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Obama Rescues ... Bill Clinton?

By wt

I linked to the video of Bill Clinton attempting to define Obama as the Jesse Jackson of 2008 here.

When confronted with the video, Obama DEFENDS Bill Clinton. Not persuasively in my opinion, but still. What a magnanimous guy.

Stephanopoulos told Obama: ?The implication is pretty clear: You?re the Jesse Jackson of 2008.?

?Jesse Jackson ran historic races in 1984 and 1988,? Obama replied coolly.

?There?s no doubt that set a precedent for African Americans running for the highest office in the land. But that was 20 years ago, George.?

Pressed about Bill Clinton, Obama added: ?His frame of reference was the Jesse Jackson races. That?s when he was active and involved and watching what was going to take place in South Carolina. I think that a lot of South Carolinians looked at it through a different lens.?

Obama is wrong though. Clinton's frame wasn't 1984 and and 1988. It was 1992, when he secured a solid win there. Or maybe 2004, when he was fully cognizant of the fact that it would be his role to help support the eventual Democratic nominee at the convention.

I have no doubt that Bill Clinton was paying attention when Jesse Jackson won the state in 1984 and 1988. But his frame of reference isn't just those years.

So for Obama to come out with a weak excuse in defense of Bill Clinton says something important. Obama is so eager to get race out of the election that he's willing to fudge a situation to save Bill Clinton.

Anything but politics as usual.

Full post as published by Expressio Unius on January 27, 2008 (boomark / email).