Did Hillary's RFK Remark Doom Her?
Following Sen. Hillary Clinton's statement that presidential nominating contests have historically lasted late into the calendar year, citing the June 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy as one example, an observer said the comment probably dooms any chance that she would be picked for the number two position by frontrunner Sen. Barack Obama.
"This probably means the end of her campaign," said David Mark, senior editor of Politico.com, on The Early Show. "She was already treading on pretty thin ice. To raise the specter of a tragic event like an assassination, this probably ends any vice presidential hopes she had."
Clinton was quick to apologize for the statement, saying Friday, "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation - and in particular the Kennedy family - was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever."
However, Mark doesn't believe the retraction will work.
"She trying to walk this back as furiously, as quickly as she possibly can," he said. "But yes, the damage is essentially done. There's no way of taking it back. It's right there in black and white, on videotape. And whatever she meant, it will be taken a certain way."
What does this mean for talk of the "dream ticket," which has been building in part as a means to allow a graceful and perhaps productive way to end the standoff between the two presidential hopefuls?
Mark believed the chances of an Obama-Clinton pairing were slim before her comments on Friday. "I don't think he particularly gains much from having her on the ticket," he said. "I don't think he particularly needs her. Yes, half the Democratic Party is with her, but most Democrats are not going to go over and vote for John McCain" if their candidate doesn't get the nomination.
© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. "This probably means the end of her campaign," said David Mark, senior editor of Politico.com, on The Early Show. "She was already treading on pretty thin ice. To raise the specter of a tragic event like an assassination, this probably ends any vice presidential hopes she had."
Clinton was quick to apologize for the statement, saying Friday, "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation - and in particular the Kennedy family - was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever."
However, Mark doesn't believe the retraction will work.
"She trying to walk this back as furiously, as quickly as she possibly can," he said. "But yes, the damage is essentially done. There's no way of taking it back. It's right there in black and white, on videotape. And whatever she meant, it will be taken a certain way."
What does this mean for talk of the "dream ticket," which has been building in part as a means to allow a graceful and perhaps productive way to end the standoff between the two presidential hopefuls?
Mark believed the chances of an Obama-Clinton pairing were slim before her comments on Friday. "I don't think he particularly gains much from having her on the ticket," he said. "I don't think he particularly needs her. Yes, half the Democratic Party is with her, but most Democrats are not going to go over and vote for John McCain" if their candidate doesn't get the nomination.
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He must be telling them some facts they don''t want to hear. Or maybe they are just some Hillary Whackos, can''t tell the difference these days.
Posted by cryhavoc2 at 03:00 AM : May 27, 2008
+ report abuse
Thank you cryhavoc2 this man did the same to me put other peoples post and put posted by me I know he is either a extreme woman hater or a McBush or Obama supporter he needs to be reported never to be on this forum again.
Wouldn''t Hillary''s RFK comment be suspected as THE FREUDIAN SLIP of the century???
Would our nation allow a SUSPECTED MURDERER to be a candidate for President???
My, your comprehension really IS slow, isn''t it? I said it is your OPINION that what Hillary said was "inappropriate". You claimed it is FACT. It is MY OPINION that there was nothing wrong with what she said. RFK Jr. said there was nothing wrong with it (that''s HIS opinion). Obama said there''s nothing wrong with it (that''s HIS opinion). Your INTERPRETAION is not FACT, it is OPINION.
Posted by libra127 at 02:15 AM : May 27, 2008
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I was under the impression that any reasonably intelligent person would conclude that the USE of the word "assassination" in this particular climate is inappropriate. There is evidence of attacks on Obama''s campaign offices in Indiana, a litany of threats on his life and other possible credible threats. It appears my conclusion that you were a reasonably intelligent person was erroneous. For that, I apologize.
My, your comprehension really IS slow, isn''''t it? I said it is your OPINION that what Hillary said was "inappropriate". You claimed it is FACT. It is MY OPINION that there was nothing wrong with what she said. RFK Jr. said there was nothing wrong with it (that''''s HIS opinion). Obama said there''''s nothing wrong with it (that''''s HIS opinion). Your INTERPRETAION is not FACT, it is OPINION.
Posted by libra127 at 02:15 AM : May 27, 2008
_________________
I was under the impression that any reasonably intelligent person would conclude that the USE of the word "assassination" in this particular climate is inappropriate. There is evidence of attacks on Obama''s campaign offices in Indiana, a litany of threats on his life and other possible credible threats. It appears my conclusion that you were a reasonably intelligent person was erroneous. For that, I apologize.
Posted by JISantiago at 09:09 PM : May 26, 2008
No, that is NOT the truth. The proof of my statement is that IF (god forbid) something did happen to Obama, she could still "pick up the mantle" whether or not she had formally stayed in the race.
Therefore, she CANNOT be staying in the race BECAUSE harm might befall Obama. She neither said that nor implied that. The idea is nonsensical.
My, your comprehension really IS slow, isn''t it? I said it is your OPINION that what Hillary said was "inappropriate". You claimed it is FACT. It is MY OPINION that there was nothing wrong with what she said. RFK Jr. said there was nothing wrong with it (that''s HIS opinion). Obama said there''s nothing wrong with it (that''s HIS opinion). Your INTERPRETAION is not FACT, it is OPINION.
I said nothing about "reverse racism". If you''ve spent any time at all on these boards, you know that just as many hateful things have been said about Hillary (and even McCain) as about Obama. One of Hillary''s campaign headquarters in the midwest was torched and burned to the ground.