Will Obama go on tv and defend him like he defended Axelrod's stupid comments about the Bhutto assassination?

Seriously, Jesse Jackson, Jr., is NOT helping Obama by acting like a sore loser here. So Hillary's priorities are "out of whack" because she was becoming emotional in talking about the state of our nation? What Jackson said today was classless. Obama should not stand by that statement.

"Jacqueline Jackson, wife of Rev. Jesse Jackson, endorses HRC and tapes a South Carolina radio ad on her behalf. The Rev. himself is supporting, somewhat tepidly, Barack Obama."

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/arch ives/2008/01/_barack_obama_joins.php

Just like Hillary's campaign seemed to be bumbling and stumbling for a few days after Iowa, it looks like Obama is reeling a bit when he really has no reason not to just dust himself off and move on to the next state.

If you watch the video, not only does he specifically say this is something they're talking about "within the campaign," but he goes through the argument in a very methodical way, bringing up Katrina not once but twice.  This is not a guy sharing a random thought, this is a guy present the talking points, which were ill-conceived to say the least.

And when you bring up specifically Katrina, when you make the argument not once but twice that she didn't cry over Katrina... I hope we're all honest enough to admit that that's playing the race card.  I wish they hadn't gone there.  There's absolutely no reason for it.

On to the next state.  The Obama campaign has been a smooth operation and there's no need for it to run off the rails based on one setback.

The utter media elation around the vauge theme of "change" caused Obama to seriously procrastinate developing a more solid "bread and butter" approach which he is going to need to win. Hillary started on the populist theme the day before the vote. A bit tepid, more Al Gore 2000 than Jon Edwards but it did the trick. Obama is going to need "It's the economy stupid" tatooed on his hand if he want to pull this off.

everytime i get asked about my hair i have to sob, but it does get me sympathy

It seems pretty clear to me that Obama's "you're likeable enough" statement to Hillary was meant to be a joke. I did not think it was mean spirited. I think Obama was trying to indicate through his sarcasm that likeability is not a central issue in this campaign, at least to him.

Has he taken other missteps? I think so, but I would not use that statement as evidence of such missteps.

Jesse Jackson, Jr. sounds absolutely correct to me.

One, the race card, i.e. Katrina.

Two, the male vote, she "cried."   Of course she didn't cry .. look at the video.  Not a tear dropped.

Obama is going to get sleazy here with his back against the wall and his "run the board" strategy failed.  Feb 5 looms and Obama can see it looming.

It isn't going to work.

If Obama isn't "different" he is done.

If Obama becomes a race pol he is done.   Name a pol that has run on race and won.

Funny, Todd.

You are so unbalanced. I bet you get on your husband's nerves.

Well it's clear that this is aimed at AA voters in S.C. It can't hurt the O campaign there.

Is it a response to the HRC campaign going negative? Probably.

Is it odious?

No more odious than HRC campaign references to drug dealing, Gloria Steinem's op-ed, mailers with false information, the fear card, insulting MLK statements, etc.

Oh boy, Obama needs to condone this very quickly.

If this is BO's strategy, then I am shocked and appalled. He's not even trying to hide the NEW focus of his campaign. Classless!

aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to help survivors? His campaign obviously wants to set up a comparison b/w HRC and himself. So what specific actions in the SENATE did he perform to help the survivors?

I'm not surprised that the Obama campaign wants to go down this road. He appeals to the misogny of African-American males--his base. I wouldn't be surprised if his little supporters down in South Carolina started wearing shirts "bros before hos" to REALLY get the point across. He might have Oprah do another swing in South Carolina, saying that Obama is THE ONE and then accuse AA Clinton supporters of being sell-outs if the polls get too close. That's the game plan and they're going to be sticking to it. I hope the media really covers the South Carolina antics of the Obama campaign objectively, instead of giving him the pass that they always give him (particularly MSNBC).

I hope that there's a nice backlash against him if they show what type of person he really is. Let's see the unfiltered Obama campaign in South Carolina. His schtick might work in South Carolina and other places in the South, but I hope it backfires him in the northeast and the west coast....

Far be it from me to support Obama here, but please- dog whistle? Has it occured to you that maybe this is the issue that came to mind for him because, you know, this is the issue that comes to mind for him as a comparison. I suppose its dog whistle if you think bringing up something that happens to be about black folks is ulterior rather than American. If this is dog whistle, I want to hear them blow more.

Here is some on Obama.

Obama had his surrogates all over the cable news shows tonight playing the race card: arguing that his loss in New Hampshire was the result of silent racism in the voting booth.

The Obama pundits are also suggesting that President Clinton's remarks in New Hampshire were racist.

As usual, the pundits didn't call them on it. To the contrary, it's pretty clear that racism hurting Obama will be this week's media narrative, surely culminating in a Meet the Press roundtable.

Compare to Hillary giving a speech at her womens college alma mater and the week of attacking her for "playing the gender card".

Meanwhile, a lot of NOLA people came out for Edwards  with a message to NH.  Oh, let's forget Edwards....it's all about Obama and Hillary.

Edwards actually got his hands dirty down there as well as announcing.  And he still talks about NOLA as if he really means it.

FWIW, the woman who asked the question that prompted the tears voted for Sen. Obama:

http://cbs4denver.com/nationalpolitics/c linton.crying.voter.2.626577.html

BTW,  I haven't digested the Jackson thing yet but I'm not happy with it either.  Although I have to say I am still digesting Sen. Clinton's MLK/LBJ remark and while its obvious she meant no disrespect, it doesn't sit right.  To me it devalues MLK and the civil rights movement.

They're both good candidates and decent people. Let's not get into a "who cares for Katrina folks more?" argument... please?

"as if he really means it" which seems to be the best one expects of our politicians.

I'm sure you understand, you don't hang out on picket lines because it's good for your political career. It's spending, not collecting, political capital to support hotel worker strikes.

Go ahead and say, "no no John knew that politics would be very very progressive now!" then show me another national politician willing to do it, oh I mean "smart enough" to side with the powerless.

Say whatever you want, JRE has already moved America further towards a progressive agenda than anybody in national politics now, and that includes Kucinich, who has good polices and no idea how to run a campaign, even a campaign to support another progressive.

I'm damn proud to be standing with JRE, and because he still is the most electable Democrat according to CNN, I haven't got an inkling of a smidgeon of a clue why progressives haven't committed to him yet.

BTW, I think you will.

He had some black guy and Pitchfork Pat. And you know what Pat was talking more sense. Then jj jr. Matthews and Obama don't seem to get that this pigeonholes them with Sharpton jj etc. They must be crazy.

So she gets credit for her husband? Does she also take the blame for him then?

And in Hillary Clinton's own words, he's not standing here right now.

Do the Obama people really want to turn this into black vs. white and woman vs. man?  This is the true Obama campaign.  They think they are backed into a corner and politics of hope go out the window.  This is the reason gay people won't vote for him because if push comes to shove he will play into the black communities dislike of gay people which he already did in South Carolina.  Nice!

One more thing:  to assume that race played a factor in the polling in NH you must ASSUME that the typical NH democrat voter would be ashamed to admit he or she voted for Hillary Clinton like one would be ashamed to admit he or she voted for Jesse Helms when one is a blue collar democrat in a textile town in NC or a independent suburban soccer mom in Chapel Hill.  If you voted for Hillary and admit it no one would assume you did it because of race like they would if you voted for Helms instead of Gantt.  This is really ugly, tenuous stuff here.  The Obama are walking a tight rope here.

I'm a little surprised not to see more Obama supporters acknowledging that this was a stupid comment, he shouldn't have said it, it's offensive to suggest Hillary doesn't care about Katrina victims, etc.  I've seen a grand total of one person admit it.

I honestly cannot believe the Obama campaign has not walked this back by now.