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How Dare You!
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2008 Election, Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton 2008, Women, Women Voters,
Politics News
We need to talk. How dare the leadership of the Democratic Party turn on Hillary Clinton! How dare they betray Bill Clinton! How dare they not speak out when Hillary is disrespected by words like bitch, whore and the "c" word! How dare they allow them both to be smeared as racists, playing the race card! Where was Howard Dean ? Where was Nancy Pelosi ? Where were Hillary's colleagues in the Senate when the Clintons were being so unfairly accused and denigrated? The Democratic Party has a lot to answer for. If we had stood as a party with one voice and said, "no", we will not allow one of our own to be so disturbingly maligned, we would now have a unified democratic party electorate at the end of a virtually tied primary race. Instead we are deeply divided. Now, since the party's leaders have chosen again and again not to speak up, I will.
I am a Hillary supporter and along with millions of Democrats throughout our country , I have been outraged by how the media have treated her throughout this primary season. But what is most disturbing is how my Party has stood by and allowed the demeaning and dishonest attacks on Hillary to continue. This is not the party I thought I belonged to. This is not the party that espouses fairness, justice and equality for all. This is not the party that elected Bill Clinton President in 1992 and 1996 and Hillary Clinton as Senator in 2000 and 2006. That party knew that it had benefited enormously from the Clinton administration as well as the incredible accomplishments of one of the most activist, hardworking First Ladies in our history. That Party stood proudly by a president who many called the first black president because both he and his wife had demonstrated a lifelong commitment to civil rights and human rights.
Imagine if Democratic leaders had done what Hillary did when President Bush associated Barack Obama with terrorism in his much lauded speech in Israel. Remember, Hillary gave a heartfelt statement that Barack was one of our own and she would not stand by and allow him to be so denigrated ?
Women are outraged. We are still fighting for her, and we are ashamed of how our candidate, a woman who has devoted her adult life to serving others, a woman who has been a distinguished First Lady, a woman who has helped her colleagues pass legislation and win races in their own states, a woman who has stood up for all of our rights, has been treated not just by the media but by her own Democratic Party. Throughout all this, Hillary has maintained her focus, her message and her dignity. This is truly courage under fire. This is what it takes to be a great president. It is not over until the lady in the pant suit says it is and I and millions of others are with her.
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It should be HOW DARE YOU Jill! Stop speaking for all women. I am a white woman over 50 and am embarrassed by the way she represents women. The tactics she has used are an embarrassment to women. Her continual whining and playing the victim has set woman back 50 years. I as a woman stand on my merit by working hard to achieve my goals. She manipulates the media and screams wolf whenever it is convenient for her. Instead of standing up as a strong woman she acted like the stereotypical picture women have been fighting.
All I can say is AMEN! I am with you 100% and so are millions and millions of others. A lifelong activist liberal, I am seriously thinking of switching to independent I am so disgusted. Thank you for this blog.
I am disgusted with your blatantly biased sexism.
There are more Independents supporting Obama than support Hillary. Millions and millions of othe Democrats followed the rules and they chose Obama.
I am 97% of the way to switching to Independent.
By the way, I ran into a couple of stockbrokers in a caucus state.
One of them actually had pictures of himself with Reagan and Bush 1 on his desk.
Not someone I'd normally talk politics with right?
He and his colleague "voted" for Hillary Clinton. They LIKE her---
Unfortunately, in caucus states it's hard for anyone who wants to keep their votes private to participate. What this shows is that there is crossover appeal for Clinton.
These men said they would never vote Obama because he's too liberal and wanted to raise the capital gains taxes so high.
Which just goes to show how utterly uneducated they are - Obama and HRC agree on almost every policy point, differing in just small details in most cases. In behavior, however, Clinton is a Republican - hence, they can relate to her - her tactics are exactly like the ones used by the GOP.
Did you happen to mention to them that Hillary says their vote doesn't count since it was a caucus?
jane:
I am a lifelong activist progressive. In the nineties, I defended both Hillary and Bill Clinton even when it was really difficult. Hillary Clinton was--and it is now was--a heroine of mine. But both of them played the race-card with a wink and a nod. I agree, Senator Clinton was treated unfairly but both she and Bill KNOW about race in America and they KNEW what they were doing every time someone said something racially charged on their behalf. Two possibly good things might come out of this: one is that perhaps white liberals will be disabused of the illusion that racism is what the Klan does and nothing else. The Clintons USED race as a weapon in this campaign in a manner that Obama did *not* use sexism. I will never, ever again be able to look on the Clintons and believe, in my bones, that they mean everything they say on race. Not any longer. Do I think the Clintons are racists? No. It's far worse than that. I think they are NOT racists who are willing to push racist buttons they know exist in OTHERS for political gain. That doesn't mean that they think themselves superior to blacks, merely that they know there are others who *do* and if pushing those buttons will get them up half a percentage point, then they can always make up for it later. THAT is the mentality I saw on display.
LF
Thank you--well said and I coudn't agree more.
ladyfractal -- thank you. You so accurately describe the Clinton's as unprincipled opportunists.
/Standing up, Applauding/
I'm sick of people saying women are behind Hillary. Please qualify those statements. Second wave white women. Lower educated white women. Older white women. Those groups form the majority of her women support. Do black women count as women?
Do the female soldiers killed or maimed in the Iraq War Clinton voted for count as women?
I am too. I know hundreds of white women my age (mid-50s) who support Obama. I also know that hundreds of white women who voted for Hillary in California last February would not vote for Hillary again - and will vote for Obama in the general election.
You want outrage? I got plenty.
How dare Senator Clinton vote to authorize war in Iraq, which has killed 4,000 American men and women, more if you count the suicides among those who came home.
How dare she not apologize for that vote.
How dare she repeatedly lie about dodging sniper fire in Bosnia in a pathetic attempt to look tough.
How dare she agree that MI and FL would not count, then doing a 180 when she realized she'd need those votes.
How dare she compare the situation in those states to Zimbabwe, and slavery and denying women the vote.
How dare she praise John McCain and suggest he would be a better president than her fellow Democrat.
How dare she cite electoral maps from Karl Rove in her letter to superdelegates.
How dare she authorize a fear-mongering ad about 3 a.m. phone calls.
How dare she engage in race-baiting by noting her support among "working, hard-working Americans, white Americans.
How dare she raise the specter of assassination when answering a question about why she stays in the race.
Millions of men and women of all ages and backgrounds are outraged. We deserve better from a person who would be president.
Thank you, JimR. I don't have to write a comment now because you"ve said it so very well. This white 62 year old feminist also says, "How dare she...."
Kudos to you for stating this so well. I am outraged at this nonsense. Hillary lost my vote at the top of your list and the subsequent actions just made sure she'll never recover it.
The media CONVINCED you that Hillary was gonig to win. And then when it did not happened, you, the army of women following Hillary, and the rest of her followers became let down and had to make excuses as to why she lost.
It is not the Democratic parties job to come to the rescue anytime "the media" goes on the attack against Hillary--something that happened very infrequently (remember she was the "inevitable nominee"?) Remeber how "tough" Hillary is? If she is so "tough," why does she need to be rescued by the Democrats? If she is the "strongest candidate," why does she need to invoke sexism as the reason she is losing? If she can't win a democratic primary because of "sexism" how does she expect to win a general election?
There are so many better women out there that represent the best in Americans than Hillary Clinton. Claire McCaskell and Janet Napolitano are very strong, ethically driven women that don't have to play the stupid political games of yesteryear and have scorched earth policies at the behest of Americans and their own political parties because they are so ego driven and selfish that all they care about is their own place in history. Hillary should be absolutely ashamed of herself for invoking race bating, sexism, and assassination comments to divide the Democrats.
WOW where to begin.....
#2 "That Party stood proudly by a president who many called the first black president because both he and his wife had demonstrated a lifelong commitment to civil rights and human rights."
........BC was referred to as the first Black Pres by author Terri McMellan(sp) because many felt he (BC) had been so vilified by the reps and press (he was treated as though he was black).Bil
What goes around comes around.
You reap what you sow.
Who is really doing the attacking and who is being attacked??
For a statistical analysis put out TODAY, go to
http://www
You might be very surprised, depending on who you support.
The blog title of the particular analysis is Incoming! and is near the top.
Thank you for posting that. I think the data is very clear and should be a reference point for anyone who cares about facts.
Interesting- thanks for the link.
I have two fliers here (PA) from the primary. The flier from HRC is titled "Does Barack Obama Understand Us and Our Values?"
The flier from BHO is titled "Of Course You Put Your Family First. So Does Barack Obama."
BHO's flier doesn't mention HRC at all. HRC's flier mentions him three times.
2) How can a people of color or gay people trust her after she betrayed us. Hillary has not sponsored any great legislation in her career. The Clintons ruined the Democrat Party while they were in office by contorting it into Republican light. The Clintons lost the Congress and because of their several scandals - they made it impossible for Gore to win in 2000. The Clintons gave us horrible Welfare reforms which did nothing to help educate people so they could lift themselves out of poverty, they gave us Don't ask Don't Tell, they sold out the American blue collar class with NAFTA. Bubba had a lot of charisma and could speaks real good; so we forgave him and defended him over and over and over again. But now as Hillary and Bill finish up a campaign in which they have race baited, used the sexist card, and played the victim after receiving 3 years unprecedented good press - I look back at history with a clear eye and think - We got screwed by the Clintons and owe them nothing!
1) How dare you Jil! I was reared as a feminist by a real feminist. It pains me to see the Clintons use any and all desperate arguments to stay in the race as if Hillary had the election stolen from her because she feels entitled to be POTUS. I believe the MSM gave her a free ride for 2 years before the actual primaries. The Media had all but named her the nominee and future president. I used to be a Hillary supporter. However during the course of her campaign she squandered huge amount of moneys on sycophantic advisers who care very little about the small states - they assumed Hillary would be president. When Barrack upset her by winning contests the new fashioned grass roots way - Hillary ditched her long time support in communities of people of color and gays - she went after the painfully racist, anti-gay, anti-progressive vote in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kentucky. She becam bombastic and started attacking Obama instead of offering her vision on its own merits.
Not only that, but Clinton cynically manipulated the economically- and educationally deprived people in W. Va , SW PA and KY by adopting an unconvincingly poor version of their regional mountain accent (and, after their primaries, conveniently reinserted the "g's" back in every word ending in "ing" as soon as the Appalachian votes were safely in her column). It was adorable when Rene Zellweger imitated an English accent for Bridget Jones (except to the British actresses who coveted the part); it is NOT adorable when a candidate for a public office pulls a stunt like that.
If Obama had tried an insulting maneuver like that, Hillary's, single-minded supporters would have accused HIM of making fun of these people and the way they talk. Considering how low narcissistic manipulators can stoop, this ploy comes in a close second to Bush's tarring McCain's lovely adopted daughter from Bangladesh as being the biological daughter of McCain and a black prostitute in order to appeal to the racists of SC. Of course, Hillary found another way of appealing to the racists of Appalachia
The really sad part is that the racists of SC probably didn't believe Bush's lie, but how they loved being pandered to. If Appalachians believed that Hillary talks that way in her regular life, it is very sad. Perhaps, they realized that she doesn't, and they too love being pandered to. Not that this makes it OK morally to pander and manipulate.
A
3) . As Hillary threatens to ruin our convention and our chances in the Fall - it is hard to have any respect for The Clintons. However, I DO. I want Hillary to be Vice President. I want her to prove she can unite the Democrat Party. I know she is great on the stump as a street fighter; so she would be great attacking John McCain. Then once elected Hillary could pour all her energy into making her Health Care Plan into reality. I ask Hillary's legions of supporter to stop hiding behind your Pantsuit Racism and support your party. Obama has treated Hillary with the utmost respect while she has been stirring people's fears about race and class. For your daughters, I ask you to prevent John McCain from becoming president because he will complete the right wing takeover of the Supreme Court and with that will end a woman's right to chose.
If I were the Democratic leadership, I would try to cut a deal in which Clinton would be given the first opening on the Supreme Court, if and ONLY IF she convincingly campaigns for Obama.
She failed to campaign for either Gore or Kerry (to keep the seat warm for herself via Bush victories?), so can't be trusted to keep a promise unless there is something substantial in it FOR HER, a salve for her narcissism and that of her supporters who seem to have lost all recognition of what is fair according to the previously-agreed upon rules.
. She has to be told in no uncertain terms that if she keeps dividing the party and touting McCain as the default choice if Obama is the nominee, then she will NEVER be allowed to run for high office as a Democrat again.
She must be convinced that this the best deal she can cut, given her awful self-serving behavior, and, of course, the deal only holds if Obama wins. That would give her something personal at stake in an Obama victory. The VP nomination wouldn't..
dawlishgal I like your comments. I think Hillary is too in love with the immediate gratification of an applauding electorate to be persuaded about the value of the Supreme Court. I thought that would be a good job for her - if she really believed her speeches and wanted to shape law. But I believe she is too in love with Power and Celebrity. In her eyes, she would see it as a move to get her out of the way rather than the most important position from which to influence lasting change in America.
The lady has more guts than most anyone in Washington today. They are trying to rush her out because they know she is the right one for the job and that knowledge is catching up to them. The media, the DNC, and Washington are picking the boss the think they can shove around. The fact that she has kept on going shows how awesome she is. Her supporters have been her only support. If she screws up...she gets Front Page....Gr
You are just as delusional as Hillary. She has no respect for the quarter of a million people votin g uncommitted here in Michigan-now that is disenfranchisement. She wants to claim to have a popular vote majority-but do you just leave a quater million people out? YOU AND NONE OF YOU CROONIES KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN MICHIGAN!
Obama had nothing to do with what happened in Michigan. And go google Hillary back in January and she was swearing up and down that Michigan and Florida should not be seated.
You must have amnesia.
That's not anmisia, that's willfull blindness.
BHO said he would abide by the DNC decision re: the votes in MI and FL.
He didn't decide "full out to suppress two states from revoting."
How DARE you speak for me, Jill. I am a woman and I have never seen a woman act in such a HEINOUS manner. There has been no sexism, except on the side of Hillary Clinton who demanded SPECIAL treatment. Equality and sexism are terms that should be used when the party has been maligned. I guess she can use the racial terms she uses, but hey, she's a woman, it's ok if SHE does it. BUT DAMN IT DON'T say anything about HIllary. She's just perfect. She is the eye of a hurricane and has done more to demean and diminsh the Democratic party and women than anyone in history, aside from her husband. As a 50ish white woman, I have never been more embarrassed in my life that a woman wants to use ME as an example of why people should HAND her the vote. Good GOD woman, YOU LOST.
Stop blaming everyone else in the world, and take some responsibiltiy. You had this in the bag, and frankly, you showed us over and over why you should NOT be president. Her effort has been abysmal and her husband has been nothing short of humiliating. She needs to go home and shut the door for a year or two .
Don't speak for all women Jill. A lot of us have taken off our Hillary blinders and understand that she was never, NEVER, capable of the job of president.
Right on, sister! As a woman, I really believe women can handle being the President and don't need a leg-up. No handy cap here, she has been playing on an even playing field and lost. For Hillary's supporters, how about entertaining this for one moment:
She had HUGE name recognition, loyal supporters, BIG money, and still lost to a relative new-comer. With legacy and money OVERWHELMINGLY on her side, she did not get the job done. It wasn't because Obama supporters hated her, but because they liked him better.
Choke on that bit of reality and realize she is not the woman to make the break-through. I would love to see it happen soon, though...
A piece of advice: blindly voting FOR someone ONLY because she's a woman makes as much sense as blindly voting AGAINST someone ONLY because she's a woman.
I think it would be grand to have a woman in the White House; however, I won't support Hillary Clinton because I don't respect her as a leader. Her biological plumbing does not factor into it. Many of the Hillaryistas just want to see a woman in the Oval Office at any cost-- if that's your only criteria, why not write-in Leni Riefenstahl? What's a little National Socialism among sisters? (Okay, admittedly, there's the whole citizenship and being a corpse part that weighs against ol' Leni). But the point is-- do you want a woman in the White House sooo badly that you'll overlook serious leadership shortcomings?
I want a real leader who I can respect, and Sen. Clinton does not fit the bill. The media, and the DNC, practically anointed her as "the inevitable" two years ago and wrote off Obama as a one-trick pony because of that one eloquent speech he gave denouncing the Iraq War. Hillary has since joined in the RNC/Rove attacks on her fellow Democrat-- a shameless display. None of these criticisms has anything to do with gender-- it has to do with failure to inspire a sense of confidence and trust.
Game over, Hillary, and you lost it for yourself.
You'll have to pardon my ignorance, but I hear of all these charges of sexist remarks or sexist claims from the media (and to a certain extent Obama) BUT I have yet to actually see any of these charges.
I know of two
- 1) Obama referring that reporter as "sweetie".
- 2) Remarks by that Republican on CNN about some calling Hillary a "bitch" and him agreeing with it.
My contention is - I did NOT hear any charges now, and certainly didn't hear any charges early in her campaign! Where was the outrage then?
I'm pretty sure ir was McCain who called someone sweetie.
Obama has not engaged in any sexist behaviour toward Hillary or anyone else.
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