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Go Home More Hard-working White Americans

THE PLANK MAY 12, 2008

More Hard-working White Americans

BY JONATHAN CHAIT

Talking Points Memo has a video compilation from the weekend talk shows. I particularly liked this exchange between Bon Schieffer of CBS News and Terry MacAuliffe of the Clinton campaign:

Bob Schieffer: Was she somehow saying that black people are not hard working or that white people are not going to vote for Barack Obama?

Terry MacAuliffe: No, absolutely not. If Barack Obama happens to be the nominee, we will work -- everybody will work very hard, we will be a unified party.

Of course they'll work hard. They're white!

--Jonathan Chait

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16 comments

Jonathan - cheap shot and unbecoming.  There is no evidence Mr. MacAuliffe, for all his loyalties, shares Mrs. Clinton's views/strategic approach, or even agrees with this line of attack on her part.  I don't like Clinton water-carriers, but for God's sake, let's not make this process any more infantile than it already has become.  Mock, if you will, when he spins; but there is nothing in the interview indicating lack of sincerity about working hard for Obama.

Move on.

- icarusr

May 12, 2008 at 2:19pm

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Jeez John.  Let it go.  Here you are fishing for absolutely nothing.  Terry MacAuliffe just said the Clinton campaign will work hard for the Obama campaign.  What will you do when you no longer have Hillary to bash.  This is now beyond ridiculous.  

- Tammy

May 12, 2008 at 2:27pm

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Ture, T-Mac was being concilatory.  But I didn't read this as gratuitous.  Just kind of funny.  Just a joke.  Sometimes we can tell jokes, even the paid writers.

- boneill

May 12, 2008 at 2:36pm

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MacAuliffe didn't answer the question.

"Of course not" is not a substinative answer, especially to that question. He wanted to change the subject, understandably.

- Wandreycer1

May 12, 2008 at 2:40pm

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"Jonathan - cheap shot and unbecoming"

Naw. When Hillary is weakest, that's the best time to really turn the knife. That way she never comes back.

- virginiacentrist

May 12, 2008 at 2:51pm

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One cheap shot deserves another:

en.wikipedia.org/.../Jonathan_Chait

- Lymon1

May 12, 2008 at 2:57pm

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Bone - I agree, if the jokes were funny :-).  

Wand - What do you expect the man to say?  As Jim Hacker says in "Yes, Prime Minister", when you get a question you don't like, don't answer it.  Say something like, "Well, the more important question is ...".  And MacAuliffe's line is a rather gracious one, under the circumstances.

We are in James Kirchik territory now on this issue.  Tammy's right - we are getting into silly season again ...

- icarusr

May 12, 2008 at 2:58pm

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VC - temptation is understandable, but sometimes, it's better just to accept a gift-horse.  "Will work hard for Obama" is such a gift horse.  The race thing - dead horse.

- icarusr

May 12, 2008 at 3:00pm

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No that's true, and McAuliffe was fairly gracious on MTP as well...And if it was anyone other than Terry McAuliffe, I'd agree with your point...I just don't believe him. I'm of the opinion that Bill Clinton's psychofants will do everything they can to stop Obama behind the scenes. I have a low regard for these folks and their commitment to a Democratic party not owned by the Clintons.

I have this suspicion that we're going to be reading unsourced quotes in the NYTimes in September from unnamed Democratic strategists (McAulliffe/Ickes/Blumenthal) bashing Obama. That's my prediction...they'll wait for the inevitable rough couple of weeks, and then they'll unload.

- virginiacentrist

May 12, 2008 at 3:37pm

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Bob Schieffer: Was she somehow saying that black people are not hard working or that white people are not going to vote for Barack Obama?

[Before MacAuliffe can reply, a CBS medical crew runs in and injects MacAuliffe with sodium pentaphol, i.e. "truth serum"]

MacAuliffe [haltingly]: Wh--where am I? Schieffer? Is that you? Shit, at your age you're still working? What, you blow your IRA at the track again? CBS thinks Morley Safer's too young?

Schieffer: Terry, I asked about Hillary's quote about hard-working Americans and white Americans...

MacAuliffe: Oh, that! Shoot, Hill could have phrased it better--God knows she's fucked up every line I've fed her for the past three months--but all she's doing is pointing out what the results have already shown: Obama can kiss the redneck vote goodbye. He's got her over a barrel, though, and she knows it--she's just setting herself up for 2012, if he drops the ball. She'll campaign for him until the election but she'll be handing out cards the whole way and going, "Call me when this is all over--let's talk" to his money people.

Schieffer: You...you act like McCain's victory is a done deal.

MacAuliffe: Oh, far from it, Bob. McCain's a few kernels short of a cob--everybody knows that--so anything can happen. If it happens on camera, his voters, who are armchair patriots who avoid personal shame at all costs, won't come within 100 feet of their polling places.

Schieffer: Well, then. Care to predict what's gonna happen?

MacAuliffe: Your guess is as good as mine, dude. You got Moe, Larry, and Curly trying to be President of the United States. Whoever slips on the banana peel last wins, I guess.

- williamyard

May 12, 2008 at 3:42pm

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"When Hillary is weakest, that's the best time to really turn the knife. That way she never comes back."  

Wow.  That almost reads like a sadist's quote from a snuff movie.  I trust you were joking, Virginia. You can't possibly wish anyone this kind of pain.

- Tammy

May 12, 2008 at 4:10pm

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By the way, since TNR cares so much about black people, how about another meaningless (since it effectively endorses Obama) rant about Darfur.  He's been considering the boycotting-the-opening ceremony thing for now...what, a month?  Maybe a reporter should call him at 3:00 AM.  (will.i.am has rejected calls to do a south-africa-apartheid-style cultural boycott of the olympics -- is he a closer advisor than robert malley?)

- Lymon1

May 12, 2008 at 4:14pm

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I dunno, this just sound like you-made-your-bed-now-lie-in-it stuff.  I can't work up a whole lot of feeling for it either way.

- cspencef

May 12, 2008 at 4:43pm

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Given that Terry McAuliffe said that everybody - not whites alone - would work to get Obama elected if he is the  nominee, I do not know where Jonathan derives his jab from. Unless, of course, he wrongheadedly assumes that not a single person in the Clinton camp is black.

This spat is about as meaningless as the flag lapel pin debate. Have we truly run out of issues to discuss on this blog to such an extent that we must now contend with dissecting a perfectly noncontroversial response from a man that has to date not done much to piss anyone off, excepting those rabid Obama voters mettled by anyone supporting HRC?

- jkolic

May 12, 2008 at 4:48pm

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"Wow.  That almost reads like a sadist's quote from a snuff movie.  I trust you were joking, Virginia. You can't possibly wish anyone this kind of pain."

Whuh? Actual pain? huh? No. It's a figure of speech. I think I meant twist the knife though...

- virginiacentrist

May 12, 2008 at 6:44pm

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When Hillary will be out of the race, the Obama supporters will continue to blame her. If the Anointed One loses the general election, it will be because she sabotaged him. Count on Chait, Crowley, Peretz and the other media imbeciles to deliver this one.

- sleepyavl

May 12, 2008 at 9:45pm

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