A lot more classy than Hillary was during Wright and bittergate.

Obama then winked "This is an open thread".

Graciously face-saving of Obama to say that, but we know what Hillary meant: 'Nice nominee you got there... sure would be a shame if anything happened to him...'.

Grace and eloquence.

Obama can afford to be magnanimous. The fact remains that Clinton, apart from her diehard koolaid drinkers and republican enablers, was universally condemned for her remarks. The damage has been done.

TPM- While you're 6 hrs too late I appreciate the effort. Can you also take a few minutes from the busy long weekend to remove plastic McCain from the front page? It's unfair to expect us to withstand for 48-72 hours. Creepy, I tell you.

Anyway, as predicted Obama took the high road and it's the right thing to do. Classy.

We know he had to say that or risk being labeled a 'sexist' for piling on during her time of woe. B/c as we've learned calling her out for her b.s. or any approach grounded in reality makes one a woman-hater.

The strategic value is that they know she's self-destructing and needs no help in that endeavor - this was a gift to O's campaign. He can sit back and let the media rip her apart. He also knows that any pouncing on her by him would take the spotlight off her mess and draw it to him and whether his being critical was part of the vast women-hating conspiracy she's created to explain her colossal failure despite all early odds to the contrary.

The sweetness of it is that she seems to keep upping the gaffe ante to the point that Superdels are now free to move en masse w/out being accused of short-circuiting the damsel in distress fantasy nom win.

And as an aside she once again gave aid and comfort to the enemy McCain by diverting attention from his Medical Records release. Hmmm?

Taking the high road, what an elitist, sexist thing to do!
Please, superdels, make it end...

Yes, Obama showed class, as usual.

Hillary might have been able to limit the damage by making a sincere apology for her (at best) shockingly inappropriate and insensitive statement. But apparently that was too much to ask. Ready On Day One? Ready at 3 AM? I don't think so.

This is another reason why I like him. You just KNOW if the tables were turned, she would be digging into this like a lion on a downed gazelle.

I just posted this on a reader blog, but I think it's an important point to make.
Since everyone's discussing Obama's motive and state of mind in downplaying this gaffe, there's one factor that should be obvious.
He has a very practical, personal interest in seeing talk of assassination disappear from the front pages and the blogs.
Much as it drives a stake through Hillary's campaign, it has a serious cost for him in terms of added risk.
So he clearly doesn't want to prolong the debate over what Hillary meant or didn't mean.
And I'm sure sure he doesn't want loudmouths like Al Sharpton staging speeches and rallies about it. (I'm pretty sure I read something to that effect; if not, Al, my apologies.)

You know what is funny about the comparison to RFK and the 1968 election ? It's that everyone has it in reverse. The best comparison for RFK is Hillary, not Obama (right now everyone is saying WTF ??)

In 1968, RFK was attempting to win the nomination, winning several of the primaries. By the time June came around he won the California primary, but he still wasn't going to have enough delegates to capture the nomination. Thats because Humphrey had focused on taking the delegates in the 37 non-primary states secured all these delegates-- basically all the same states that have caucuses today (just like Obama-- gaining his dominating position by winning the non-primary states that would carry him to the nomination). At the time of his death, RFK was behind Humphrey by 170 votes (also a similar number...)

RFK's plan was to take the race to the convention and hope that his family name and charm (OK here my comparison falters a bit) would convince the party bosses to award him the nomination over delegate leader Humphrey.

So to summarize...
We have one person (Humphrey/Obama) who amassed the most delegates by winning all the non-primary states, who enters the convention with the delegate lead, and then we have RFK/Hilary who does well in the primaries, who is behind in the delegate count, but hopes to take it to the convention and use the strength of his/her family name , to take the nomination from the delegate leader.

I don't like this whatsoever, because all the MSM will do is try to revive the idea of a so called dream (nightmare) ticket between the two.

Obama/Sebelius '08
Obama/Webb '08
Obama/Hagel '08
Obama/Biden '08

Excellent point. Also, it is valid that Obama can afford to be magnanimous. Plus, doing so merely highlights the perceived character differences between the two candidates.

One thing that surprises me, though: There hasn't been much mention of the fact that Hillary's comments were in response to a very common question. It's not like, "Gee, I didn't see that coming. I was flustered, tired and misspoke...." Uh, no.

Candidates prepare for likely questions. This question was one she would obviously expect. So these comments were essentially prepared, which is a disturbing thought, regardless of her motives.

Why Hillary should not be VP:

From "Head of State"

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/head-of-state-reasons-that-hillary.html

Friday, May 23, 2008

Head of State: The Reasons That Hillary Should Not Be Vice President

Regarding Hillary Clinton as Barack Obama's running mate:

Originally, this seemed to be a potentially plausible choice--and if presented in the following way, could turn her divisive campaign into a potential coup as a VP candidate. The thinking was the following:

Hillary has run a divisive campaign. Now, just as the nation should mend its divisions in favor a greater unity that would serve the greater needs of our country, so now they would explicitly put these divisions behind them, in the interests of the unity that this nation, after a bitter and divisive Administration, is so in need of. This would serve as a powerful and vibrant example of the very ability to unify that Obama both offers and represents.

However, this would require a candidate that was willing to take such a position of relative shared selflessness in the interests of a greater good. While the Vice Presidency certainly offers its honors (now far beyond the "warm pitcher" of John Vance Garner's famous phrase) and positioning for later Presidential aspirations, such a plan would require the ability to think in terms of a shared effort based on the betterment of the nation, rather than in more grasping, combative and singular terms.

The Clinton camp's behavior over this past week has made such a positive scenario clearly untenable, showcasing the same characteristics that have signified her campaign throughout its long, chaotic march--its contradictions of previous statements when such changes have a slight possibility of adding a week or two of vitality, its sudden and implausible use of populist guises and specious historical parallels for transparently opportunistic purposes, its near-hallucinogenic transmogrifications of personality and central bases for further continuation,
and the central campaign tendency to place personal attainment over virtually all values that lay in its path.

These characteristics--self over nation, positioning over a consistent presentation of position, values and even self, the willingness to put personal viability over the need to transcend and transform the vast wreckage of state and international relations that remains at this critical time--are as present now, at a moment when wisdom rather than a remorseless, obdurate desperation could fill this gap, as they have been throughout much of the campaign. They would continue to make themselves present during a Clinton campaign for vice president, complicating, diminishing and often distracting from, in trivial internecine battles, the message of unity and change.

Perhaps Clinton could adopt a more unifying, integrated and less grasping position on the VP subject. However, thus far, the actions of the Clinton camp have made it clear: It's time to clean the slate. Hillary Clinton should not be the Vice Presidential candidate.

Cite:

Head of State

http://headofstate.blogspot.com/2008/05/head-of-state-reasons-that-hillary.html

I think that one of the reasons he is being magnanimous is because he was hammered for a slip of the tongue in the past and he is setting things up for if/when he does it in the future.

But he also being magnanimous because he now has the perfect and reasonable way to keep her off the ticket.

agreed on both points, bruce -- i mean, cs. :)

I don't think Hillary was suggesting that someone take Obama out with her RFK comment. I think it was her way of saying that there's only one way you'll get her out of this race.

And once again, Obama is gracious. Has Clinton ever done the reverse?

This is a persistent theme. From the February debate, when the question of who pushed the photo of Obama in Somali garb: "Well, first of all, I take Senator Clinton at her word that she knew nothing about the photo. So I think that's something that we can set aside."

There was a moment in that debate where I thought maybe, just maybe, she was going to be gracious. It was after Obama and Tim Russert had been going back and forth on the Farrakhan issue. Clinton started out with "I just want to add something here, because I faced a similar situation when I ran for the Senate in 2000 in New York." And then she went into the rejecting and denouncing ad nauseum.

As someone mentioned above, he did the same in the Pennsylvania debate, passing on the question of the Bosnia sniper story, even after she'd been piling on with more Wright and even bringing up Farrakhan out of the blue.

She is a mean and nasty politician. He has shown more forbearance toward her than I ever could.

I just read the op-ed by HRC and talk about a microcosm of this entire campaign. As usual the piece is all about her, followed by a litany of excuses. She just does not get it. Instead of using a forum on a national newspaper to be magnaminous and humble...nah screw you! Obama faced with a similiar firestorm makes one of the greatest speeches on race this country has ever heard. Somewhere between these two examples is the gap that means Obama is our nomineee and HRC is not.

Re Hillary's assassination remark Rachal Maddow says (among other things): "If this was a mistake, it's a big mistake; it if wasn't a mistake, it's disgusting."

Pretty well sums it up.

Rachel also said the subject of assassination has come up a lot in Clinton's campaign -- obviously I am not in touch with what Clinton says from day to day, but for Maddow -- who is in touch, it's her job -- this is very disturbing.

There is a dark side to Clinton's psyche that is becoming more evident as the stress mounts and the desperation grows. How else explain a comparison of Florida with Zimbabwe? Not at all a good sign for someone who will be taking 3 AM calls. And I say this as someone who does not have any great animosity towards Clinton. I just don't think she is the right person for the job.

OK, I am going to say it: a huge mystery for me is how the people around her who apparently are devoted to her and perhaps even love her, can't bring her down from her self-destructive path. What's going on in Bill's mind? Chelsea's? McCauliffe's? Ickes? Is ambition all that drives these people.

So sad.

LOL. Half assed. As compared to Hillary's "he's not a muslim.....as far as I know"

give me a break

I wish he would have done a Hillary and said "She didn't mean to say what she did......as far as I know"

I put up a comment some time ago, but it seems to have gotten eaten by WordPress.

I find it amusing that some people think that Obama's statement was half-assed, when Hillary's drugstore apology to the Kennedy's was conditional -- "if I offended anyone..."

Anyway, off topic, but some of you may know that Obama is giving the commencement address at Wesleyan University (CT) today, at Ted Kennedy's request to stand in for him. They will do a streaming video from their Website:

http://wesleyan.edu

Webcast is on right now, (11:20 AM EST) but Obama will probably not get to the podium till past noon.

My son goes there so I have a special interest here. And no, he is not a privileged brat. He is going there only because he has generous financial aid from the school.

Thanks for mentioning that webcast! I got it, but it ended pretty soon after; was great though still!

I think obama was graciously taking her at her word---and sort of reminding us that after a long day, or when the phone rings at 3 in the morining, she might say or do something careless.

She made her point - and he made his!

the guy cheney shot in the face apologised. i don't see why obama can't or shouldn't apologise for this. this was only a hypothetical afterall, so surely he could apologise.

again the guy cheney shot in the face apologised so i really think obama owes hillary in this case as well. if the media didn't love him so much they would surely demand it.

This is pure politics. He needs some of her supporters and this is the perfect opportunity to cut her some slack and win some of them over. I just hope that he's not as easy on McCain.

I said to my girlfriend a couple of weeks ago, "I bet she wants to be VP because she and Bill have probably talked about the possibility of him being assassinated. She sees that as another path to victory." That's what's going on in her head and it's fucking sad...

I need to get some work done even with a holiday coming up, so here is my last, then bumbye for now. But here is a link to an article about Obama's commencement speech at Wesleyan University (CT) today, where my son is a student. One sentence capsule summary: He urges graduates to consider a career in public service.

It is a message both Clintonistas and Obamistas can agree on.

http://tinyurl.com/466zxm

I think this whole mess is indicative of the bubble Clinton is in.

Why even mention the tragedy of Bobby Kennedy now, so soon after we've received the sad news about Ted Kennedy? Answer: Hillary is in a social and media vacuum. The news about Ted hasn't probably even registered with her yet. It's her campaign all the time in her head. Leaving little room for news to sink in and other considerations.

Not a good thing.

I think one reason this is as big as it is right now is because of the horrible timing for the Kennedy's.

What a laugh! The same people who ripped into Hillary for saying that she "takes his word" that he's not a muslim, are now praising Obama to high heaven for saying that he "takes her word" that she doesn't want him dead. This is Obama at his lowest and most conniving, and this is also why he will never be able to unite the party.

oh, for gawds sake.
I lived through the RFK assassination, and it was in June. Now I can't remember it because it is some sort of third rail you can't touch because it might JINX it or something.

wait until you pour your heart and soul into a presidential campaign and they shoot him after he took office (JFK) and then when he is just running and you have committed yourself to his campaign and they shoot HIM too (RFK) Most of you guys were too young or before your time to know how this binds those of us that went through it all together.

I will be interested to read how your Change turn out, guys.