HarperLee

From AP, two hours ago:

Rendell: Race Factor Could Hurt Obama
2 hours ago

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Gov. Ed Rendell, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's most visible supporters, said some white Pennsylvanians are likely to vote against her rival Barack Obama because he is black.

"You've got conservative whites here, and I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate," Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in remarks that appeared in Tuesday's paper.

To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006 re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less than 40 percent.

"I believe, looking at the returns in my election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was — well-spoken, charismatic, good-looking — but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points, I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama's ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool."

Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National Committee in 2000 and previously Philadelphia's mayor, endorsed Clinton on Jan. 23.

Pennsylvania holds its primary April 22.

Several figures in Clinton's campaign, including her husband, the former president, have been criticized in recent weeks for raising Obama's race. In response, Bill Clinton has said he will stick to promoting his wife, rather than defending her.

Later Tuesday, Rendell's spokesman said the governor did not mean to offend anyone.

"He was simply making an observation about the unfortunate nature of some parts of American society," said spokesman Chuck Ardo. "He wasn't being critical, he wasn't making accusations, but just being realistic."
Hosted by Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Yeah, the race factor is really hurting Obama.

Teri B.

I just heard them talking about this on MSNBC. Good grief! What an idiot! I can't believe some of the dumb shit coming out of people's mouths in this election. I'm so tired of hearing about the black vote, the white male vote, the blue collar vote. I thought votes were supposed to secret! There's so much exit polling and polling going on it's insane.

Dianekkdi

is "conservative" the new euphemism for closed minded old fashioned bigot?

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Reinvestigate 9/11
Impeach......Prosecute......Imprison

"...The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed...."
--Thomas Jefferson

Dianekkdi

Welll.....when I go to the polls to vote for Ron Paul, or Barack Obama, or Hillary Clinton, or some desirable Independent alternative ---I will be wearing my "I like Ike" button, my Ron Paul earrings, and perhaps even my Dukakis/Benson tee shirt and my Impeach Cheney hat.

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Reinvestigate 9/11
Impeach......Prosecute......Imprison

"...The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed...."
--Thomas Jefferson

Teri B.

How in the world with they neatly categorize you?

CosmicRocker

LOL . who can't "like Ike?"

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Traveling Wilburys (l to r)

Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, George Harrison, Roy Orbison

Jonesy

You guys are such goons. The trick is to deliberately lie to pollsters as a means of propaganda.

Seriously ... though... Obama knows he kneeds the young. This is something Lynn Swann did not fully understand. Young people don't have the anti-black growth in their brains like oldeys.

W.M.DEEEZ

Lynn Swann's biggest problem was his party affiliation


There will be all kinds of back and forth, right up until November.

Rest assured, when it comes right down to it, there is too much at stake in this election. When it comes time to pull that lever, all this bullcrap will mean nothing.

Plenty of people will get over that supposed problem with a black man in the white house.

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Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til it's gone

Environment Man

Just as blacks and whites accept Eman's superpowers, so too will everyone embrace a Negro heading the White House.

Curator

I bet that Bob Kerrey, Bob Johnson, Billy Shaheen, and even on occasion Bill Clinton have all made comments they could take back.

I wonder if Governor Rendell fits into that category? At first it seems like he is making some kind of clumsy general-election electability argument, suggesting Clinton would fare better against McCain because of latent electoral racism. But you could also argue he is claiming that Clinton would win the primary because of latent racism among Pennsylvania Democrats.

What a fool.

As Tony Norman reports from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

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“I truly believe that at this point in America’s history we need a president who will not just continue ... basically the policies we have followed in recent years. We need a president with transformational qualities.”

"For that reason, I will be voting for Barack Obama.”
- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell

“You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.”
Gov Palin explaining her national security credentials.