There is something stomach-turning about the Clintonian strategy for winning the nomination. Underneath that which is so disgusting, however, there are little passion plays playing out -- about the state of the nation, and the state of its soul-sick psyche. While there is no overt reason to conclude that they are racists, (if that sentence seems luke-warm, take a look at Hillary's own concession that Obama is not a Muslim), there is every possible reason to label the Clintons opportunists of the very first order. Bill Clinton was not a racist when he mouthed off in South Carolina; he was a desperate power-monger, flailing. Bob Johnson from BET doesn't really think Obama is a drug fiend -- it was just "an opportunity". Albeit a rather disgusting one. Howard Wolfson doesn't really think that Obama is like Ken Starr; it was just the sort of blind ad hominem news-cycle nonsense likely to distract from the actual, the real, the true; in other words -- it was opportunism. That is their true, true heartfelt religion. "Campaign" in Florida and then deny it? Fine: It's all fair game. Or the cynical suggestion by Senator Clinton that Obama would be a fine VP while at the same time declaring how unready he is seems to me precisely the sort of cynical paranoid post-modern solipsism of people who will say anything whatsoever to get what they want and then act stung when called on it. It borders on sociopathy. And like all opportunists, those in Camp Clinton have reached the conclusion that even a scorched earth campaign which devastates the party, vulgarizes the discourse even more than it already is vulgarized, and alienates millions of people who actually have come to hope for real change in this country, is worth the cost of a possible win. Personally, I find it far more likely that the only beneficiary of the Clintonian ugliness will of course be none other than that half-mad proponent of hundred-year wars, John McCain of Arizona, swooping in to the circular firing squad after the smoke and blood have cleared, so as to snatch a victory because the Dems cleverly snatched defeat.
Speaking of half-mad, speaking of snatching defeat -- the Clinton surrogacy of Geraldine Ferraro devolved in to an angry whine on the Today Show this morning. Ms Ferraro seems to think that Senator Obama has been the beneficiary of some sort of post-radical-chic "free-ride", a notion so laughable that it flies in the face of every last bit of information we have about what it means to not be white in America. Every single bit. She doesn't seem like a racist either, actually; merely an embittered ex-candidate and an old school feminist warrior whose legitimate passion has hardened into blindness and bile. (How did the Obama camp play "the race card" when it was she who launched into a dismissal of Senator Obama as "lucky" to be African-American.) I found myself telling the TV that Obama is where he is today in spite of being African-American. Still, Hillary Clinton's campaign seems to tap into something very real in this country -- the anger that many women carry over the costs incurred in the fight for gender equality for the last forty years.
Every day, one is struck by the (one-sided) viciousness in this fight. Six bloody weeks of it to go? Six weeks of coarsening opportunistic soulless nastiness. And the effect? Hillary Clinton's unfavorable rating amongst Obama supporters continues to rise according to the Wall Street Journal/MSNBC poll released tonight. The reverse is not true. And her coalition of white women and white blue-collar workers is unlikely to surge the way that young people and African-Americans are surging towards Obama. Those Americans -- the African-Americans who have been turned off by politics as usual and by total exclusion, the young who have been so disgusted by war-mongering and corruption so evident in the smug faces of those in power -- finally see in Obama something of the best in themselves, and something to aspire to: Idealism, dignity, hope, matched by strength and stoicism. Matched by a very keen sense of how to work the system.
In the meantime, the country itself needs to be repaired from inside out. Anti-intellectual, increasingly amoral, broke, and self-obsessed, a land of crumbling roads, crumbling dreams, and crumbling visions of how to care for the needy. A nation filled with invective and rudeness. (Have you ever seen how unmannerly the comments on HuffPost can be? If that is a reflection of how people are brought up today, then what is the point?) At the heart of how to repair a nation -- there is one essential ingredient to examine; and that, of course, is character. Over the next six weeks until Pennsylvania, we must think about that; the character of our leaders, of our nation. Because as Heraclites stated with total clarity -- character IS destiny.
Let's accept the argument of most Obama supporters and say that they should represent the will of their constituents. On Super Tuesday, Hillary beat Obama by 192,704 votes capturing 56% of the popular vote to only 41% for Obaama. Yet, state wide office holders Governor Deval Patrick and Senators John Kerry and Ted Kennedy have all pledged their super delegate vote to OBAMA. Until Obama requests personally that Patrick, Kerry, and Kennedy give their voted to Hillary, Obama supporters' arguments about super delegates seem to hold very little weight.
Here is a complete list of super delegates from Massachusetts that have "went against the will of their voters" and pledged their d-vote to Obama.
Sen. John Kerry (MA)
Sen. Ted Kennedy (MA)
Rep. William Delahunt (MA)
Rep. Michael Capuano (MA)
DNC John Walsh (MA)
DNC Paul Kirk (MA)
DNC Margaret Xifaras (MA)
DNC Raymond Jordan (MA)
DNC David O'Brien (MA)
DNC Alan Solomont (MA)
And also add "better educated Americans" to your list of young people and African Americans...significant numbers of middle aged white males and females...and better educated Americans across the races. Contrary to Ferraro's stupid comment, you don't win national elections in America just because you have black support. (They're only 8% of the electorate)
The idea that Hillary is resonating more as an advocate of the poor than Obama is at the moment is utterly baffling. I can only talk it up to her PR attacks, her subtly negative use of race and religion, her fear mongering ("3 a.m." played better with the working class), and much genuine misunderstanding about her actual accomplishments and policies.
Her habit of pandering to the right should be a huge concern. Once she's in office she'll want to prove "just how tough she is". . Even now, after all we know, she seems to have no real FEELING that the war is WRONG--note, last week, her comment that it's the "gift of democracy". And she can talk about wounded veterans with a detachment from responsibility that echoes GWB's.
Where's the responsibility for this (not just one vote, but many)? Where's the remorse and regret?
And I'm still waiting for ANYONE to point to even "one courageous speech" where Hillary has been a strong leader for an unpopular cause that could have ended her career.
Just one. One courageous "risk it all for principle" moment.
Anyone?.....Anyone?
Did the Supreme Court appointing the President make you sick like it made us??
Less intemperate language and more reasoned argument would be a start.
I am so tired of hyperbole and overwrought arguments by commentators who should know better.
An actual discussion of policy, as opposed to flurries of denunciations, would be nice...but perhaps that is the problem, there really are limited policy distinctions between the 2 Dem candidates, so it leads to the manufacture of division.
The 2008 Dem primaries - on both the MSM and Blogworld has been a process of the over-analysis of the insubstantial by the insupportable.
Vote for the person who has the courage to uphold it no matter what "kitchen sink" is thrown at them.
Hint: That's not Barrie.
Question: Why are you less interested in the actions to be taken by the President than in how "dignified" he appears on TV?
Thanks.
mp
The Clinton campaign tactics have a strange parallel to her war votes. Those votes show a political expediency and personal opportunism at the expense of Americans, and America. After more than 7 years of some of the worst times and partisanship in our political history, we simply cannot afford that type of arrogance and moral bankruptcy in the White House again. Character is the critical foundation of great leadership, and character is the hallmark of all great leaders. Character is important as sound character inspires trust. Character is integrity, a seamless consistency between our private beliefs and our public actions.
I'm not going to waste a lot of bandwidth on the willfully ignorant. Go read some biography of Hillary Clinton. Even Wikipedia would do. Actually examine her career, instead of taking the word of a bunch of overtly misogynistic Obama-bots, for whom lying is all part of the game -- anything to get Barrie elected.
Now, I understand that in the Obama camp, examining issues and coming to your own conclusions will quickly make you persona non grata. But it is a part of the requirement for being a good citizen. Put your country ahead of the candidate.
Thanks.
mp
Can I just add that all 'right-minded people' (ie the angry old white women, along with the frightened and not particularly bright who voted for Bush twice already) would love to see the real dream ticket:
McCain/Clinton 08!!!
Yay team!!!
I am a 52 year old woman, and a feminist. I still struggle with sexism, ageism, and sizeism. But I treat people as I would like to be treated, with respect. I do have fun flirting with cute young men because now I can do it without fear of rejection as I did when I was their age. (Who's the sexist now??) It's great to be able to engage in conversation with people of all ages.
My point is that Hillary manipulated the voters in New Hampshire, showing a total lack of respect, by pulling out the "Woe is me, look I'm crying" card. Prior to that she hadn't won any of the (3?) primaries, after NH she went on a roll before she slowed down again. When the prospect of losing a primary arose, she tried to pull the "Woe is me" card during the debates; when that didn't work, out came the racist card.
Shame on you, Bill and Hillary! We don't really know what Chelsea has to say even though she campaigns for her mother (I'm not gonna use the "p" word.) She's off limits to the press.
I'm voting for Obama because I'm sick and tired of being manipulated by power hungry people whether they are at the national level or in my own community.
Mean people suck.
Unfortunately, I realize that Kennedy and Pelosi have too much at stake, and insist on supporting Obama even though he has no idea in the world what to do about the economic mess we are in.
If Obama wins the nomination, you will have a split Democratic Party with the Kennedy-Pelosi liberals parading around with the Clintonistas hunkered down waiting for the inevitable failure to pick up the pieces. This can happen in 2 ways: if Obama loses the election in Nov, Kennedy and Pelosi might as well fold up tent and go home because they will be toast. If Obama wins, then we will have a 4 year circus where the economy totally implodes and its anybody's guess who will be left standing. I expect the hunkered down Clintonista will be well positioned to pick up the pieces in either case.
Obama does have one good option, though. Be Hillary's VP, then be a shoe-in for 2016, unless he pulls an Al Gore and runs from the Clintons.
In either case, I fully expect the Clintons in the White House in 2012 with or without Obama.
Nancy Pelosi was right. Hillary Clinton has only herself to blame for the death of the dream ticket.
If this is what his leadership leads us to become, no thanks. I don't see any difference between Obama followers and Bush followers. Caling us "unpatriotic" for not wanting war or "racist" for suggesting Obama isn't the best candidate - same thing. Obama talks about hope but inspires hate. Hillary really does inspire hope in those who support her, particularly women and the poor. That's the kind of leader I want to follow. And will.
Ever heard of "projection"? Loathing sleaze is not "intolerance" or "arrogance."
What channels are you watching? You can't get much sleazier than the Clintons. Why she did not get her coronation out came the Republican attack dog tactics. Republicans are willing to cross over in open primaries to boost her failing numbers because she is so divisive and disruptive!