Democrats Unite

The violence of the political dialogue lately has made me understand how desperate the electorate is after nearly eight years of Repugnicans and three stolen elections. I totally understand Obamamania--and I also get the frustration of voters who wanted this to be the year we broke through the glass ceiling for women.

But let's get real. It's time for Democrats to put all personal bias aside and unite behind the things we believe in: a planet we can live on, reproductive choice, workers rights, health care for all, education for poor and middle class students, fair taxes, a Constitution made whole, rescuing America from war profiteers -- if indeed there is still time.

It's already very late. It's too late for quarrels about whether race or gender is more restricting. It's too late for prognostications about a future presidency we won't know until it has unfolded. Remember so-called compassionate conservatism? It turned out to be neither compassionate nor conservative. Why anybody believes election slogans mystifies me. But we do know this: a landslide for Democrats will change the direction of this country. So let's join forces to make it happen--and let's start now.

I don't believe that passionate Hillary supporters will vote for McCain in fits of pique. I sure won't. The truth is that Obama and Clinton are so similar politically that without generational and gender differences they'd be indistinguishable. Perhaps the passion for or against these two Democrats was revved up by how very close they are in vision. Sometimes people need to disagree for the sake of disagreeing.

Obama is right to offer his applause for Hillary's tenacity. He is right to take the high road. I doubt that she will be remembered for taking the low road. In politics as in life, tenacity is all. Where is Chappaquiddick now that Teddy Kennedy has honorably served decade after decade in the Senate?

If Hillary loses the nomination, maybe she can get a life by divorcing Bill. I was always a defender of their curious marriage but having seen him try to sabotage her campaign, I wonder. Maybe she'd get a burst of energy by cutting loose. Imagine her with additional fire -- she could rescue our stalled space program with her own built-in rocket.

Comments

[ObamaEdwards]

I am not going to support a candidate who only started yelling for the rights of "working class people" a month ago, because she stumbled upon that new strategy and it worked. John Edwards and Barack Obama have been fighting for the rights of the same people--for years. They mean what they say. It isn't a campaign strategy. I appreciate your opinion, but please take a closer look at Clinton. She is NOT a leader. She is a daddy's girl and a delusional one at that. You are simply backing the wrong person. Even as a VP she would skulk around with her partner, drawing attention from important issues through scandal and self-aggra­ndizement. Seriously, Jong, you don't have enough information to keep pushing the Clinton idea. We've looked at her record--ca­refully--a­nd she has no business running for president.

[NotMcCain]

Where's all her talk about my gas tax holiday gone? She insisted she was right and economists were wrong. She was going to "fight" for me to get it. Well?

Where's the refund? Where is there any evidence whatsoever that she has tried to do ANYTHING about it, as she promised over and over and over?

[MattGuillen]

We may not for for McCain in "fits of pique."

But we may vote for McCain simply for the bile spewed by Obama pimps over the last four months on anyone who disagrees.

And particularly for their deliberately refusing to take Obama to task for showing support for Bush, Sr's destruction of Iraq, the subsequent murder of over a million children due to disease untreated directly due to the Bush instigated embargo.

The fact that he was responding to Bush Jr's outrageous remarks don't justify this in the least and is easily worse than Hillary's vote for a war AFTER we'd been attacked on 9/11.

How can this guy find the first Gulf War defensible? Particularly when approval squeaked through congress by four votes? And it has since turned out that the "babies removed from incubators and left to die on cold, hard floors" was a lie?

[amiblueyoubet]

You're lost.

[drayntx]

You took the words right off my keyboard.

[aht772e]

I voted for bill clinton twice, but was he incapable of ending the Iraq embargo, and did hillary do anything to stop it while in the senate prior to the invasion?

[Zogtastic]

You really have no idea what you're talking about. The only praise he gave the Persian Gulf War was that he approached the war with a large coalition and clearly defined objectives. He praised the way the war was HANDLED not that it EXISTED

You wanna keep spreading lies, that's fine. But know you're flat out WRONG!

[MattGuillen]

"Clearly defined objectives?"

You're either insane or too young to remember. Bush Sr promised to help the Kurds should they rebel against Hussein.

They did. Bush didn't.

Ben Laden's biggest gripe, quoted repeatedly as his reason for 9/11, is the million children dead of cholera after the first Gulf War.

And kindly explain how praise for the "handling" of a war doesn't necessarily imply approval for its existence. Especially in the case where both the handling and the rationale behind it were wrong.

And no. MY chief reason for disliking Obama has only been FUELED by the summary decision on the part of his Huff Po supporters to not only refuse any sort of analytic treatment of the man, but yes, to compound this by insulting the intelligence of Hillary's supporters.

Sophistry like distinguish "handling" from "approving" from a supporter says a lot about the man being supported. And my initial distrust of the man has more than amply been fed by this sort of tripe.

By extension, if he does win, guess where our troops will still be four years from now. And I'd like very much to hear what you have to say when you discover the medical lobby will succeed in keeping the status quo. If a Democratic congress can't do shit NOW, why the hell should I take it on faith that the fellow you're gratuitously insulting Hillary supporters into voting for will do anything more?

[jpetaluma]

So you'll vote for McCain because you don't like Obama supporters. How mature. Don't complain when McCain continues a war that is killing thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi's. Blame the nasty Obama supporters and vote for McCain so he can fill the Supreme Court with conservative judges who will overturn our civil liberties. Have your little revenge vote for McCain when someone you love is terminally ill and can't afford health care. Feel good about voting for McCain because you will have taught us mean Obama supporters a lesson.

[clevelandchick]

You ignore the bile you spew and that is completely hypocritical.

[mouselion]

Thanks for stating what some of us have been saying for quite some time now. We need the Hillaryites and Obamites to join forces so we can keep the toaster button held down on McCain's waffles until election day.

[doug108]

Funny toaster button image.

[atp2007]

Hillary is running like a Republican, come November if she on the top of the ticket, I won't vote for the Republican or the Republican Wanna-be.

[siri2k]

nope, me neither apt. And this is why. I have to live with ME! I CANNOT do that having voted for ANYONE who thinks they are way kewl in threatening to "obliterate" a country that never attacked America. Millions of people. Men, women, children and elders, and she's spewing the "obliterate" word. What's female OR American about that?
NOTHING!

[Meggie]

at that point, Nader will be more aligned with a lot of voters looking for a candidate.

[doug108]

You have to vote Dem this fall, regardless of who the nominee is.

[gayleg]

So far in this campaign, neither McCain or Obama has done a thing to earn my vote.

[ched]

Welcome aboard, Ms. Jong. This is a great start. For the most part, however, you're preaching to the choir here. Perhaps the real challenge for someone in your position is to convince your fellow Hillary supporters over at TalkLeft, Hillaryis44, MyDD, and other HillaryClinton sites who have created an echo chamber of the unhinged, where any talk of unity is quickly and forcefully labeled appeasement.

[peorgietirebiter]

Of course you're right Ms. Jong - But don't you think it would be helpful to chastise Sen. Clinton for how she's behaving in Florida at the moment? She signed off on the sanctions without a peep last year and now she's born again opposed and taking no responsibility for her vote. There is time, but it the ball is in her and her supporters court. We're the ones calling BS, Senator Obama is being polite to fault, even as she poisons the well.

[Zogtastic]

No, it's not helpful to chastise anyone right now.

[PhDiva]

Do you really think Hillary Clinton listens to anyone no matter what they say? I admire her ambition, but her methods are despicable. The superdelegates need to "chastise" her by putting an end to this immediately.

[DocThink]

I find this entry a bit strained. How does Jong go from calling Obama the Hot New Boy Sepia Brad Pitt and raking him over the coals as sexist and a bad risk, to "time to unite?" Without any acknowledgment of by the author about why she changes her tone, I don't know why anyone following her posts would

I have to say that I was very taken aback by EJ's "Sweetie" entry--to me it seemed like the final death throes of a dated feminist ideology. [especially that odd "divorce Bill" part! WTF?] I am not sorry to see the old-skool feminism go, and hopefully we can move beyond arguments of the 60's and 70's and face issues that are our future.

So, yes, let's unite!

[AlphaDoc]

>I find this entry a bit strained.<

Ms. Jong tends to go back and forth on the primary issue. I've often wondered if there aren't two people writing her blog entries--one, a rabid pseudo-feminist; the other, a person with an actual thought process. Before you find yourself agreeing with her here, best wait till her next entry and see how it changes.

[PhDiva]

Let's give credit where credit is due. Erica Jong is mature enough to change her mind, not because she cares for Obama but because she wants to make sure that we have a democratic candidate who will protect women's rights. I am a "new school" feminist. We still need feminism, no matter what school it comes from. Let's not shame Hillary supporters who change their minds. Let's welcome them. Let's win together in November!!!

[caune]

Not BS at all.
Voting present is a way to voice an objection to a bill without actually killing it. Many bills in state Senates are full of good and bad, this way you are on record as a supporter because you allowed it to pass but your objection to the total scope is duly noted.

[Amminadab]

Voting "present" is shiftless and cowardly.

It is a calculated non-vote.

[KarateKid]

And your Keating 5 guy is God, eh?

[amiblueyoubet]

And a reason to not support the Dem. nominee?

[amiblueyoubet]

And this is your prime example of not supporting the Dem. nominee, most likely Obama?

[paganmist]

It's shiftless and cowardly..­. to help someone out?

Republicans often create legislation that is solely designed to cause Democrats to vote on a hot-topic issue, so that they can win down-ticket elections.

In fact, a pro-choice group in one case asked Obama to vote Present on an abortion-related bill that Republicans were trying to push. The plan was to use this vote against down-ticket Democrats so that a Republican could take the seat.

In other words, voting "present" is a tool. Obama has covered for other people any number of times, and apparently is willing to take the flak of voting "present", so that others aren't forced to.

If you don't know anything about politics, the least you can do is google it. If you aren't willing to do your research about the purposes of a "present" vote - one of which is to tell the bill's creator that you would approve it, but it needs a few changes - then why do you even talk on the subject?

[BJMS]

You REALLY want unity, Erica?? Write to your candidate, Hillary, and tell her to stop her maniacal rhetoric about MI & FL, taking this fight to the convention, and comparing seating those delegates to the civil rights movement!!! She is trying to destroy the party and ruin our chances in November!!! You STILL think she's so wonderful???

[najablah]

Seriously. Comparing the FL and MI situation (which Hillary signed off on) to the murders, beatings, fire hoses, and attack dogs visited upon civil rights activists is disgraceful.

[Bladernr1001]

"Why anybody believes election slogans mystifies me."

Erica....w­hat about the slogan: "Change we can believe in"

Should we belive that one?

[amiblueyoubet]

Again, is this your biggest problem?

[Elitnaurista]

Those of us who believe in "a Constitution made whole, rescuing America from war profiteers, and worker's rights" could never support Mrs. Clinton.

[cooltxman]

it amazes me that this was written by the same erica jong who was so nasty towards obama and us supporters in her post last week. i don't buy this sudden enlightenment at all -- beware all clinton supporters who come with an olive branch -- it has thorns on it!

[amiblueyoubet]

No, Erica was just caught up in the moment. Give her some slack, will ya?

[Mij13]

I was an enthusiastic Hillary supporter back in Dec. 07, and by the time I voted here in California's primary, I was completely changed in my view of her. But I do understand why some of her dedicated voters are angry. I've been there, too, with other candidates in the past who've lost. I would agree with Ms. Jong, though, that this is too important. I hope Hillary voters can get over their hurt feelings and disappointment long enough to take another look at Obama, and realize what a wonderful candidate we are going to have this year!

[we0z]

I think the media is using the power of suggestion to clandestinely pursuade voters to not vote Democrat. As a 55 yearl old life long Democrat the GOP ideology is so far removed from the Demcrat ideology that I can't see how a Democrat would feel satisfied they did the right think by voting a GOP candidate because either Hillary or Obama is not their candidate of choice Democrats are way to much on the ball intelectually to fall for the GOP mantra.

[in4success]

erica,

i just heard that hillary via the ABC feed said: "if the Democrats don't want my vote maybe John McCain and the Republicans do."

make some calls and find out what's up here please.

[peterdangit]

Citation needed, otherwise I'll file it in the made up category!