HILLARY HITS A SPEED BUMP AS WIFE OF AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT: ANDREW YOUNG’S COMMENTS AND THE OPRAH EFFECT
HILLARY HITS A SPEED BUMP AS WIFE OF AMERICA’S FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT: ANDREW YOUNG’S COMMENTS AND THE OPRAH EFFECT
by
Ken Eliasberg
Okay, I give up—it’s just impossible to stay away from Hillary—she generates so much buzz, and this week was no different. A couple of noteworthy happenings pertain to her ability to capitalize on her being the wife of America’s first black president (in the words of Tony Morrison). By the way, it is interesting to note why Morrison labeled Clinton America’s first Black president. Her reasoning, which appeared in a New Yorker article in 1998, was as follows:
“After all, Clinton displays every trope of blackness: single-parent household, born poor, working-class, saxophone-playing, McDonald’s-and-junk-food-loving boy from Arkansas.”
A less than ringing endorsement of blackness, to be sure, but nonetheless a reflection of his popularity in the black community. And over the last week or two, a couple of things have happened which relate to his position in that community, or, at the very least, his wife’s ability to capitalize on that position.
The first relates to a comment by Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta and Jimmy Carter’s Ambassador to the U.N., re Hillary’s certified blackness. After pointing out that Obama wasn’t ready for prime time, Young observed that “Clinton has likely bedded more black women than Barack.” How’s that for a ringing endorsement of Hillary—her husband has gone to bed with more black women than her opponent. Now, of course, Young will argue—probably correctly—that this was said tongue in cheek, but doesn’t this strike you as just a touch tacky? Again, how silly of me—when it comes to the Clintons no obscenity, no matter how extreme, can be considered tacky. Can you imagine what would happen if a Republican engaged in this sort of left-handed endorsement?
Then came the really big news undermining Hillary’s strength in the black community—Oprah’s endorsement of Obama. And there is no popular figure, black or white, who has more clout than Oprah. Of course, it is unclear that that clout has political currency, but it is worrisome enough to cause anxiety in the Clinton camp. The black vote is the backbone of the Democratic Party; 90% of blacks vote Democratic, which means that every Democratic nominee for President starts out with about a 9 million vote edge. Were it not for the black vote, the Democrats become the Whigs of the 21st century. As a consequence, the Democrats have shamelessly pandered—particularly through the good offices of people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who have prospered on the backs of their people—to blacks for the last 40 years (and, in the process, setting their cause back a century by increasing the measure of their dependency on federal largesse).
Obama’s opposition itself, places the security of that position in question so fare as Hillary is concerned. Why? For the obvious reason that he is black. Hillary was relying on that vote. Obama raised questions as to whether she could do so. But things did not appear to threaten her position based solely on his blackness. However, when Oprah enthusiastically threw her weight behind Obama, the question of black reliance became a very serious one. And there seems to be a measure of anxiety “if not panic—in the Hillary camp based on Oprah’s endorsement, coupled, of course, with Obama’s continuing to gain on Hillary in the polls
Clinton concern is reflected in her recent attacks on Obama, e.g. he had a slush fund, he used drugs in high school, and he had the audacity to write a composition in primary school indicating his desire to be president. Canyou imagine that, an elementary school student indicating that he wanted to be president. I would think most parents would be proud of such an expression.
To counter this celebrity endorsement, Hillary turned to Barbara Streisand in the hope that this might help. Unfortunately, the Barbara sank into the political-endorsement waters without leaving a ripple. Then, in what seems to be a real indication of desperation, Hillary dug deep into the ranks of her supporters for someone she knew she could count on—HER MOTHER. And her mother came through, reminding us that Hillary was a decent person (she may be the only one who knows Hillary who has come to that conclusion). Frankly, as a political strategem, calling on your mother seems a bit lame, and has caused some of the pundits to opine that Hillary’s campaign may be in real trouble. Indeed, the aura of inevitability is gone—now it’s a horse race on the Democratic side.