Hillary And Obama Battle Over Legacy Of ... Magic Johnson

Comments (26)

omgwut wrote on January 19, 2008 1:59 PM:

Heh.

See the great discussion of this issue over at matt yglesias's blog:

http://matthewyglesias.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/01/magic_vote_for_kareem.php

dcshungu wrote on January 19, 2008 1:59 PM:

Future greatness circa 2016...

Greg wrote on January 19, 2008 2:00 PM:

yeah, yglesias did a good job with it.

Tom wrote on January 19, 2008 2:02 PM:

I'm not sure what the Clinton campaign was thinking with that ad. It just doesn't make much sense.

I have noticed a pattern of the Clintons trying to force their narrative into places it doesn't fit. The first example was the LBJ vs. MLK/JFK spat. And this is another.

Zach wrote on January 19, 2008 2:05 PM:

Um, the Obama campaign didn't push that stuff to Ambinder. Commenters on his site did within a few minutes of him posting the text of Johnson's ad. People were probably ready with the obvious absurdities of Johnson's remark since he's already made similar comments in interviews.

Magic Johnson tells the LA Sentinel what he thinks of Barack Obama running for President:

Sentinel: Tell me about that telephone conversation you had with Senator Obama. Did you say here’s a $2300 check, but I can’t support you.

Magic Johnson: Well, I’ll just say you have to be honest. I like him and really think that sometimes—it’s just not your turn. You’re not ready. He’s not ready. It’s almost like I picture him as a rookie coming into the NBA. He’s not ready. So he’s not the one. She IS the one. There’s only one person who can turn this whole thing around. The relationships she has already and the experience it will take him 8 years to gain that and then it’s too late. This is not about Black or White. It’s about who’s the best candidate.

To see how Magic would've been affected if his logic was universal in 1979, here's Washington Bullet's owner Abe Pollin on what he thought of Magic Johnson's contract after he was drafted without finishing college in 1979:

Q: How do you feel about rookies coming into the league, never having played, like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, earning $600,000 a year?

A: I think that's terrible, absolutely terrible. I can understand Bird a little bit because he had an unusual situation and he had the Celtics in a corner. But I still think it's a mistake. . . . I think it puts everything out of kilter. I think when the veterans, who have proven themselves as stars and can draw fans and win games for you, the longer they stay in the league they are deserving of big salaries. . . .I thought the signing of David Thompson for $800,000 a year was a catastrophe for the NBA and I've told the owner that.

Q: If you had somehow this season had the first pick in the draft and a person like Magic Johnson was there, you wouldn't take him?

A: No way. There's no way I would pay him that kind of money. Nope. I would pass.

Greg wrote on January 19, 2008 2:09 PM:

Zach, the Obama camp did push back that way to Ambinder.

As Ambinder wrote: "several Obama spokesfolks responded with a ream of statistics and video clips..."

They gave it to any reporter who asked for it.

CalD wrote on January 19, 2008 2:10 PM:

It's not at all unusual for a rookie to be a star player. What's uncommon is tapping a rookie to be team captain.

Dave wrote on January 19, 2008 2:10 PM:

As Ambinder wrote: "several Obama spokesfolks responded with a ream of statistics and video clips..."

They gave it to any reporter who asked for it.

That must have been the greatest oppo research assignment thus far

Zach wrote on January 19, 2008 2:15 PM:

And I'm not an Obama spokesfolk as far as I know. If you know any stories in NBA history you know about Magic replacing Kareem at center in the finals. I don't know where Ambinder got the YouTube links of the game from, but they were posted some time ago by some Italian basketball fan. Unlike, say, YouTube clips of Obama in embarrassing moments that are posted by new users and somehow propagate to blogs in hours.

Yeah, this story is silly, but it's silly because Clinton's running with an ad that's just absurd. Obama doesn't need a crack research staff to point that out. Johnson's stupid comparison has been around for months. Hell, in his interview I posted above, he even says "it's just not [Obama's] turn."

There's no need to help out with Clinton's attempt to make every stupid thing that comes out of her campaign look like a back-and-forth with Obama. Some things like this, saying Obama's not consistent on the war or abortion or whatever, etc are just absurd on their face. People pointing this out aren't necessarily Obama staffers or even supporters.

Greg wrote on January 19, 2008 2:17 PM:

Zach, that's an awfully strained interpretation, I have to say. The Hillary ad is new, and the Obama campaign put out the push-back themselves.

JenJen wrote on January 19, 2008 2:22 PM:

So, Magic is comparing his Rookie NBA Year at the age of 20 to the Presidential Campaign of a US Senator from Illinois at age 46.

I mean, seriously. WTF is that???

jimijazz wrote on January 19, 2008 2:22 PM:

This stuff is really getting ridiculous. Which proves to me the Clintonites are really desperate. You can almost feel their desperation. They have got nothing. Magic Johnson has always been an establishment guy, so it's no surprise he's backing the Clintons.

Zach wrote on January 19, 2008 2:25 PM:

Greg, didn't see your reply till now. I think there's a difference between having that sort of info ready when anyone asks you about why Magic supports Hillary instead of you and pushing it aggressively to make some point. I don't know how this works, but if it's:

Reporter: So, Obama press guy, what do you think of Hillary's new ad?
Obama press guy: It's silly, look at how awesome Magic was.

That's not push-back. It's agreeing with the more or less instant association anyone would make from the silly ad. Saying that it's a "battle", even with your tongue in cheek, between the campaigns is off base, I think. Hillary has an ad that's utterly incoherent with history and it's not much of a fight to point that out.

SLKRR wrote on January 19, 2008 2:31 PM:

This thread simlpy has to be a joke. It has to be, right? Right??!?

Whatever wrote on January 19, 2008 2:35 PM:

So Hillary is running an absurd ad?

Let's really look at that characterization for what it is.

A supremely famous person is supporting Hillary and offering a frame of reference that is familiar to him, and the Obama campaign is arguing with him?

And this is effective, how?

I don't think that Hillary arguing with Oprah about Obambi being "the one" would be any more effective than the drivel that is coming out of Team Obama. Sure it plays to the choir, but then so does being Reagan-lite and a Bush clone about delegating running the country to surrogates.

Matt wrote on January 19, 2008 2:38 PM:

Wow, what a poor choice to make that "rookie" analogy.

Magic Johnson almost single-handedly gave the Lakers a championship in the final game of the finals and was the NBA Finals MVP.

In, ahem, his rookie season. Magic Johnson is an example of the exception of Hillary's point. Avid sports fans will be scratching their heads over this one.

Why not go with Michael Jordan, or Lebron James, or somebody, that, you know, took a few years before they were "ready?" Magic won it all his rookie season!

quasar wrote on January 19, 2008 2:38 PM:

Marc Ambinder using the term "spokesfolks" is not the same as "spokesperson". This didn't come from Obama's "camp", which is a term used to for a candidates' campaign team,but from Obama "supporters", people aligned with the Obama candidacy.

"Spokesfolks" is a purposefully confusing dumbdowned term.

quasar wrote on January 19, 2008 3:02 PM:

Zach maybe right on another point about people commenting on the history of Magic's career. Many of the commenters are just recalling history and are avid enough sports fans to know the true history involved in Magic's career. Which was fascinating stark comparison to Magic's comments.

In Ambinder's post. there is no cited reference that this came from Obama's campaign. Greg is making that leap.

The whole premise of the Magic Johnson ad has been throughly disproven.

I think Johnson has but recently been swayed.

Contributor
Occupation
Date
Amount
Recipient

JOHNSON, EARVIN
BEVERLY HILLS,CA 90210
MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISES/CEO
3/31/2007
$2,300
Obama, Barack

JOHNSON, EARVIN
BEVERLY HILLS,CA 90212
MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISE/OWNER
8/28/2007
$2,300
Clinton, Hillary

JOHNSON, EARVIN
BEVERLY HILLS,CA 90212
MAGIC JOHNSON ENTERPRISE/OWNER
8/28/2007
$2,300
Clinton, Hillary

Source: http://opensecrets.org/indivs/search_hp.asp?txtName=Johnson%2C+Earvin&NumOfThou=0&txt2008=Y&submit=Go%21

quasar wrote on January 19, 2008 3:05 PM:

and BYW,

Most AA women don't LIKE Magic because of what he did to Cookie his wife. The AA women votes are what is undecided in SC. This may backfire on Clinton. I would rather see who Cookie Johnson supports.

ohad meyer wrote on January 19, 2008 3:37 PM:

i don't know why this hasn't been noted yet, but Magic's entire point is undermined by the fact that in his rookie year the Lakers actually won the NBA championship. Clearly he was ready to win it, and with this terrible analogy, Magic unintentionally makes the case for Obama's candidacy.

Desider wrote on January 19, 2008 5:44 PM:

The point is not whether MJ was great coming out of college or whether he could play super level ball in the pros. The point is execution, day-in, day-out. As Kesey says, "What does Superman do between telephone booths?" Or in the movie Colors - an old bull and a young bull are on top of a hill watching a herd of cows. The young bull says, "Let's run down and fuck one of them". The old bull responds, "No, let's walk down and fuck them all".

Bill Walton blew away Kareem in his first championship - but then he blew away his own knees. If you get past Magic's magic rookie season, you see similar problems with knee and hamstring injuries, 1984 getting beaten out by Larry Byrd, in 1985 playing poorly but winning only because of old man Kareem's great work, 1986 getting mauled by Houston, and then 1991 failing to convert against the Bulls. Yes, he had a good career, but the point is to go for consistent, career-length performance, including titles, not just single game heroics. Without Kareem's tutelage MJ's rookie year, it's quite possible MJ wouldn't have had the composure to play that amazing final game. There's lots of good rookie talent in the NBA - much of it doesn't last, most of it gets reality checked when it meets the much better, experienced players.

And no, I still don't see Obama as being as gifted as Magic Johnson coming out of MSU.

Desider wrote on January 19, 2008 6:30 PM:

I should note Magic didn't win MVP until 1986-87, his 7th year in the pros.

grover_rover wrote on January 19, 2008 6:36 PM:

Too bad Hillary doesn't actually have that much experience, and has had LESS experience as an elected official than Obama, but whatever.

If we are choosing experience over judgment, we pretty much screwed up by passing up Richardson, Dodd, Biden and Kucinich. And we might as well just vote for McCain in the general election because he has a hell of a lot more experience than Hillary, and apparently that is what counts, not who has the best ideas, or who has shown that they have the best judgment, or who is the most electable, or who is most able to bring the country together, or who is able to bring about change. If it funny how narrow-thinking Hillary supporters are. They decided years ago that they support her, and no matter what that is what they are going to do, no matter how little it makes sense or how shortsighted they are. President McCain thanks you.

John Lewis wrote on January 19, 2008 8:09 PM:

As a Laker fan I can state that Magic has been an embarrassment to himself, to us, and to basketball. This has been the state of affairs at least since he un-retired and came back to play. This joker is actually putting out feelers on a mayoral run. He loves the limelight and will do anything for it. His commentary on basketball telecasts is disgraceful for the poor grammar and diction and lack of even a rudimentary command of the English language (I'm black, by the way).

savvy wrote on January 20, 2008 4:48 AM:

Bill Clinton has surrounded himself with black males just as sexually immoral as himself.

Bob Johnson and Magic Johnson both are notorious womanizers as is Bill Clinton.

Bob Johnson billions convinced Magic Johnson the business man to switch over to HRC's camp.

Bob's ability to bring in a number of wealthy blacks to the Hillary camp is also why Hillary did not renounce his words on the stump.

It was nothing but a farce when Bill Clinton, a known liar, vouched for another liar, Bob, by saying we have to take him at his word..what a crock.

Magic is making a stupid analogy about rookies, he knows it but he is not known for his intellect and once he opened his mouth he couldn't figure out how to take those words back.

I am just sick and tired of the Clintons playing the race card and identity politics.

We are watching the implosion of the Democratic party.

Fernando Beltran wrote on January 21, 2008 6:15 PM:

Hillary Clinton has Experience in Criminal Behavior

Those who support rapists and murderers are sick bastards. Hillary Clinton failed the Bar Exam. Bill Clinton has been disbarred in the State of Arkansas. Michelle Obama is head and shoulders above Hillary or Bill Clinton. Barak and Michelle Obama do not have people whacked who are going to testify to the truth like Commerce Secretary Ron Brown. Ron Brown did more to get Bill Clinton elected than anyone else and he was shot with a 45 caliber bullet through the head. A one thousand page report will be sent to the leaders of 240 countries. The detailed truth about Bill and Hillary Clinton will be exposed. They will be the laughing stock of the world.

Juanita Broaddrick was brutally raped by the Arkansas Attorney General in 1978. Bill Clinton exposed himself to Paula Jones. Danny Ferguson took Paula Jones to Bill Clinton’s room at the Excelsior Hotel. He told his former wife Kathy Ferguson about what happened. Kathy Ferguson was shot in the back of the head. She had told her fiancé Bill Sheldon, who was a police officer. He was shot in the back of the head and his body was dumped on the grave of Kathy Ferguson. There are sixty Clinton dead. The FBI and Justice Department must investigate everything.

Jerry Parks had pictures of twelve years of orgies and drug use when Bill Clinton would party with his brother and Dan Lassiter. Bill Clinton went to rehabilitation in Minnesota (1983) for cocaine use. That was not the first time. Witnesses saw an Arkansas trooper, who was a friend of Bill Clinton, shoot Jerry Parks with a 9mm weapon as he came home from Church in Little Rock. Jerry Parks had his home broken into two weeks prior to his murder when the pictures of orgies and drug use were stolen. Buddy Young and the Dixie Mafia know the truth.

Former FBI agent, Gary Aldrich spoke of daily lesbian sex and cocaine use in the White House while Hillary was there. Hillary Clinton has been heard by many using the “N” word and saying “Blanking Jew Bastards!” Vince Foster would go to Geneva, Switzerland for Hillary where her Swiss accounts are located. Mexican President Salinas was caught transferring $300 million of the $20 billion given to Mexico through Citibank in Mexico City to his Swiss account. Hillary needs to tell the IRS where the money came from that she deposited in her Swiss accounts.

Vince Foster was the lover of Hillary Clinton. The state troopers used to take Hillary and Vince out to the Rose Law Firm cabin. FBI Director Judge Sessions was removed from office the day before Vince Foster was shot in the neck. The nanny for Chelsea, Helen Dicky, saw the body of Vince Foster in his car in the White House parking lot prior to being moved to Fort Marcy Park. Patrick Knowlton stopped in Fort Marcy Park just prior to the body being dumped. He saw two Hondas in the park both with Arkansas plates. The two men glared at the witness. The witness informed the FBI. The FBI did nothing because Judge Sessions was removed by Janet Reno.

There was a drop gun made of five parts left at the scene. Paramedic Richard Arthur saw the gunshot wound in Vince Foster’s neck. The pictures that were taken of the body show a small caliber entry wound in the side of the neck of Vince Foster. Vince Foster would have had to walk through 700 feet of mud to get to where his body was found. There was no mud on his shoes. The body of Vince Foster was also covered in carpet fibers. When you are rolled up in a carpet, then there would be no mud on your shoes and carpet fibers all over your clothing.

Ron Brown went on trips that he considered boondoggles for Hillary. In order to go on the trips, you had to donate $50 thousand to the DNC. Ron Brown told Bill Clinton that he was going to testify in three weeks how China had illegally funded the Clinton elections. Did Clinton sell our jobs to China? The Air Traffic Controller was shot in the back of the head just prior to the crash of Ron Brown’s plane. The sole survivor of the crash was a woman who was seen on worldwide television getting off the plane on her own but who mysteriously died on the way to the hospital.

The Chief Petty Officer in the Pentagon who examined the body of Ron Brown took pictures of a 45 caliber entry wound in his head. The chief medical examiner in the Pentagon took x-rays of the head of Ron Brown. The x-rays show the path of a 45 caliber bullet completely through his head. A 45 caliber is the only gun that has a left-hand twist. It was a 45 caliber bullet that killed Ron Brown. This is not an isolated case. The nude body of a thirty-three year old woman was found dead on the fourth floor of the Commerce Department one week prior to her testimony.

Attorney General Janet Reno ignored the illegal campaign contributions from the Communist Chinese government, the $700,000 in gifts to Web Hubbell for his silence, the $50,000 check a Chinese influence peddler left with Hillary’s chief of staff in the White House, the $100,000 cattle futures scam, document shredding by the secret Health Care Task Force, Filegate, and the missing Rose Law Firm billing records that mysteriously turned up in Hillary Clinton’s closet in the White House. Billy Dale was falsely accused in Travelgate and Janet Reno did nothing.

Hillary sent thugs to terrorize Kathleen Willey after she was sexually assaulted by Bill Clinton in the White House. These thugs killed the cat of Kathleen Willey, stabbed her tires and threatened her children. Both Dick Morris and Kathleen Willey named the thugs sent by Hillary Clinton to silence the women who had sex with Bill Clinton or were raped by the sick bastard. Barry Seal took weapons to the Contras and brought back drugs when he landed in Mena airport. The drug money was laundered through ADFA, a department created by Bill Clinton. Clinton used five to ten thousand per week to see his women.

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