Clift Screams: Being Forced to Choose Between Obama and Hillary is a 'Tragedy'

March 3rd, 2008 5:35 PM

Torn by her liberal guilt of being forced to choose between a woman or an African-American man to have a shot at making history, Eleanor Clift lost it on this weekend's "McLaughlin Group" as she called the choice a "tragedy." The "Newsweek" editor claimed liberals, particularly women, were confused as to whether to dump Hillary for Obama as she blurted: "Women have waited decades to see the first woman president and it's actually something of a tragedy that a talented African-American guy comes along at the same [time.]"

The following is the full exchange as it occurred on the March 1, edition of "The McLaughlin Group":

ELEANOR CLIFT, NEWSWEEK: Women have waited decades to see the first woman president and it's actually something of a tragedy that a talented African-American guy comes along at the same--this isn't liberal guilt.

PAT BUCHANAN: Why's it a tragedy?

CLIFT: Because you have to choose between two people who you–

BUCHANAN: That's a tragedy?

CLIFT: Well maybe you, maybe you want, I call it a tragedy, yes. Because people, women, women in particular are having a very hard time deciding here. But this not liberal guilt! This is not liberal guilt! This is a very, I want to finish my thought.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN: Alright, alright quickly.

CLIFT: I want to finish my thought. And that is that Barack Obama is a unique, once-in-a-generation figure.

MCLAUGHLIN: Ahh!

CLIFT: He has met every test!

MCLAUGHLIN: He's an ordinary pol!

CLIFT: He's not an ordinary pol! He's not an ordinary pol any more than Hillary Clinton is an ordinary pol! They have both, he is not an ordinary pol any more than Hillary Clinton is. They are both class-act people. And I am proud as a citizen to see that both of them are in contention.