but all's fair, except for some of the crap that Hillary's campaign pulled... on someone who was NOT Obama (or his family)

From the top of it:

Just Because You're Racist, Doesn't Mean You Have To Like It Hotlist
by RisingTide [Subscribe]
Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 06:39:05 AM PDT

Now, I won't stand up here and say I'm not racist. This ain't a soapbox, for one thing. But I will say that anyone here, reading this, probably harbors some thoughts about being racist.  I'm all in favor of NOT taking the knee-jerk attitude, "I can't be racist!" [...]

And that's about right.  But to read the diaries here by bitter post-Hillary holdouts (and can anybody dispute that description for this diary and its author?), it's unfair to speak out about any forms of racial bias and/or exploitation because it's unfair to certain white people, i.e., them.

YOU ARE NOT ALL RACISTS.  And if you are, you are not the ONLY racists.  Nor is racist an absolute term, like pregnant or unique.  I'd like to be sympathetic to your complaints about this, but you, ZCflint and your recommenders, are once again dragging us back into the primary season.  And once again, you put this crap at the top of the rec list.

At the top of the rec list thanks to these people, who should be ashamed of themselves.  Some of these people I was starting to regain respect for.

The Following Users Have Recommended This Diary:

David Kowalski
bsavage
bobswern
psychodrew
easyE
sricki
BlueDoggyDogg
louisprandtl
feelfree
catfish2

I have a whole bunch of complaints about Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro and Mark Penn and Begala and Carville and Shaheen, and I am trying as best I can not to air them because THE PRIMARY SEASON IS OVER..  I try to restrain myself as you infantile pricks keep throwing bait out there, daring us to fight back in turn.  Do you honestly think that you guys are the only ones that are bent out of shape by something that happened during the primary?  Do you think that if you keep airing your petrified grievances and the rest of us don't, that that means you are right?  

GET THE FUCK OVER IT.

I am really ashamed of some people here right now.

You know, I wouldn't even have read this diary if the title had said, "Bill Clinton is NOT a racist!"  I would have said, fine, skipped over it, and read something else.

I'll let the LOLCATS express it better:

Look. If you're going to quote another diary, at least put in some sources.

What various commentators, including myself said, that whatever the rights and wrongs of 'who played the race card first' this is precisely the wrong time to start debating them on MYDD, now that McCain is hurling exactly the same accusation at Obama.

Do you believe McCain is right or wrong? Then debate that issue.  Tarnishing the Obama campaign at this time with that accusation plays into the hands of McCain quite clearly

The prevaling POV in that thread is that Bill Clinton is backing up McCain's attacks by saying what he did; and defending himself from accusations of being a racist. I think he has every right to do that. I don't care what John McCain's doing or not.

Wow, you sure you're not actually Bill Clinton yourself? Cuz just like the Big Dawg, all that matters is defending the Clinton Brand, all else be damned. All that matters is making sure no one thinks ill of me. Who cares if by talking about this issue at this time I am adding fuel to McCain's baseless attacks? Who cares if my comments are not at all helpful to the Democratic Nominee. After all, Ya gots to look out for number one, right?

what John McCain is doing.

Wake the hell up.

But if this is the best you've got, I think Clyburn (a former close friend of the Clinton's) gets a pass. He did not at all accuse Bill of racism. He warned the campaign of the danger of marginalising the black vote. A very different thing you will have to agree. From the same source

"We keep talking as if it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter that Obama gets 92 percent of the black vote, because since he only got 35 percent of the white vote, he's in trouble," Clyburn said. "Well, Hillary Clinton only got 8 percent of the black vote. . . . It's almost saying black people don't matter. The only thing that matters is how white people respond. And that's what bothered me. I think I matter."

but do you think he is calling them racist?

Some surrogates in her camp are trying to render Obama unelectable against the Republican nominee so she could run for the Democratic nomination in 2012,

This isn't about the Clintons, really--it's about the perception that some people with their ear floated this as an idea.  I find that pretty plausible; I remember reading that kind of sentiment on pro-Hillary blogs between the end of the campaign and now.  Clyburn's warning them that such a perception would and does hurt their stellar reputation among the Democratic black base.

That's a far cry from calling them racist.  And I must say, if you think either President or Senator Clinton is above using race for the usual cynical political reasons . . . well, I'm not sure we'd be talking about the same people.

For the second time 'you' refers to the diarist, not to Bill. Bill can look after his own legacy. He's been great in many ways to African Americans. Listening to the interview, I think he was goaded into expressing his pain over the issue - a pain I believe he has some responsibility for.

But for two diarists here to make a big meal of it, three to four months on, just as McCain is accusing Obama of 'playing the race card first' is not helpful. That's what I and others mean by saying this kind of diary backs up McCain's attack, albeit unwittingly.

duende is one of the good guys - i promise.  please consider this.

Go read the other diary and check the comments Half the party didn't call Bill racist. He's clearly not.

Was Bill running for president? No

But did he make a patronising remark comparing Obama's electoral chances to Jesse Jacksons? Yes

It backfired. Not because of some disowned Obama campaign memo, but because AA's felt the remark to be patronising. Who am I or you to tell them otherwise.

I'm so tired of this false reverse accusation. Obama never even called Ferraro's comments racist, merely divisive.

So here you go... igniting all those old arguments.

I've read your posts before. You're smart. You should know this would happen. Move on. I like Bill. But from the 90s, he's a demographic salami slicer, and didn't know how to cope with Obama

It was my recollection that really only a handful of people considered Bill Clinton to be a racist.  Most people just weren't paying close enough attention.  I think gas prices and the mortgage crisis are on most people's minds.

I concur with CG on this. And in any case, there's no need for name caling.

Of course, the games that the Obama campaign (especally pre-South Carolina primary) played with race are fairly well known and documented, which are not limited too:

-Releasing a memo just days before the primary painting one the greatest Presidential champions for African Americans as a filthy racist.

-Obama campaign co chair going on national television and telling us how "Hillary Clinton did not cry for Katrina"

Even outside the campaign, not so undeclared Obama supporters trashed Bill and Hillary, like James Clyburn, accusing the Clintons of nothing less than racism, an entire effort that was in ways, at least aided by some mid level players in the Obama campaign, with the full knowledge that Senator Obama would not have been able to win the Democratic primary carrying only 60% of the African American vote, which was around the percentage he was carrying pre Super Tuesday.

You are flat-out accusing Barack Obama of being an Al Sharpton-style race hustler.

Swiss, it's very possible to race-bait and not be a racist, ok.  And calling someone out using a race-baiting tactic is not the same as charging them with racism.  I know you are not an idiot, so I know you can grasp this slightly nuanced concept.  Try it out, gargle it around, see??, do you get it now?  

To be honest, that's not his job or his responsibility.  To some extent, I think it is Hillary's responsibility because of how divisive the primary was (and it would be Obama's responsibility if she had won).  Bill can do whatever he wants.  Hopefully he is helping Obama win, but we aren't bashing Carter for not going all out for Obama.  So it isn't as if we are holding all previous Democratic Presidents to this standard.  And we aren't holding Elizabeth Edwards to this, so it isn't spouses of previous primary candidates.  So no, Bill is not beholden to do anything for Obama.  It would be nice, though.

Obviously I strongly disagree with bored now on this, but he has a right to express his opinion and there is no call for troll or hide rating him for doing so.

He has explained his reasoning at length here in the past, he is not just provoking.

i didn't read the diary.  i didn't have time yesterday.  i was merely relieved that bill clinton had said it.  the belief that one has no prejudices is kind of delusional and i don't particularly prefer to think of clinton as someone who is delusional.  the point is, now that he's admitted this, we can all move on.  i'd have thought this was a good thing...

but I can.
Go check out skepticalbrotha, go check out FieldNegro.

Go get yourself some color on those cheeks.

People said what shit they felt.

And some black folks felt... betrayed.