Comments on: Sean Wilentz Attacks Obama Over Racial Politics

By: And If I Was Six Inches Taller, Had Abs Of Steel And Looked Like Denzel Washington I Would Be Jessica Alba’s Baby Daddy. But I’m Not. » Oliver Willis

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:43:19 +0000

[...] It should come as no surprise that the piece is written by Sean Wilentz who while supposedly a historian should probably be described as a quasi-official flack for the Clinton campaign. [...]

By: Quaker in a Basement

Quaker in a Basement — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:34:21 +0000

cygnus, here’s a pretty good one. Not perfect, but pretty good.

I dispute your characterization that Wilentz’ case is “well documented.” He starts out accusing the Obama campaign of playing the race card, but quickly forgets his point. Soon he’s citing the lunacy of Frank Rich as evidence that Obama is a bad guy.

In the entire article, I recall just one statement about Clinton that Wilentz directly attributes to anyone associated with the Obama campaign. The rest is either unattributed or was said by someone who isn’t part of the Obama organization.

By: Enlightened Liberal

Enlightened Liberal — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:02:44 +0000

Wow, presidential candidates distort the words and deeds of their opponents in political advertising! Who would have thunk it? Hillary NEVER did that to Obama, of course.

Good on the New Republic(an) to expose the tactics of Obama!

/sarcasm

Just more pablum from a Hillary supporter.

By: cygnus

cygnus — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:07:41 +0000

I have searched the blogosphere high and low and have yet to find an Obama supporter who has even attempted to rebut Wilentz’s extremely well documented case. Perhaps someone could provide a link?

By: Bruce Godfrey

Bruce Godfrey — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:30:07 +0000

I have read the paragraph from Wilentz three times and I don’t know what it means. I am a native English speaker.

If she understands “how American politics works,” why did she get her ass kicked in the Potomac primary, where she theoretically should have friends, by a first-term Senator whose opponent was Alan Wingnut Keyes? Mind you, I am all for Obama but she should have been able to reduce him to the VP silver medal fast. Perhaps with more effective political leadership (i.e. Mark Penn exiled to Belarus), she might have done so. Instead, she is about to lose Texas.

People who understand “how American politics works” don’t insult the primary/caucus electorates of a majority of the American states. This is basic.

By: duros62

duros62 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:18:16 +0000

Which is to say, she understands how American politics works. She understands the trajectory of American political history for the last 40 years because she’s lived it in a way that the others haven’t, really. She’s seen it at all levels, from Arkansas to Capitol Hill.

He doesn’t understand that that is part of the problem a lot of us have with her.

By: bostondreams

bostondreams — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:59:18 +0000

Naturally, Taylor Marsh and her fans are pushing the Wilentz article as some sort of ‘ah ha, at last’ moment. The Clintons, they claim, are inherently anti-racist and clean in this election, while Obama is portrayed as a total sexist and a racist himself.
I hope Clinton loses, just to see what happens. Will Taylor support McCain?