Has Obama done his "spadework" or is Hillary making a racial slur?

RUSH: Did you hear what Mrs. Clinton said on the Today Show today with Matt Lauer? She said that Barack Obama "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president." He "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president," SOURCE

Rush Limbaugh, no matter what people might think about him, often stumbles upon some interesting aspects of the "War of Words" that often takes place between the Democrats and Republicans. Rush often focuses upon the acute differences in which "loaded" comments made by Democrats and those by Republicans are received. In this case, Hillary Clinton is quoted as saying that Borack Obama "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president" (italics are mine to emphasize the word "spadework"]

The use of the word "spadework" (i.e. "spade") has some derogatory and even racist undertones. Since Rush Limbaugh made quite a big deal about this particular word -- "spade" , "spadework" -- I have to ask whether Rush is correct?.

Now, let's imagine, shall we, if Trent Lott, or Mitt Romney, or Ross Perot had said that Barack Obama "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president." Nothing that happens in the Clinton campaign is coincidence, folks. Barack Obama hasn't done the "spadework"? Whew. Where is the Reverend Sharpton on this? SOURCE

Is Rush Limbaugh simply "grabbing" after a straws? Or is Rush actually onto to something here? When Hillary uses the word "spadework" in a direct comment about Borack Obama, is she actually making a racial slur? Personally, I cannot help but feel that Rush is correct in his assumption that if a prominent Republican had made such comments, the Democrats or even the media would have been all over the Republican for making such a statement, for using such a "loaded" word.

What's your take?

I would have to agree with you.
The Clinton machine is very exact. NOTHING comes out of her mouth if it hasn't been hashed out behind closed doors and picked as the "perfect" word to subliminally get their point across.
She could have used any number of words available but she used this one.
Not a coincedence.
They are subliminally reminding you, "Hey, check yourselves...this guy is black, don't get too cozy"

When I heard Rush ranting about this "slip of the tongue" (?) or figure of speech, I could not help but thing that this was a deliberate comment. Naturally, Rush has a radio style that "hammered" this point home but it is a point that I would have made even if Rush hadn't pointed this out.

while I do find that nothing Hil does is without an enormous amount of thought and planning, I cannot believe she'd use an expression like spadework in a derogatory manner unless she was trying to blow the race. She's a strategist for sure and every move, right down to her bowel movements, are probably calculated but still, using a slur?

The flip side is simple. Did anyone even know spadework meant anything other than working with a spade (the gardening kind)? I didn't.


However, again, we know how controlling and calculated Hil is so we can't really put it past her, can we? After her little bout of tears, the woman who asked the tear inducing question was interviewed and, apparently without prompting, she said "I'm not a plant." I could be wrong on that but that is how I read it in today's paper. Again, cold and calculating is her m.o.

In this case, I vote for bizarre accident. Although it was a close race, so to speak...

It could have been said off the cuff. I have my doubts that the Clinton camp would have purposefully scripted that. The risk far outweighs the reward. Though I will say that it's not everyday someone just drops 1770s slang out in conversation.

/tn.

Double post. I blame my new mouse. It's too sensitive.

/tn.

[edit on 9-1-2008 by teleonaut]

I will agree with Rush on this however. If say, for example, Mitt Romney had made such an "off the cuff remark", I'm sure that the Democrats would have been all over him about saying something like that.

Still it is a 'curious' choice of words.

There is a double standard, which I think the following proves.

Years ago I lived in St. Louis and the StL Post Dispatch ran a photo of a ground-breaking ceremony. The participants happened to be all black, and they were holding shovels, naturally enough. The photo caption was something like "A little spadework." Well, all hell broke loose. Local black activists wasted no time crying racism. The paper, as I recall, denied racism and said it was just a poor choice of words. This was pre-internet (I think about 1988-1990 or so, and I've been unable to track it down.

Where are those same activists re Hillary? Nowhere to be found.

The cynical use of race issues as a partisan bludgeon is itself racist. It foments division among those who are wrongly called racist, and those who wrongly buy into the accusations. The 'boy cries wolf' effect also makes it harder for real victims of racism to obtain justice.

Would she have used the comment in reference to a white person?

If not, she was targetting someone of a different colour, where I come from that is racist. Jade on UK Big Brother got in BIG trouble for calling an Indian actress "Shilpa Poppadom" and I see this as not much difference, except Hillary should know better than to act like some council/trailer trash.

In their speeches after the New Hampshire primary, both Clinton and Obama were carefully respectful of one another, and I expect they will continue in that vein. Hillary is too smart to stoop to even veiled racism; it could ruin her. Remember Bill was very popular with African Americans and relied on their support. Even though Obama is threatening to take much of that vote, she would be foolish to alienate her own base, which wouldn't respond well to racism either. It was an unfortunate choice of words, but I think she would have used the term in reference to a white person too. She simply meant that he hadn't done the groundwork she has done. She should have said it that way.

We all can agree that it was probably just an unfortunate choice of words, but the key is the disparity of response by the media.

If you're a George Allen (R, VA) saying "macacca" the media goes into #storm mode. If you're Hillary or Biden, you know you can traipse merrily along with no worries.

The MSM sucks...