Open Thread

January 12th, 2008 10:11 AM

For general discussion and debate. Possible talking point: the Clintons are in trouble over some potentially racist remarks...

A series of comments from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, her husband and her supporters are spurring a racial backlash and adding a divisive edge to the presidential primary as the candidates head south to heavily African-American South Carolina.

The comments, which ranged from the New York senator appearing to diminish the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement — an aide later said she misspoke — to Bill Clinton dismissing Sen. Barack Obama’s image in the media as a “fairy tale” — generated outrage on black radio, black blogs and cable television. And now they've drawn the attention of prominent African-American politicians.

Will this be serious for Hillary's campaign, or will the media, as usual, give a Democrat a pass for racially insensitive remarks -- especially America's first "black" president?

On the other hand, is this whole "controversy" being advanced by Obama supporters -- paint the Clintons as racist in order to assist a black candidate?