Hillary Supporter, Introducing Her: Obama's Like John F. Kennedy, And We All Know What Happened To Him

Dick Morris said Hillary would begin playing the race card subtly, making not overtly racist pitches but racism-by-proxy pitches. It's not that Hillary wouldn't accept a black president, you understand, but that all those benighted rednecks won't.

He was right. Except for the "subtly" part.

As they barnstorm through New Hampshire, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and her husband are often introduced by supporters who once backed another candidate but converted to her cause.

Today, in Dover, Francine Torge, a former John Edwards supporter, said this while introducing Mrs. Clinton: “Some people compare one of the other candidates to John F. Kennedy. But he was assassinated. And Lyndon Baines Johnson was the one who actually” passed the civil rights legislation.

The comment, an apparent reference to Senator Barack Obama, is particularly striking given documented fears among blacks that Mr. Obama will be assassinated if elected.

Phil Singer, a Clinton spokesman said: “We were not aware that this person was going to make those comments and disapprove of them completely. They were totally inappropriate.”

Mrs. Clinton’s expression did not change noticeably when Ms. Torge made the comment.

Only a few hours later, she brought up the civil rights legislation herself in remarks to a Fox News correspondent.

I guess Clinton was making the distinction between the "dreamer" RFK and the "doer" LBJ (with Obama and Hillary filing those roles now) and her supporter was seeking to follow that script, but wow. I think even I'm offended.

We all knew it would be ugly and messy and cost thousands of lives when she went down. Just don't get caught in the whirlpool.

posted by Ace at 04:12 AM

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