Capitolism

She Was a White American

posted by Christopher Hayes on 05/08/2008 @ 09:19am

Isaac Chotiner at TNR catches this line from Clinton, talking about her base:

"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.[Italics mine]

Just a few days ago, Richard Kim over at one of our other blogs, put his finger on something noxious in the Clinton camps recent effort to say, but not quite say, that she should be the nominee because white people prefer her. He urged plain speak:

So, in the name of another personal quality--honesty--I'd like Hillary Clinton to make the following statement: "Though my opponent has run a terrific campaign, in primary after primary, I have proven that I am the more electable candidate. I am more electable because I am white. Barack Obama--Wow!--he's certainly inspired a lot of hope, but as voters in Indiana and North Carolina make up their minds, as the superdelegates make up their minds, they should remember that Barack Obama is black. They should also remember that a whole lot of white working-class Americans are racists. White racists are an important part of the Democratic Party, and time and time again, they've supported me because I am white. I am ready on day one to govern as your white American president."

Maybe the Clinton folks are reading The Notion?

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