It's On! (UPDATED: Video)

Other that the Kenya post--set last night to automatically post early this morning--I wasn't going to post today. However, this is bit of politicking is too delicious not to comment upon. In an interview that will run on ABC's "Good Morning America" tomorrow morning, Barack Obama says that Bill Clinton "...has taken his advocacy on behalf of his wife to a level that I think is pretty troubling."

"He continues to make statements that are not supported by the facts -- whether it's about my record of opposition to the war in Iraq or our approach to organizing in Las Vegas. This has become a habit, and one of the things that we're going to have to do is to directly confront Bill Clinton when he's making statements that are not factually accurate.

In short, Obama is saying that the former president is a lying sack. So what else is new, Senator?

The remarkable thing about the statements as a tactic is this: it changes the nature of this war--a war called the 2008 Democrat nomination process, but is one that may be dubbed the Great Identity Politics War when we look back on it.

Obama has--wisely--changed to a more vulnerable target. No longer does the battle pit Man against Woman--one in which the woman is perceived to be the underdog even if the man is black and the woman is white. Now it's Black Man against White Man--and you know who the alleged underdog is in this battle.

Just remember the nature of Identity Politics Wars; the "weaker" opponent is always the victor.

"Fascinating."

(Thanks to Memeorandum; photo lifted from Gateway Pundit)

UPDATE: Related evidence of the nature of Identity Politics Wars: Benedict Oprah!

UPDATE: Welcome Instapundit and Captain's Quarters Readers!

UPDATE: Video at Hot Air.

UPDATE: Here's another salvo from the video. Obama:

President Clinton went on the...in front of a large group [and] said that I'd claimed that only Republicans had had any good ideas since 1980. And then he added "I'm not making this up." He was making it up and completely mischaracterizing my statement.

I'd say that the truce has ended. Just a guess.

Comments

[Chester White]

"Obama is saying that the former president is a lying sack."

I knew Clinton was a lying sack the minute I first laid eyes on him in 1988.

Welcome to the party, pal!

[Letalis Maximus, Esq.]

Remember, they first called him Slick Willy back home in Ar-kin-saw. What people (well, about 43% of the people, anyway) see in these two carpet bagging opportunists (Bill and Hill, that is) is beyond me. Just goes to show that the P.T. Barnum Principle continues to be valid: you can fool some of the people all of the time.

[Assistant Village Idiot]

The Clintons have portrayed themselves as the only force capable of stopping extreme conservatives this past 16+ years. They live by fearmongering.

[Assistant Village Idiot]

The Clintons have portrayed themselves as the only force capable of stopping extreme conservatives this past 16+ years. They live by fearmongering.

[Capsu78]

Obama is my Senator and won't be getting my vote as I already know who is, and he is politically to the left of Her Highness herself.
But I have to say he is playing a very clever game over the last 90 days against a powerful adversary.
He is pitting a "Clinton in 92" playbook against a "Clinton in 2008" playbook.

[Capsu78]

A second point that is sending me to make a bowl of popcorn at 9 in the morning-
Obamas comments, delivered under the cover of MLK Bday, are clearly scathing and you just know they will push Billerys buttons in a big way... and yet he is being told to STFU by a large portion of Hilde's brain trust.
I'll bet his face is beet red right about now, and he will seethe as Obama keeps pushing this button, hoping that Bills spaggetti boils over into a 3 day newscycle mistake.

[Fat Man]

Pass the pop corn, say, you want a beer?

[4 Borders Pundit]

Clinton Male is clever. His strategy is to take some helmet fire for Hillary. Obama now has two targets to go after. Clever, very clever.

[Letalis Maximus, Esq.]

Capus78:

I am so sorry that Obama is your Senator. Verily I am. However, I respectfully suggest that, if we are fated to have a Dem President next, we should hope it will be Obama. One term of Prez Obama, and maybe even two, will I believe be worth it in the long run in order to permanently sentence Hillary to her adopted role of Senator from New York. At some point, for the good of the country, the Democrats are going to have to put Bill and Hill out to pasture with all the other Old Bull Dems who used to be so scary and powerful (remember how big and tough Teddy seemed back in 1979? - Now he is simply the Official Massachusetts State Joke). In my view, the sooner the better.

[DANEgerus]

ABC provides the hype, but the reality is that neither side is willing to 'go nuclear' and start pointing out the obvious for fear of the Mutually Assured Destruction that would result from either side actually telling the truth about the other side's scandals the MainStreamMedia is working so hard to ignore.

Why won't the Clinton's mention Rezko? Why won't the Obama campaigners mention Hsu?

Why won't the Clinton's mention Rev Jeremiah Wright? Why won't the Obama campaigners mention Hillary's "faith"?

Why won't the Clinton's mention George Soros' money? Why won't the Obama campaigners mention George Soros' money?

The list of possible salvos is long and it just starts there.

[Capsu78]

Letalis Maximus wrote:
"At some point, for the good of the country, the Democrats are going to have to put Bill and Hill out to pasture with all the other Old Bull Dems who used to be so scary and powerful".

I can't argue the logic Letalis, but they have yet to "pasturize" arguably Americas "worst president" and factually "worst Ex President" from Plains GA.

When I stand in the voting booth, my selection always gets a last minute filter: Am I voting for a potential Jefferson or a potential Carter?

[submandave]

I know she's his wife, but there is something unseemly, tawdry and just plain vulgar about a former POTUS stumping so heavilly for a specific candidate. Even GHWB didn't hit the skids for GWB with anywhere close to this much enthusiasm.

[Ralph Phelan]

Seems to me this is a deliberate step away from the identity politics game, which both must know sets them up for defeat in the general election.

Now they're calling each other liars, criticizing each others' policies, records and experience, and generally practicing normal politics. Which is a relief.

[JimC]

Speculation: Bill bad cop, Hill good cop. She can come in now and be the noble peacemaker, even though what he's saying what she wants him to say. He may apologize, but the idea is out there now.

Are they really doing this? Dunno. Will it work if they are? Dunno.

[Tantor]

submandave: "I know she's his wife, but there is something unseemly, tawdry and just plain vulgar about a former POTUS stumping so heavilly for a specific candidate."

Submandave, you don't know tawdry from bare-assed vulgar until Slick Willy slips into a hot tub full of undecided female voters and the wife is waiting around the corner with the towells wondering if it worked.