Obama's answer on Farrakhan

Posted: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:10 PM by Chuck Todd

From NBC's Chuck Todd
Why didn't Obama simply say he rejected Farrakhan's support? That's an answer he's going to wish he had over.

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Comments

Rejected and Denounced!

Janise, Columbus, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

You have to love Hillary, she felt she was being left out of the "Reject/Denounce" subject and had to interject herself.

Romayne, Havelock, NC (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

He just did! This is a case where Hillary should have kept her mouth quiet but in an attempt to score a point, she gave him a way to make up for his mis-statement and come out strongly. Had she been quiet, she would have won. But since she spoke, he won the issue.

John Mack, Parsons KS (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

He did, Chuck!

Amber, Indianapolis, IN (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

Hee hee. This hillbilly liked his answer.

Bob Stewartstown pa (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

I honestly thought the word "denounce" was a stronger choice or words to describe his sentiments.

Arnitha, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

He finally did...and made it appear that she is once again mincing words. She still sounds like a mother who micro-manages her child.

Chris, Quincy IL (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

Did Clinton just inadvertantly save Obama from himself by keeping the topic alive?

David A. (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

I love his rejection and denunciation line -- kudos Obama! (Hillary says words don't matter, except now, when she thinks her word is better)

Cathy Boise, ID (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

Your right about this Todd....I believe also that the terms of the question actually turned towards his own pastor whom he proudly touts having attended his church...so more importantly why does he not 'reject' his own pastor contemptable words?

AJ, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

uh he did, denounced and rejected, open your ears Chucky

bond, waco, tx (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

Hopefully, you're still watching because he "denounced AND rejected."

ersheido, Leesburg, VA (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

I thought so, too, but Sen. Clinton's "denounce isn't the same thing as reject" allowed Obama to have a do-over AND get a great laugh line that should play well in the news. Plus, the denounce/reject distinction from Sen. Clinton should evoke memories of her husband's famous equivocation that "it depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."

LHarris, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

Piddly poo! Great comments on support for Israel followed. That's enough.

C R Green, Cleveland, GA (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

Hold on. She gave him an opening to answer again and he took it - to applause.

Thank you, Hillary.

Drew Rocker (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

he did respond he rejects that type of support

me, ore (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

He did!!! Who is the candidate of rhetoric now?

Jose, LaBelle, Florida (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:16 PM)

Obama just rejected and renounced. Great comeback by an attempt by Clinton to paint him as anti-semitic.

Sandra Edwards, Fremont, CA (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

Oy Vey Obama be a mensch and punch Farrahkan in the mouth already; this will cost you.

Rachel, Brooklyn, NY (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

It is because he thinks he can finesse everyone, since he has finessed the media so far. That was a slam dunk, Hillary!

keithfan (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

Please Chuck, that's a reach. I'm disappointed in your reply.

Obama just made the point that there was no formal offer to actually reject.

Randy E (SC) (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

Um... denounce... reject... whats the difference?

I thought his answer was brilliant.

Rob S, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

This is just mincing words. Reject, denounce - who cares? He can't control what people think and if Farrakhan thinks he would make a better President, big deal!

T Robinson, Chester, Virginia (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

What support has been offered for him to reject?

JG, Atlanta, GA (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

Well he just got another opp, served up to him on a silver platter. Had Hillary left it alone, it would have festered. She gave him an out.

Dennis Flannery (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

He did. This is silly.

Joe, Manchester, NH (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

This was a litmus test issue. This will make many people nervous about Obama outside his core group.

Jack (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

I thought denouncing included rejection? These semantic word games amount to splitting hairs and demonstrates the silliness that permeates American politics sometimes, especially if you are behind.

Obama is being even keeled here, he certainly wouldn't court or support anything from Farrakhan.

Jeff, Pittsburgh PA (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:17 PM)

You are absolutely right. Why didn't he just say it? He had to cornered to say the correct statement. Big, Big mistake.

Ruth (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:23 PM)

Renounce:
1 : to give up, refuse, or resign usually by formal declaration <renounce his errors> 2 : to refuse to follow, obey, or recognize any further : repudiate

Reject:
1. (transitive) to refuse to accept

She even rejected my improved offer.
(refuse to accept): decline, refuse, turn down, repudiate, disown, abnegate, abjure, deny

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:23 PM)

Why didn't the moderator give Cliton the "Farrakhan Test"?

Anthony Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:24 PM)

Reject or Denounce, either way he does not want the support. However, the members of the Nation of Islam are over a million strong, and they vote too.

Francine Eppinger, Cleveland, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:24 PM)

I'm not sure where Mr. Russert was going with the "reject" statement. According to the American Heritage Dictionary;

Denounce 1. To condemn openly as being evil or reprehensible. 3. To give formal announcement of the ending of (a treaty).

Reject 1. To refuse to accept, submit to, believe, or make use of. 3. To refuse to recognize or give affection to.

I see Obama's answer as a more eloquent way to disallow, snub, or eliminate Farrakhan's support.

Jason Crippen, Derby, Kansas (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:24 PM)

source: dictionary.com

denounce: to condemn or censure openly or publicly: to denounce a politician as morally corrupt.

Dave (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:24 PM)

Ah, but Clinton gave him the opportunity to do just that. She just couldn't let it go but had to shout "not me! not me!" -- and as a result, set Obama up for a slam dunk. Now it will be Clinton to wish for a do-over.

Kendall (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:24 PM)

I don't think so, he said he denounced Farrakhans stance on Israel, so thats all he needed to say......Besides, why would he want to alienate the thousands of people who belong to the Nation of Islam anyway....He can't tell folks to support or not support him.....But he certainly isn't stupid either, there are hundreds of thousands if not millions of Nation of Islam members and that equals votes....Its you media folks who want to make a big issue out of it.......

Streightdope, San Antonio, Tx (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:24 PM)

Are you tuned into another station, The way I heard it he did.
I just turned the program off because I finally found the best description of Tim Russet and his way of framing questions. Kind of reminds you of the old style double edge razor blade. Answer his question your most honest and best way and damn if your don't end up getting cut. Tim Russert would make a great football coach in his ability to make you dislike or in some cases lately, hate someone.

dick rasile Alliance, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:24 PM)

Barack is contemplative and does not give knee-jerk responses, to his credit. I am sure no clear thinking human being would believe that he is not supportive of our Jewish citizens.

Felicia, Dallas, TX (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:27 PM)

What everyone is failing to grasp is Obama can't answer a straight-forward question. The question was simple - "Do you reject Minister Farrahkan's support?" And what did he do, wasted my time and yours dancing with the word denounce.

Randy Nickerson, Anchorage, Alaska (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:27 PM)

You are suppose to be reporting the news, not creating a story. That question was low. You use the historical past between Jewish people and blacks. That was shameful. But now, you'll be able to read and hear your loaded question repeated for the next few days, bring your company free advertisement. I hope it is worth it. This man, this good man has to now defend himself on a non-issue, a creative trap set by shock and wow producers. You hurt my feeling.

Sheon, Pittsburg. CA. (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:27 PM)

I'm sorry Obama - rejecting Farrakhan has cost you my vote (and my family's vote) - Good luck and God Bless

Anthony Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:27 PM)

I am not a republican nor a democrat and I have voted in every election for the last 40 years this gives me the right to speak. I have heard the pretty speeches and this is how I feel. Obama says what you want to hear or he spins what he has to say. I will not vote for him, not because he is black but because he does not have the experience. As a mother a grandmother I will vote for Hillary, why she has the experience and the people that will back her. Maybe someday Obama may make a great president but not now. Our nation is in trouble and we need someone who can stand up and guide our nation and get us out of the mess that the Bush/Cheney have gotten us into. I hope people will look at the differences between the two of them. As far as I can see our nation can not take another president in training.

Diane L. Pelletier Rohnert Park CA (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:28 PM)

Denounce was the proper word to be used.....to give formal notice; to condemn strongly as evil. Denounce is a stronger word. I "reject" Clinton's comment.

Dallas, TX (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:28 PM)

There's never a cut and dry, black and white, yes or no, reject of accept answer for a question like that. When you understand the full history of Farrakhan and the NOI, it's relationship to the black community and more importantly it's relationship to other communities you move beyond the unfair media portrayal. You become advanced enough to listen to entire speeches and not sound bites, lifted out of context. You also become advanced enough to see the transformation of a man (Farrakhan) who has admitted, in the context of the Bible, "When I was a child, I spoke as a child." He has developed and grown from a person who spoke out of he pain of witnessing how other communities play a major role in the destruction of his community (and done so, without care), to a person who has the utmost respect for all communities. It's interesting how media measures leaders, who happen to be black, against the yard stick of Louis Farrakhan... I think hs answer to this question won't be that bad.

Rasheem Rooke (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:28 PM)

Obama in SC quoted Malcolm and now denounces Farrakhan... fucking hypocrite! Protect your own people dumb ass. I'm sorry I voted for you. You better hope Minister Farrakhan doesn't tell black not to support you...he would not..because he supports you despite your lust for votes

CB, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:29 PM)

Jeff,

then why didn't he just come out and say it?

Ruth (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:30 PM)

It seems to me there is lack of understanding of Semitism. The Bible, The Torah and the Quran clearly indicate that both the Jews and Arabs belongs to the same tribe of Ibrahim. So to associate only the Jews with the Semitism is utterly wrong. I only wish the Arabs and Jews go back to their root and work together to bring peace to their nations and work together. I take very personal of someone is anti-Semitic or anti-black, anti-gays or anti-women. We all children of God, we need to work together to bring our nation together and I believe Obama can bring our nation together, White , Black, Jews, Latinos men, and women.

Jim Kabbara (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:31 PM)

he said rejected and denounced!

Stephen, Manchester, Kentucky (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:31 PM)

He can reject and denounce until the cows come home, but some people want to make him muslim. I would love to know what his support would be if he was muslim. He may be added to America's Most Wanted list because of his name. I am tired of the bipartisan politics, we really need the gridlock to decrease in Washington. It's about the people more than the parties.

Jay, Louisiana (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:33 PM)

Obama's body language regarding Farrakan make him look like he was finally on the hot seat in having to finally account for himself regarding a real situation. His hemming and hawing made me very uncomfortable because it should have been straight forward renouncing, denouncing, and rejection of Farrakan from the beginning. Very interesting.

George Wright, Ohio (Sent Tuesday, February 26, 2008 10:34 PM)

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