Wilder on Bill Clinton

Appearing on the CBS program Face the Nation with host Bob Schieffer, Richmond mayor and former Virginia governor L. Douglas Wilder was asked to comment on Bill Clinton's surrogate role in his wife's campaign, specifically in the South Carolina primary where Clinton sought to minimize Obama's victory by drawing a comparison with Jesse Jackson. Wilder said, "He [Clinton] didn't look to the issues, he didn't look to the positions, he looked to the color." Wilder further added, "It's a mistake for Bill Clinton to believe that there has been given to him this mantle of authenticity to be able to speak for and to blacks and to be dismissive of African Americans. I think he made a big mistake and I think he hurt Hillary in the process."