able to do that afterall. Sorry." BAM! Flat on their butts.
Anthony| 1.14.10 @ 12:06PM
Every day proves that Ds are morally and intellectually bankrupt. Hillary sends out a pit bull to attack Obama's drug record by claiming that Republicans will jump all over it!! Shades of Algore and Dukakas.
These people are beyond shameless.
As for Obama treating Reid like his white, hopelessly racist but kind grandmother, not to worry Barry, you won't have to throw Harry under the bus, the people of Nevada will do that come November for you, that is, assuming this reprobate coward doesn't pull a Chris Dudd.
Either way, white bread Harry is toast. Come to think of it, so is the Democrat Party.
BillF| 1.14.10 @ 12:12PM
I just don’t understand all of the negative hubbub over Reid’s comment. I think that America should be celebrating the fact that we have finally attained the racial nirvana we have so long sought; we are now a post racial nation. How could we call it anything but that when the President is not offended by being called a Negro, especially a Negro who can turn it on and off situationally. Nor are any of the other racial activists, or the black community in general, offended. I think this means that the last bastion of racism in America, racism against blacks, has gone by the way of racism and hatred agains Irish, Italians, Jews, Japanese, and all others. The people on the right are wrong for calling for Reid’s ouster; they should be instead praising him for being the man who finally brought us to the recognition that race is no longer an issue in America.
MTB| 1.14.10 @ 2:59PM
Thanks, BillF. I didn't know we had crossed that last hurdle. I can now rejoice in the knowledge that we are at last, as Dr. King envisioned, a unified country, not to be judged by the color of our skin, but the content of our character. I should send Harry Reid a congratulatory note for being the one to bring Dr. King's dream to fruition.
tonypal| 1.14.10 @ 10:31PM
That's a very funny and interesting take. In fact, apart from posting it here on TAS, might I suggest that you submit your post to your local and statewide papers in the form of an editorial.
Al Adab| 1.14.10 @ 12:27PM
...but teaching "ebonics" in school is mandated or at least encouraged. Sure, the Left always is consistant.
As a wise man once said about DC, "If hypocricy were oil, this town would be Saudi Arabia."
Michael Tomlinson| 1.14.10 @ 8:56PM
Everyone knows Harry didn't say "Negro."
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