Clinton Black Supporters Feel Pressure To Switch

Washington Post:

You can see the confusion on some of their faces, hear the concern in their voices. How in the world do we deal with this?...

...Which brings us back to the dilemma facing some of Clinton's high-profile black supporters -- those with titles and constituencies of their own. They are feeling some kind of crazy pressure. Last Friday, about 25 of them held an hour-long conference call to discuss what one described as an effort to "pester, intimidate, question our blackness" for not supporting Obama.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[drblack]

Unless you are a big ,rich company that needs a favor why would you support Hillary?
I hope the Ohio voters realize that both the republiCONS and Clinton (who would have been a republiCON in the 70s) were responsible for sending their jobs away.
The Clinton economic policies made big companies rich at the expense of the American worker.
China still has not done what they agreed to do in order to get Most favored Nation status. Did Bush or Clinton make China honor their agreement? No. China, Bush and Clinton all have no Honor and should be slapped down.
When I refer to China I mean the Red Communist Chinese government...not the Chinese people.

[CenterLeftLawyer]

She made this calculation thinking that democratic voters "had" to vote for her (she was the inevitable nominee). In fact this is the same calculation that most of the other democratic wannabes made (Kerry, Edwards, etc.-but at least they finally admitted they were wrong and apologized (yes, we progressives/liberals are suckers that way).

Basically, Hillary's strategic mistake was taking the progressives in the primary for granted (her mistakes in the actual running of the campaign are to numerous to list her).
Primaries are where "true believers" have great sway (look how the Republicans are treating John McCain, the cultural conservatives hate him).

My point is this-both condidates have burdens to overcome due to their immutable characteristrics. However, both also have to put together a public record and a campaign. Based upon Hillary's Senate record is it any wonder that progressives are abandoning her? Based upon the poor campaign she has run, is it any wonder that she has lost most of the primaries. Think for a minute-it was actually her strategy to only campaign in Big States. WTF??? She (her campaign) did not plan for a post Super Tuesday campagin. WTF??? She signed off on the strategy to be paint herself as inevitabel, knowing that she was likely going to lose the first caucaus (and not to Obama but to Edwards). Did she realize that this loss would would undercut her message of inevitability"?? WTF??

Hillary's sex is definitely an extra burden. However, her Senate career (and her campaign) are what is causing her to lose this election.

[CenterLeftLawyer]

Hillary's sex and Barack's race are definite issues in the campaign. Both create an extra burden for the respective candidates. I am Black so I can understand more easily what Barack is facing. I am not female, so I would not be so arrogant as to say that I can as easily understand what Hillary is.

However, there are also many other issues at work in the campaign (and in the world). Some the candidates can control some they can not. Some help a candidate (family connections, etc), some are burdens (family connections, etc. (grin)).

Hillary's biggest problem is that, since she became a US senator and began looking to higher office, she has moved consistently to the political right.
Whether this was to court lobbyist money (the Bankruptcy Bill) or to water down Republican opposition to her presidential aspirations (Iraq War Resolution, etc) is not the issue.
The issue is that liberals and progressives, with good reason, began to doubt her motives and intentions. She began to be compared to Bill Clinton, who though popular among Democrats as a whole, had taken his share of shots from the progressive wing of the party for many of his policies (NAFTA, WTO, Welfare "Reform", Crime Act, inaction re the Rwanda Genocide, abandoning the rights of gays to be in the military, the Defense of Marriage Act, abandoning Lanie Guinier, I could go on, but I think you get my point).

Hillary's Senate career has been decidedly centrist (at best) designed to position her for a general election. (Hell, She even sponsored a Flag Burning Amendment. A Flag Burning Amendment for Pete's sake).

[calfacon]

“A female candidate with a hyper-substantive career is now threatened with losing the nomination to a man whose charismatic style and powerful rhetoric are trumping her decades of experience.” Hyper-substantive career? She’s sixty, 35 years of experience means she’s counting since she was 25. She was still in Law school. If her time as First Lady, of Arkansas and the US count, then they have to count both directions and she’s eliminated by term limits. – a Feminist who’s not impressed.

[Susan1968]

Self-hatred is a common issue among faux-feminists.

[bauersox]

Lately, every person with a vagina is calling itself a "feminist." Some of them clearly don't know the difference between a "feminist" and a "bimbo."

[hannabanana]

While delusion runs rampant through the feminist ranks.

[Susan1968]

If it isn't sexism ... if the white men voting for Obama are not voting against the idea of a female president ... why is it that so few other women candidates win local, state and federal elections.

[hannabanana]

Um, because like old fat ass, they are piss poor candidates to begin with?

[laocoon]

I sincerely wish all of our sisters would stop being paranoid about why she is losing. I personally know no Obama supporter who holds it against Hillary that she is female or that feel she is really handicapped by that fact. i went with Obama solely because I think he is a shade more likely to win against McCain. Peace and prosperity do hang in the balance and we cannot afford more fascism or we will start dying. Dont take your ball home and refuse to play. we need you and Obama is not the enemy. Playing the gender card when it is not justified will only harm female candidates in the future. I would have preferred her over Obama if it just appeared she had the better/equal chance to win. Do not misread the situation.

[northernperspective]

I think it's really simple: a woman can be competent AND inspiring at the same time - our human history and the contemporary world is full of them.

Not to trivialize it, but it goes back to marketing. Had Senator Clinton "overarched" her campaign with a better frame, laying claim to her experience as an insider within a largely-successful administration: "We did pretty well in those years, etc." then pivot to: "And WE, better than anyone, recognize that it's a changed world BECAUSE we have that experience, judgement and perspective...

After all, it's the same ol' Al Gore - the quintessential policy wonk - who's become an inspirational figure non pareil. And he's no Mother Theresa.

[bauersox]

The entire idea of "inspiring" is so assy, that people who invoke it don't deserve to vote.

[alguien]

why oh why is it so hard for said feminists to wrap their brains around the fact that it's hillary's policies we don't agree with-not that she's too unfeminine or that she cries or whatever?

[foreffectivegovernment]

Republican Swiftboating in action. Look out Senator Obama, you may be next on the list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Her_Now

[NDUBB]

Just waiting for someone like Jong, Marsh, and Reardon to write the next article..

"GRUMPY OLD WHITE FEMALES"

This is the only demongraphic who is not drinking the Obama-cool-aide.

Get with it you grumps....
GO OBAMA!!!!

[GlimmerofDope]

As long as she keeps crying, she will be judged as a woman that is not in control of her emotions. It may not be fair, but since women, in general, battle the stereotype that they are too emotional for the job she will be looked down on. It's just like Jackie Robinson in baseball, black people at the time were (stereotypically)looked at as too stupid and angry to play ball, so it was imperative that he was controlled and sounded educated. Hillary is nationally known because of her marital connection, not through any accomplishments of her own.

[bauersox]

Listen, "Dope", she didn't cry. Not once. Look at the video. The "crying" story was a non-story.

[lovethesinner]

"Showing your heart has never been a plus for high-achieving women."

But, a woman without a heart is Ann Coulter.

GObama!

[cambio]

she has had a "hyper-substantive career"?? Style vs substance??? Give me a goddamn break. I'm embarrassed for journalists who just take for granted that Hillary has tons of experience just because she says so over and over again, seriously, you are not a journalist! Her resume is all fluff, anyone who has given it a real look can tell. She also has less experience as a legislator than Obama has. In fact, if anything, Obama has more substance than she does. While he was a community organizer and working with non-profits, she was a corporate lawyer and broad member of Wal-Mart. He also taught constitutional law for 10 years (which is what we really need after 8 years of Bush/Cheney, a president who has a keen understanding of the Constitution). Sure, she did little less-than-a-year resume fluffing stints helping children and other similar things, but those have been incredibly hyped, and are just sidedishes to her real corporate career. She basically piggybacked that entire career on Bill's coattails, in fact the majority of her resume are jobs and appointments she accumulated because of who she was married to. So drop the "style vs substance" crap because it is all hype, and if these people were real journalists they would know better than to eat it all up like complaisant little sheep.

[classof77]

Clinton's accomplishments and her 35 (and more) years of experienced are quite impressively recounted in her book, "Living History." If you read "Audacity of Hope," you should at least take the time to read HRC's equivalent. It may lead to to think twice before you share your ignorant rantings so readily.

As for women leaders and the difficulties they face, purely by virtue of their gender, in attaining positions of power, Nicholas Kristof wrote an excellent overview in his NYT column last week:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/opinion/10kristof.html

[Tankan]

Hillary is huge let down to women generally!

She allowed Bill Clinton to use her as a doormat!

She still allows him to call the shots, so much for being a stand alone woman!

[bauersox]

"Hillary is huge let down to women generally!
She allowed Bill Clinton to use her as a doormat"

Why do you care, and what does it have to do with Hillary being President? Are you worried your husband will do the same to you? Or has he already done it?

[IRIE]

Jayhome

http://www.blackpeopleloveus.com/