Democratic Scorecard: The Lizard Brain Wins Again!
With the media in full CSI: Ohio and Texas mode, slicing and dicing the body politic for clues to Hillary Clinton's latest resurgence (don't forget to check under the fingernails!), theories abound:
It was the economy, stupid. It was the Latino/African American disconnect. It was the media finally giving Obama some heat. It was Saturday Night Live (all hail Amy Poehler, Lorne Michaels, and Jim Downey -- political kingmakers).
But the real answer is to be found deep in our lizard brains. Clinton won by dealing from the bottom of the deck -- and the bottom of the barrel -- and playing the fear card. And, as happened in 2002 and 2004, Be Very Afraid proved to be a very effective campaign pitch.
After her New Hampshire comeback, Clinton famously declared: "I found my own voice."
For this latest comeback, she found Karl Rove's voice.
People aren't currently stocking up on Cipro and duct tape but, as the cable channels' hyped up reaction to the Times Square explosion showed, these are still jittery times. And appeals to voters' lizard brains still move the needle.
After an 11 state losing streak, Hillary Clinton didn't suddenly transform into a more compelling candidate. Only a spookier one.
So we got the 3 a.m. phone call, making no real argument about preparedness to lead, only the shadowy insinuation that bad things will happen to your kids if you vote for Obama. Trailers for slasher movies have less of a creep-you-out factor.
We got Hillary's ready-to-lead scorecard: "I think that I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002." This scorched earth pronouncement led Air America's Rachel Maddow to tell Keith Olbermann, "That's what you say when you want to be John McCain's vice-presidential choice. That's not what you say when you're trying to become the Democratic nominee for president." Olbermann's take: "Unbelievable."
And we got that jaw-dropping moment on 60 Minutes where Clinton generously announced that she takes Obama at his word that he's not a Muslim and rejected rumors that he is with the so-big-you-could-fit-a-madrass-in-it caveat, "As far as I know." What's next, "Obama is a human being... as far I know"?
It's worth remembering that earlier in the campaign, when Clinton was still pitching the inevitability of her candidacy and fending off attacks from her opponents, she roundly disavowed these kinds of tactics. "I'm not interested in attacking my opponents," she claimed in Iowa in November. "I'm interested in attacking the problems of America and I believe we should be turning up the heat on the Republicans." Terry McAuliffe reiterated the do-no-harm-approach: "We're going to focus on the Republicans. We're going to focus on winning the White House. We're not going to attack our fellow Democrats. That's not what we want to do."
That is, they didn't until the high road looked like it would turn into a dead end. Then out came the fear-mongering playbook and the phone started ringing at 3 a.m.
I've written before about how fear-mongering works, causing voters to react not with their linear and logical left brain but with their lizard brain and their more emotional right brain.
Deep in the brain lies the amygdala, an almond-sized region that generates fear. When this fear state is activated, the amygdala springs into action. Before you are even consciously aware that you are afraid, your lizard brain responds by clicking into survival mode. No time to assess the situation, no time to look at the facts, just: fight, flight or freeze.
When we are in this state, we are biologically programmed to pay less attention to left-brain signals -- indeed, our logical mind actually shuts itself down. Fear paralyzes our reasoning and literally makes it impossible to think straight. It's the neuroscience, stupid!
After Tuesday's success, you can be sure the Clintons' march through the mud will continue over the seven weeks until Pennsylvania. Bill Clinton understood the potency of playing to voters' lizard brains -- it's why he started rolling the fear dice back on the Charlie Rose show. How to counter this kind of fear-mongering without kicking off a round of Mutual Assured Destruction for the Democrats is the Obama campaign's greatest challenge.
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
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You know Obama supporters were right......they said the more you hear Obama speak the more you get to know him" Well we do know him better now and we do think differently of him now.
Because now we know he likes to lie on national tv during the debates......
Let's start with the Ohio debate........
He took a tough stand on Nafta during the debate.......but apparently it was all a show for our benefit...he really wasn't planning on being that tough on NAFTA. There is an official memo from the Canadian government showing how Obamas top economic advisor spoke to the Canadian official and said it was all political rhetoric....Obama was only saying what he thought America wanted to hear so that he could win the election. He never really intended to follow through on his stand on Nafta.
Let's look at some of the other debates.......
Where he lied and tried to imply he barely knew Rezko....all he did was 5 hours worth of work...remember that big fat lie. Now we know that in reality he has known Rezko for over 16 years. Obama and Rezko purchased property next to each other on the SAME day. He told one reporter that he didn't know Rezko was in trouble.....but then he told another reporter he did and it was a bone headed mistake. We also have found out since that Rezko has done favors for Obama and Obama has done favors for Rezko.
Another great topic during the debates....
Obama said d he was going to pull troops out of Iraq in 18 months.......NOW another one of his top advisors is talking to the foreign media and basically saying that Obama isn't really going to take them out within the 18months.......hhhmmmmm ....maybe thats why he kept saying during debates.....as president I reserve the right to make changes to my plans.....Right.....more manipulation and lies.
Then there is the Nevada Debate.......
When he said he told the people of Nevada he was on their side and against the Nuclear giants........ooops.....he forgot to mention that he knows and has received several hundred thousand in donations from Exelon a nuclear giant....who by the way he tried to help out by re-writing legislation that would help Exelon hide nuclear leaks. The old legislation insisted and required that all nuclear leaks be reported. However, Senator Obama tried to pass legislation he re-wrote that would favor Exelon by stating " we suggest that nuclear leaks be reported.
Isn't this the same person that is supposed to be anything but Washington politics. It looks like he is a perfect example of Washington Politics.
What about when he signed his pledge to public financing and now he is implying he won't follow that pledge either.
The Obama lies and manipulation go on and on........it is what it is......another Washington politician...EXCEPT....this one is worse because he tried to fool everyone into thinking he wanted change....and...hope.
However the only change he wanted was to move from his home in Chicago.. where he has property next to his Rezko friend to the house with a higher property value ........The White House. In regards to HOPE.....he hopes he gets elected before Rezko gets him into more trouble.
His lies are but a whisper, to Hillary's shout.
Very good post ... a thoughtful person. Both Clinton and Obama are politicians, but only one says they are "different". The longer we go, the more we see the Obama he's tried to hide. Both Clinton and Obama are smart, caring, but flawed politicians (meaning human), that would be good leaders. But Hillary Clinton has the most experience. Neither have been President (or McCain for that matter), but only one has lived in the White House for 8 years, been the closest advisor to a President and a Governor (Arkansas for 12 years), represented the country and/or the President for those 8 years domestically and particularly internationally, and understands the inner workings of the White House. This experience tilts the balance in the favor of Hillary Clinton. Clinton/Obama would be an unbeatable ticket. I've been saying that for a year, and it will give Obama the experience he needs to be a more ready President than he is today. That way, Democrats could have the Presidency for 16 years. Hillary Clinton for President, Barack Obama for Vice President
Hillary is secretive = Bush. Hillary is authoritarian = Bush. Hillary is bed with corporate funders = Bush. Hillary socializes with Bush = Bush. Hillary loves power for power's sake = Bush. Hillary is devisive = Bush. Too bad she didn't have oil bucks in her family too.
I thought Sen. Obama wasn't ready to be president. Why would a smart, experienced leader like Sen. Clinton "roll the dice" with Sen. Obama as her vice presidential candidate?
I'm sure Hillary did learn from watching what occured during her 8 years in the White House. Who wouldn't have? My husband is a 747 captain. He flies all over the world. In the 6 years that I've been together, I have learned a lot about the airline business and how airlines are run. I even been in a 747 400 simulator. I've sat and listened to countless coversations regarding how planes work and how best to operate them. I've also listened to countless conversations regarding union negotiations. I've lived through a strike. Would you feel comfortable with me flying your plane? Does that mean that I could run an airline?
Of course not. And although I probably know more about a 747 and how airlines run then most people, I couldn't fly the plane nor could I run the airline.
Sure, Hillary saw tough decisions made but, she never had to make them herself. Watching someone fly a plane, and being the captain of the plane are two different things.
How disingeuous and disgusting!
If you hillary supporters think hillary will win, especially after all that she has put forward....all I can say is, y'all keep dreaming. She will lose to McCain like you have never seen a loss before. So go ahead, continue with your distortions, lies, slash and burn karl rove politics....
Keep trying to push all thats she's doing aside, like its nothing. She is the most hypocritical liar I have ever seen and I could not even hold my nose to vote for her.
A monster was just putting it mildly.
Just this one sentence and I ask you to go to htt://www.judicial watch.org/hillarywatch.shtml and look at hillary's resume for The Office Of Presidsent Of The U.S!
Sorry Hillary, if you steal this nomination, you won't get my vote in December. I will WRITE-IN BARACK and with his large following, he'll still beat both you and McCain.
Then it looks like Mccaine will be the next President. Because the way things stand now the majority of the Hillary supporters feel just like you.....and they won't be voting for Barck and will either not vote or vote for Mccaine.
Here, here chulamow...
Either of the Democrats (or any of the ones who have dropped out) would be a better President than McCain, so if you don't go and vote, and pull the lever for the Democrat (even if you have to hold your nose), you are voting for 100 more years in Iraq and a Supreme Court full of Scalito clones. That goes for both Hillary and Obama supporters.
Hillary-haters, since you think that everything she does is poll-driven, all you have to do to get her to do what you want is to make sure that's what the polls say people want her to do. Of course, if that were true she would have apologized for her Iraq vote by now. On the other hand, since if she did (at any time), the left wouldn't believe her and the right would blast her for being weak, I can see why she hasn't, however much she may regret it.
Chulanow - PLEASE KEEP IN MIND - this Nov. election is about the fate of our country. In order to save the USA we must unite behind whatever delegate is elected to reassure that the Democrats take the White House and Congress so that things can be straighted out, the war ended, univeral health care. etc.. Hillary will be the first one to tell her supporters to keep our party intact and take control . THIS IS NOT A PERSONALITY CONTEST.....IT'S TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY after all the damage the Republicans have done in the past 7 years.
WE MUST THINK WITH OUR HEADS AND NOT OUR HEARTS!!!!!!!!!
I don't think anybody's getting any votes in December.
QUOTING ARTICLE: "It's worth remembering that earlier in the campaign, when Clinton was still pitching the inevitability of her candidacy and fending off attacks from her opponents, she roundly disavowed these kinds of tactics. "I'm not interested in attacking my opponents," she claimed in Iowa in November. "I'm interested in attacking the problems of America and I believe ... ""
And that's exactly what is WRONG with the democratic campaign-season -- all of it.
We were ATTACKED on 9/11. Yet, these so-called 'qualified candidates' denigrate the real victims of real attacks with real suffering from the real misery of real wounds oftentimes leaving behind loved-ones in real grief from the traggic consequences of real attacks.
Yet these so-called 'qualified candidates' FAKE 'victimhood' from FAKE 'wounds' sustained during FAKE 'attacks' by WORDS, as excuses to censor dissenting-opinions and FAKE 'pity' defrauded out of WeThePeople, as disingenuous as politics has ever sunk, a new 'low' to beat all 'new lows.'
They denigrate all whom serve and protect in Defensive Services, who selflessly encountered real pain and real suffering, real misery and real wounds, during real attacks, defending you and me.
They denigrate every real victim of every real attack.
They denigrate all whom serve and protect against it.
They denigrate the ill, the down-trodden, the suffering, the miserable, "Les Miserable'" ... as Hugo so masterfully described.
They denigrate the elderly, denied life-saving gene-therapeutic human-cloning, new bodies to fix old ones. New limbs so the lame may walk again and the blind may see once more, denied, by positive-people hating negative-people, and using that as the excuse to concoct conditions against their own so-called 'love' for their own so-called 'beloved-neighbors, to selfishly deny equality.
Politics couldn't possibly sink any lower.
It's EMBARRASSING!
And these 'genius-experts' that FAKE 'victimhood' from FAKE 'wounds' from FAKE 'attacks' of WORDS, are so arrogant that they'll babble something about 'metaphors' in the pathetic attempt to 'justify' their own out-of-touch MEANness -- as did Germans in their positive-ness calling Jews 'negative/inferiors/offensive,' then FAKING 'victimhood' themselves from FAKE 'attacks' of WORDS while 'positive-people' marched
'negative-people' to gas-chambers, detention camps, labor-camps, plantations, reservations, "Citizen Processing And Indoctrination Centers" ... whatever, a diversion from the HOLOCAUST, in subtle-ways.
That's why I don't like 'subtle' AT ALL.
Since these so-called 'front-runner-qualified-best-of-the-best' don't know the difference between what is REAL and what is FAKE, 9/11 or WORDS, how could they possible 'represent' ANYBODY's REAL pain and suffering and misery, economic stresses, struggles?
They don't even have the integrity or COURAGE to say their sorry for doing it.
Vote "3Ons" as a write-in -- SEND A MESSAGE.
9-11 provided a great excuse to take the road we're on. I'm impressed they bet the house to back the PNAC and Israel. Regardless of who wins in November, America is now bankrupt. How life will look when we have to live within our means is going to be the big question. The answers are out there. Don't know if I want to know.
What the hell does this rant talking about?
Hillary Clinton represents what we have become. Barak Obama represents what we could become. We all like to portray that we are the type of Americans Obama talks about. This is why he does so well in caucuses; many people are ashamed to openly side with Clinton’s because of her behavior. It’s different in the privacy of the pooling booth where we can vote our true feelings.
Caucuses are not democratic; they completely go against all the voting this country does. Primaries, general elections, special elections, even juries vote by secret ballot for Pete's sake. The secret ballot is the cornerstone of democracy, so no one is subjected to any coercion, ridicule, or scorn for their vote. Why do you think there are so many fewer people voting in caucuses? The only reason for a caucus is to save MONEY! All the cheap states have caucuses and thereby circumvent the "will of the people". It's disgusting. This is the first year I've seen in detail how the caucuses are run. Forgeting about the current nomination process, it always becomes the "will of the loud, strong, pushy, and tough activists" - definitely not democratic. Caucuses should be banned as a tool for electing anybody. Period, end of story.
There's also the fact that you need to be there at a specific time. I'm Jewish and work second shift, so wouldn't be able to vote in an evening caucus and can at least understand why the Orthodox would have trouble voting on a Saturday, as happened in Nevada, from what I understand. Personally I'm not Orthodox and would consider voting to be one of the things that would trump Sabbath observance, especially this year.
I definitely agree about the secret ballot. If you've ever seen the BBC miniseries Disraeli or any other one that shows voting in the 19th century, you can appreciate its value. People voted publicly with the local landowners (and employers) standing by, and you can imagine the dampening effect that had. We can also be intimidated or coerced by our peers. I heard that as a suggestion for Hillary's strong showing in NH - a kind of reverse Bradley effect, as it were - people who didn't like to admit to the pollsters that they were voting for her because it wasn't the "in" thing, but then voted their conscience in the privacy of the voting booth.
I can hear Barack Obama's acceptance speech for the nomination:
"I'd like to thank my wife & family, my staff, all of my supporters. . . . and especially my close allies . . . . President Clinton . . . . Mark Penn . . . . .Terry Maculliffe . . . . Harold Ikes - guys, I couldn't have done it without your help!"
Just a point of fact, Obama won more delegates in Texas, so at best it was a split decision. Nevada and Texas should be striped, half Obama/half Clinton.
Obama, 7 delegates; Hillary, 5. That is not a tie.
Good! Let Obama have an advantage in pledged delegates to compensate for Hillary's lead among the corrupt party bosses (i.e. "superdelegates").
Texas proved what's wrong with the caucus system.
If the partial results hold true to the end there will be a 15% (11% plus 4%) discrepancy between primary and causus to Obama's favor. Someone can extrapolate that , roughly speaking, maybe Obama's wins are inflated by a 15% margin in all causus states. (Just a thought)
Did anyone see "Real Time" last night!? I can't believe that the media isn't covering it anywhere!!
Bill Maher sure cut through the bullshit from Terry McAuliffe. Also, Bill Moyers' show with a libertarian and a "true" conservative was quite illuminating as to John McCain's real agenda. The "Daily Show" lost points with me for having a beaming Hillary via satellite the night before the Ohio and Texas primaries. The Clintons will stop at nothing to win the nomination, even if it destroys their own party in the process.
It is beyond tiring to read the constant attacks from Obama supporters. Are you folks incapable of writing anything positive? Are you folks unable to write why you support Obama in place of the baseless attacks on Ms. Clinton? It seems no one supporting Obama can say why in specific terms. Not a link to his site, but their own thinking on why Obama should be the nominee.
OMG, those evil Clintons will stop at NOTHING! How DARE she appear on the Daily Show? Are there NO depths to which she will not stoop? (snark)
If you go to CNN's political page this is at the top.
Hot Topics » Election Center 2008 • The Political Ticker • Hillary Clinton • John McCain • more topics »
I guess Obama's name is under MORE TOPICS. That is f*cked up.
Well, if you'd watched the last election-returns, the last one, on CNN, then you'd know that CNN actively promotes Obama and denigrates Clinton, it's very subtle, and not-so-subtle, depending on the segment.
At the end of the evening, they awarded Obama 'winner.'
First thing in the morning, it was Clinton that had won, not Obama.
They'd been doing it all day that way. That's troubling in itself, but it's 'business-as-usual,' every day, and has become rather mean-spirited.
The LA times reported (3-8-2008) that the Canadian press said the Clinton campaign told the Canadian Embassy "not to worry" about her comments on NAFTA and to take her remarks "with a grain of salt". I BELIEVE THE CANADIANS
Yeah, the press is believable. Only one candidate had the Canadian government provide an official document spelling out what OBAMA's campaign said to Canada. The rest is just is just rumors probably created by an Obama staffer posing as a Clinton staffer, if that even happened.
Why do you believe the story about Clinton when you don't believe it about Obama? They were both reported by reputable news agencies (AP in the case of Obama, I believe). If one could be false, why not the other? Or maybe they're both true.
I think there has been more negative talk, name calling, etc. from the Obama Camp and his supporters than from Hillary's. I think people must be blinded or deaf when he or his wife talk. They have been just as negative as anyone in this campaign. Just because Adrianna and the other reporters and media in general are giving him a honeymoon ride doesn't mean that everyone else has to. If any of you think that he is getting it rough now, just wait. Obama has used other people's speeches, his backers have called Hillary ugly names, his wife said she didn't know if she would vote for Hillary if she won. Not much of a democrat. This is the only time Mrs. Obama is proud to be an American. And when anyone is called on their remarks they say they didn't really mean it as it was spoken. Get real! If Hillary was a man with her qualifications and brain, she would already have the nomination tied up. When one runs against someone like Obama who lets his people do his dirty work and he tries to act as though he had nothing to do with it, that person has to make the public see them for what they are.
OK, don't get all worked out. She can release her tax records, donors to her husband's library, list of donors, I mean, people he pardoned, and then we'll talk . She does not need to be a man do this, right? As for being negative, I have not heard Obama endorsing McCain, that is beyoond the pale. Unlike Obama's wife, I won't vote for your candidate period.
Try this--it works because it's based on fact: When one runs against someone like Hillary, who lets her people do her dirty work and she tries to act as though she had nothing to do with it, that person has to make the public see her for what she is. "Anne "Dragon Lady" Lewis, Harold ickies, and others on Hillary's staff the past days have run overtime spinning lies and distortions on Hillary's part. Deconstructing the fallacies the Clinton campaign has put before pundits who, as they did with bush and his team, allow them to explode across the tv screen without question or refutation...after all, pundits have only so much time and must move on to the next point, right?........such deconstructing doesn't take much, but, then, Americans don't have much in the way of education and literacy--apparently, because a great number of you have fallen for the Clinton scheme to undermine a new politics in favor of the Rovian flavor you have drunk the past years in your Kool Aid.
It won't be long before the insidious racism Bill injected into the campaign that spread to siding with the enemy in affirming John McCain--hmmm, HILLARY did that, not one of her scurrilous minions--becomes even more Rovian, or is that Orwellian, as in lies are truths, hate is love, wrong is right, war is peace, First Lady is Vice-President......
We have seen nothing yet with the Clinton campaign that said early on before Hillary lost her presumptive-heir status that the campaign was going to be about issues and attacking Republicans....oh, but she has inferred if not outrightly stated that McCain is more credentialed to be president than Senator Obama.........This desperate woman who would be Queen has just opened up. Soon she will burn wide strips down the road towards the White House her ego demands she receive from the superdelegates and a Florida and Wisconsin whose votes she now wants to count. Oh, yes, this person who will take back few if any of the inroads bush has made in strengthening the unitary Executive that falls only slightly short of monarchy will use all those cheney-decreed powers to take us closer to losing our Constitution.
You all can say whatever you want on behalf of Hllary. Go ahead. I spoke out most-early on about bush and was labelled all kinds of names, some of which it turns out are befitting of those who backed bush and cheney, like coward and traitor....You know what the remainder of those words were. You yourselves might have been called them. Now I see you who side with Hillary who namecall Obama and his supporters blanch at the thought that anyone would dare call you names. That, too, sounds, well, Rovian...Machievellian.
Now you side with Hillary, will hold in place our loss of habeas corpus and other rights guaranteed us by those who are turning over in their graves, staring at us in shock that Benjamin Franklin's words about handing us a democracy if we can keep it are coming true. I do not trust Hillary. She has done everything within her power to have earned that distrust.
Go ahead. Vote for Hillary. What's that line from Shakespeare? "What fools these mortals be"?. First America voted for bush and now it will vote Hillary in? Secretive, insidious Hillary will perpetuate Rove and deny you all you want to change. Go ahead. Vote for her. Keep gas prices high so when you shop for groceries you can't afford that bill, either, because the cost of gas is built into the price of a gallon of milk or a dozen eggs or a loaf of bread, not to even mention coffee or baked goods or anything else on the grocery shelves. No, I don't believe Obama can wave a magic wand so that overnight all things change, but I most certainly do believe Hillary is a corporatist and Obama is a man for the people, a populist who will overturn the tables of the money changers.
Go ahead. Vote for Hillary, whom it turns out is the one to wink at Canada over NAFTA, not Obama. Hillary will make certain unfettered free traders deposit huge amounts into the accounts of the lobbyists who support her avidly. Are you aware she is at the top of the list of most-favored among lobbyists, higher than even McCain who like Hillary claims he will retake America from the hands of the corporatists?
Go ahead. Reap your self-made doom.
Too late you will realize Hillary became accustomed long ago to pig-politics. Hillary is no victim. What she is is a former Republican who never gave up her roots. That's why it is so fitting that she grew accustomed to and came to enjoy the ways of rove, perle, cheney, feith, rice, wolfowitz, kristol, hadley, and others who have decimated our culture to the point that she now victimizes America and soon the world should you out of utter ignorance give her your vote. Keep in mind that Bill Clinton has said in interviews that he and Rove exchanged methods, tactics, strategies, some of which Hillary has engaged in during her campaign. The former and now disreputable President...no, I never will forgive him his behavior during this campaign, and wait till he's forced to reveal his donor list and Hillary her tax statements, her joint tax statements, reveal them them at a most inopportune time should Senator Clinton receive the nod...the former president even had rove speak at his presidential library. What vile filth she and he call their associate. How dare her campaign release a photo of Obama in African costume, as though he is a Farrakhan communist al-quaeda Muslim supporting operative, while all the while she is a Rove-loving swine who uses such methods of false revelation to undermine a cleanly driven Obama campaign.
Already, we see she dissembles and injects fear into the culture of politics. She has only just begun. Victim? Hillary? The woman is a predator.
We are at a crossroads, the most important in our history and the history of civilization since Rome fell. Go ahead. Vote for Hillary and spell your own doom. You who would say Nietzsche got it wrong with his Ubermensch theory, that such persons do not win, go ahead, vote for Hillary and prove yourselves wrong.. But keep in mind in "Thus Spake Zarathustra" Nietzsche informs us he believed in Eternity. Nietzsche also believed in becoming, as did all the Romantics. Hillary believes only in herself, as she is: a selfish predator.
That's called a "glass managerie"
great post. well stated. this should be a column. your accurate portrayal of the clintons in their our words and deads allows one to clearly assess their selfish wanton lust for personal power at the expense of the american people while destroying the democrat party.
dugan45, you are obsessed and will need help when this is all over...psych help!!!gosh, Nietzsche? you are losing it, you have stopped making sense!!! Shut the computer off and take your meds...
I am very passionate about my candidate of choice, Senator Clinton, but I do not express it at the expense of derogatory terms used to describe her opponent, my Senator....Senator Obama, as so many of Obama supporters on here use to label Hillary.
She is putting forth the questions that help answer the differences between her and her opponent. This is not negative, it's an open ended question. You could almost insert any other person you want in terms of national defense. I personally am a pacifist, but many are not and this is a very valid question to pose for people to ponder.
Sorry you categorize anyone who doesn't blog on the Huffington Post as sheep! I have volunteered on foot in 5 states, and believe me, people do pay attention and it's funny how the people we all preach we want to help, by in large, vote for Senator Clinton in my experience. They remember and respect the Clintons dedication to issues like Universal Healthcare, lower utility costs, supporting and strengthening Unions, better schools and higher education opportunities for all. I think we are all spun out and got so dizzy we lose sight of the people who need our help and the moral foundation of being a Democrat is really to take care of those less fortunate than you and preserve equal opportunity for all.
We are in unchartered territory here in this primary and neither candidate can win the delegates needed to win without the superdelegates or some fair solution in regards to Michigan and Florida.
I respect Kucinich for saying he has consistently voted against the war. I however, do not respect Obama's claim to the same. That is a fairy tale and Senator Clinton is well within the rules of the game to call him out on these discrepancies between his rhetoric and voting record. He attacks her judgement, but his foundation is not one of shared responsibility for the lives of people, as he was not acting or speaking in the capacity of an elected official, but rather he exercised good judgement to give an anti-war speech at the right time. This sounds like politics to me. Even Senator Obama has stated, unequivocally, that he really couldn't say how he would have voted had he been in the position of responsibility like so many of his fellow colleagues who got it wrong and were mislead too, like so many of the American population. Perhaps they all lacked good judgement too and diserve our visceral hatred as well, or does that baseless attack only apply to Senator Clinton?
Barack Obama is my Senator too, and this is a very thoughtful, reasoned post. Clinton supporters don't "hate" Barack Obama, he's just too green today for the Presidency. After a VP post for 8 years, he'll be more ready to lead the country. And, we can have 16 years of Democratic Presidents. We'll keep the country safe, but also save Social Security, have Universal Healthcare, make all our business more competitive globally, support our unions, provide higher education for all, support our veteran's with all they deserve, and bring fiscal responsibility back to the White House. Go Hillary! Barack for VP!
I thank you both for your posts. So many posts by Obama supporters seem to be filled with venom - no matter what site one is on. I find it very disturbing and more and more I feel it is a reflection of the candidate himself. I can no longer stomach him. I am a Hillary supporter, but I was once pleased to have Obama in my party. Now, I just find him offensive and dangerous. I am sure that time will be his undoing. I think that enough time will save us from a big mistake. I hope I'm right.
It's amazing to me that the media is still saying that Clinton won Texas! Sometimes I feel as if I am in a grownup version of "The Emperor's New Clothes". The facts are there but people keep on saying the opposite. I am so done with the Clintons!!!!
If Clinton gets the nomination, I'm going to need the following bumper sticker:
I'm a Hillary Hater
And a Hillary Voter
with a little picture of 9 robed figures -- the Supreme Court
Better start printing...
LOL Don't be too sure.
Do the math, Maggie Girl, do the math.
Good for you Arianna.
The other very under-examined portion of the exit polls was that 1 in 5 Ohio voters admitted that they voted on the basis of race - and 3 of 4 of those went for Hillary. What is first amazing to me is that one in 5 is willing to admit that they voted for the white girl because of race! When I did the math on that - of the 2 million + voters, that came to over 300,000 votes. (More than the margin of error). In Texas - it was one in 10 admitted they voted according to race.
I think the media definitely needs to put it out on the table - one of Hillary's most loyal core constituencies are the racists.
In Mississippi, 40% of the party is black, but I'm fairly certain that of the 60% who are white, we won't see Barack winning with the majorities he has in the past - even from the college educated, upper income group. I may be wrong, but I'd keep my eyes open on it.
I totally agree about the snide "As far as I know comment too." She plays that card too.
One lesson I've learned in life is "The people you treat the worst are the ones who know your true character the best."
The arrogance, the mean-spiritedness, the self-centeredness - the characteristics that have been spun as "being a fighter" - are dangerous characteristics to have in the highest office in the land in a time when the rest of the world is becoming strong enough to not have to take guff off a President who is a bully in their relationships with others.
Barack is right - the rest of the world is watching - and they must be wondering how people can be so fooled into thinking that Hillary has the qualities we want in our president.
There is one way to end this now. Neither candidate can get enough pledged delegates to win the nomination. It is going to be the super delegates. We cannot survive seven weeks of what we have seen in the last week. It will guarantee a Democratic Party loss in November.
LET'S HAVE A SUPER DELEGATE PRIMARY IN TWO WEEKS AND PUT THIS MESS TO BED!
Let the super delegates speak now and not wait for August. Start talking about a special primary for super delegates and save this party.
you are correct...people complain that they do not like negative and nasty campaigns but they do respons to to it and vote accordingly!!!! It is a shame because we will get the same kind of politics of secretive, bullying and we are the CLINTONS and everyone owes us!!!! She has been giving so many talking points to the Republicans they do not havr to work hard...just use her attack lines...it as if she would rather Mc Cain win than Obama ..... it is all about her as usual and not about the party or the country....
There's nothing unfair or untoward in this post. Please print it or tell me why not.
"Before you are even consciously aware that you are afraid, your lizard brain responds... No time to assess the situation, no time to look at the facts, just: fight, flight or freeze." This would be a problem if the next thing you did is vote. But there’s a long time between a political pitch and your moment in the voting booth, one that gives you time to stop and think who you really want to answer that phone everybody keeps talking about. And stop acting like it's an unfair question. It's the same question Obama wants us to think about when he asks us to take his 2002 speech into account. Who do you trust at the moment of truth? So what if Clinton rewords it in a hypothetical situation that we know is going to happen. That call will come through, whoever is asleep in that bed..Is it scary? Yes. Should it be? Yes? Does Clinton’s way of saying it leave you with no other option but her tremulous claw reaching for the phone? NO! So quit crying foul, and STOP insulting us with this lizard brain talk. You're acting like we don't have the ability to rethink things in the amount of time it takes to see a political ad and make it to our voting booths. And this is what disturbs me most, as an undecided voter, the subtle and blatant ways that Obama supporters insult anyone who has anything but solid support for their candidate. The Obama-curious among us are shrinking away in fear, but not because of any spot ad the Clinton campaign is running. The Obama supporters are a very strident lot who verge regularly into abusive and bullying language. If you don't deal with it, you could lose the election.
: ) smiling here... Ahhhhhhh yes! The wonderful difference between STARTLE (Natural action) and Fear... FEAR is (non -Natural) and is Learned and Taught... Religion speaks of Love, but uses Fear and is much based in Fear... Politics has learned to tweak Peoples Mind with Fear quite well, also...
I agree Obama's "I was against the WAR before anybody else spiel is all about Fear...." LMAO... Did Obama supporters feel Obama set that hook? Vote for me, or die? Don't trust anybody else! Only I can save you from terrible Wars and evil... Well, did you feel him set the hook?
Couple that with his claim that Hillary voted for the WAR and it gives a stronger message yet...
Hillary and others did NOT Vote to go to War as Obama lies and spins... They in Fact, voted to go to the U.N. first and use Military Force, as a last resort... They Clearly did NOT Vote to Invade/Occupy Iraq... There has been NO Vote to go to War... WE are NOT at WAR... Authorization to use Force is NOT a Decision to use it... Bush did that on his own...
Does Obama want to scare us into believing because Hillary is a scrappy Fighter, she is pro War??? Is Obama saying that the only Military Option open to Bush was to Invade - Occupy???
Dare I say that would be "scary"??? LMAO
LarBear, your quantum leaps in logic are beyond astounding. How about this...
Since the bill was titled "Joint Resolution to Authorize the Use of United States Armed Forces Against Iraq" there wasn't any ambiguity as to what Bush was asking for, and what that vote was going to allow. And if the best you can do when trying to smear Obama is to set up the straw man, you've already lost the debate. Why not try some good old fashioned honesty. Here, I'll show you how it's done.
It is beyond weak to try and frame Obama's argument as being routed in fear. Obama has been remarkably consistent in deflating Hillary's so-called "experience" by questioning her judgment. Hillary exercised poor judgment, especially since it was beyond obvious to anyone paying attention what Bush would do once he had the authorization.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-mcpeak/obama-was-right-on-the-wa_b_72692.html
So all this "experience" that HRC claims to have is meaningless if that "experience" doesn't stop her from making bad choices. Besides being overblown and downright dishonest, what experience she _does_ have is tainted by a pattern of poor decisions and questionable judgment.
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