Obama turns on charm for women who loved Hillary Clinton
I can't quite get my head around what is happening over at No Quarter where Larry Johnson's site appears to be utterly geared to ensuring that Obama does not become President in November. I understand that there are many Clinton supporters who are upset at the result, but this level of visceral hatred towards Obama strikes me as simply odd, especially coming from people who have traditionally supported the Democrats.
The site has become astonishingly anti-Obama. There are ludicrous examinations of Obama's birth certificate which any swift boat campaign would be proud of, and they have even come up with a name for themselves. PUMA: Party Unity My Ass.
And now, as Clinton and Obama prepare for their first official joint appearance since their epic battle, some people on the site are seeing this, not as Democrats uniting for victory, but as an example of how very badly women are treated within the American political system.
OK, so maybe it’s because I am older, bitter, and (yet) clingy to hope, that I just seem to have a hard time with Hillary Clinton essentially becoming Obama’s handmaiden. Her site now has a place to join up for Obama as soon as you open it. That was freakin’ depressing. And then there is the upcoming joint fundraiser Clinton is going to have with him. This is almost too much to bear. I swear, this just seems to replicate what so many strong, qualified, intelligent women have had to endure for far too long now - being the Executive ASSISTANT to the lesser qualified Executive. Here she is now offering HER fundraisers and donors to the man who treated her like Pure T crap for MONTHS now. How does this HAPPEN?!?!
These people might find it hard to believe but, bitter as Obama's supporters were by some of the tactics Hillary used against their preferred candidate, they would have united around Hillary had she won the presidential nomination. Faced with a choice between Hillary and McCain, Obama supporters would have found that one a no brainer.
So Obama and Clinton have their work cut out as they seek to unite the party. It is being reported as "a big thaw":
A stroll through No Quarter reveals just how much work there is to do, because some of these people sound to me as if they have no intention of ever voting for Obama. These people - who claimed to support Clinton's policies - intend to vote for a man who would overturn Roe vs Wade, wants to keeps the Bush tax cuts for the rich, and has stated that he wouldn't mind if the troops stayed in Iraq for 100 years. And yet that man is who they are choosing as Hillary's natural replacement.But, with Clinton and Obama now set to hit the trail together, the big chill between the two is finally turning into a big thaw. 'The campaign got so intense, especially in the last few weeks, that some people feel really attacked. He has to win them back,' said Professor Tracy Osborn, an expert on women in politics at Iowa University.
So far the picture is mixed. Obama has received a bump in the polls since emerging as the victor in the Democratic contest. He is also comfortably ahead of Republican rival John McCain when it comes to women voters overall, beating him by 13 points in two recent polls. But the picture is not so simple. Many experts believe the key demographic is likely to be suburban white women, who have been dubbed 'soccer moms' or 'security moms' by pollsters.
They are often the key swing voting bloc that can mean the difference between winning and losing the presidency. They were a Clinton demographic stronghold, and among them McCain now leads Obama by 44 per cent to 38. At the same time, polls show one in five Clinton supporters now intends to vote for McCain. That indicates there is much work to do for Obama and his staffers.
There's simply no bloody logic to that.
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4 comments:
Good post. I had hoped this would go away, but it is still being kept alive by the media and a tiny number of putative Democrats.
Sheer speculation here, but looking at those comments, the language used, and the utterly lame sense of humour, I'm inclined to view the vast majority there as Republican trolls (and low-quality ones at that). In some cases Obama is criticised for taking positions that Hillary actually agrees with. In some other cases, classic wingnut conspiracy theories are employed.
When you drill down into the allegedly "sexist" remarks from "Obama", you actually only find a half-dozen remarks made by others in his campaign. Obama's actual remarks, such as "You're likeable enough", require someone to be tremendously thin-skinned to be willing to switch Parties over such a 'slight'.
If this (soccer mom) "key demographic" is so critical, why is Obama ahead in all the polls and electoral vote projections? They were a key demographic 20 years ago in the "battleground state" approach. Now, not so much. They are highly fickle voters with a very low ROI. As usual, these 'analysts' are stuck in the past.
I am already sick of this "Obama fret" foolishness. As long as one state is polling for McCain, we will continue to hear about "Obama has some work to do with X".
Obama has "work to do" with those who have made up their minds to hate him? Surely these people can't be serious. And McCain, who is behind in the polls, is apparently universally loved, right? He can't even get his own Party to support him, but we never hear such "fretting" about McCain.
Sheer speculation here, but looking at those comments, the language used, and the utterly lame sense of humour, I'm inclined to view the vast majority there as Republican trolls (and low-quality ones at that).
I have often wondered if they are simply Republican trolls Todd, it's the fact that Larry Johnson is giving them posting rights on a site which was always truly Democratic which worries me.
Obama has "work to do" with those who have made up their minds to hate him? Surely these people can't be serious. And McCain, who is behind in the polls, is apparently universally loved, right? He can't even get his own Party to support him, but we never hear such "fretting" about McCain.
And you are completely correct in how the media are framing this. McCain apparently has no worries whilst Obama always has mountains to climb!
I am one of those old gung ho Democratic stalwarts who just can't bring herself to back Barack Obama. I'd like to. But I just can't. Conscience trumps party loyalty, I'm afraid. I won't vote for McCain but I can't vote for Obama. And I am sure if Hillary had won the Obamaniacs would be even less likely to hop on the old unity train than we are. It is what it is and all the hysterics about how can we do this won't help. We are not bitter. We are done. You can push women just so far and then something snaps and there is just no going back. (Am I right, girls?) Well, we've snapped. 7.9 on the Richter scale. You'll have to win this one without us.
You can push women just so far and then something snaps and there is just no going back. (Am I right, girls?) Well, we've snapped. 7.9 on the Richter scale. You'll have to win this one without us.
Thanks for posting Anonymous, I really do appreciate it.
But I am puzzled as to why you would risk McCain getting into power and inflicting a possible reversal of Roe Vs Wade? Of why you would not take every step you could to turn back the disastrous last seven years, especially as those were the aims of Hillary and that's what she's begging you now to do.
Did you support Hillary's policies or were you more concerned with simply seeing a woman elected? I honestly don't ask that as a criticism, I am genuinely interested.
Thanks.
Kel.
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