How Black America Fell Out of Love with the Clintons

08 Jun 2008

Jamaica Observer
 
The most important thing about the nomination of Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's Presidential candidate is that it represents a stupendous victory over the racism that is still endemic in American life. It is truly his rendezvous with history. But there are a number of interesting side narratives. One of them is the story of how Black America fell out of love with the Clintons.

Black people have always adored Bill Clinton. It was partly to do with the fact that, as a former Governor from America's Deep South, he had an exemplary record for fighting racism. Also black people, who were actually in work during the Clinton years, did well economically in common with other Americans. (Although the story for black people who were the victims of his welfare "reforms" was somewhat different) But, above all ,Clinton had an ease with black people and an affinity for many aspects of their culture, from cool jazz to deep-fried chicken. It was this that led the Nobel Prize winning black writer Toni Morrison to call Clinton America's "first black president" And the Clintons had leading black figures like Congressman John Lewis and writer Maya Angelou in their pocket.

Hillary benefited from all this. And she started off the primary season well ahead of Obama in the polls with black voters. But it all went wrong when Obama won Iowa. The Clintons could scarcely veil their astonishment that this ungrateful black boy was challenging (and beating) them.  At first they let others make the racial slurs for them. Black businessman Robert Johnston sneered at Obama for his youthful drug taking (which Obama had set out in his autobiography) whilst Hilary Clinton looked on smiling happily. White Clinton supporter Geraldine Ferraro launched a racist diatribe against Obama claiming (insultingly) that he was only succeeding because he was black. As Obama continued to beat them the Clintons got more desperate. Bill Clinton himself berated Obama publicly; claiming that the Senator's documented opposition to the Iraq War was a fairy tale and comparing him disparagingly to Jesse Jackson. 

The racist tinge to Bill Clinton's rhetoric alarmed senior Democrats and was the main reason why Senator Edward Kennedy (formerly a good friend of the Clintons) came out in strong support of Obama.

Meanwhile on the Internet, unseen by the mainstream media, the racist attacks by pro-Hilary bloggers intensified.  Obama was routinely described as a Chicago thug. Criticisms of Clinton's policies by Obama were described as rape. Every negative stereotype about black men was applied to Obama. His wife Michelle is an object of particular hatred to supporters of Hilary on the Internet. Educated, articulate and feisty, she is for Hillary supporters, that crime against nature, the uppity black.

On the road Obama campaigners and supporters endured verbal racist attacks and racist graffiti. Workers ringing around to canvass support were called "nigger lovers" and worse.

Black voters rallied around Obama and began to come out to vote for him in record numbers. The Clintons got even angrier. Hillary herself started to deal in racial slurs. She talked about her support amongst "hard-working white Americans". And she hinted that she was staying in the race in case Obama got assassinated. Towards the end even the New York Times, which had endorsed her at the beginning of the race, wrote a strongly worded opinion piece expressing distaste at the nature of her rhetoric and calling on her in their words "to call the dogs off".

Black voters who began the race overwhelmingly in support of Hillary Clinton are now nine to one against her. Her refusal to concede the race gracefully to Obama, even when it was all over, irritated her most loyal remaining black supporters like Charlie Rangel her fellow congressman from New York.

Never have a pair of politicians fallen so far and so fast in the eyes of their supporters as the Clintons have in the eyes of black people. And they owe it all to themselves.

 



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