Does what we are doing here matter? [Update]
By NoQuarter on March 15, 2008 at 10:37 PM in Barack Obama, Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., Tony Rezko
Sunday UPDATE: Also write to Speaker Pelosi via AmericanVoices@mail.house.gov.
Just below, Larry has the arguments and the proof why Barack Obama is toast. Or should be. But will the elite of the Democratic party realize this in time to stop a candidate who will be destroyed in a general election race? There are two reasons I worry (there are plenty more but listing two reasons will suffice for this post): 1) Nancy Pelosi, and 2) above-it-all liberal elite bloggers.
Larry and I — and all of you who read and comment here — are unafraid to look at the underbelly of Barack Obama. We’re not hopelessly P.C. You and we understand why everyday patriotic Americans will NEVER vote for Barack Obama. But the elites don’t get it or are too hyper-sensitive about race to take an honest look at Obama’s gravely serious impediments to winning the presidency.
The elite bloggers and media censor serious discussion of why Obama’s issues make him unelectable. Today, one otherwise top-notch liberal blog issued an edict: No one can comment about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, even in an open thread. If anyone does, their comments will be deleted. Yes, that is true. Then there are the media: CNN’s Anderson Cooper apologizes for reporting the Jeremiah Wright story, as I pointed out in “Imagine if Wright Were Hillary’s Pastor ….” (It’s a sorry day for me when I have to turn to Fox News to see open reports on Rev. Wright’s disgusting screeds. But that’s where I have to go.)
Speaker Nancy Pelosi has crossed the line to “game” the primary race.
In an interview last night with George Stephanopoulos on ABC News, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, and the Permanent Chair of the Convention in August, asserted that superdelegates should nominate the pledged delegate leader and not the popular vote leader. (The full interview with Pelosi will air tomorrow Sunday morning on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos.”)
Susan’s note: I am indebted to Andy, a regular here at NoQuarter, for her research and writing of the next section exposing what Nancy Pelosi is up to — follow along to see what Andy discovered:
Speaker Pelosi asserts that it would be “harmful” to Democrats if superdelegates were to give the party’s presidential nomination to a candidate who is trailing in the delegates awarded in primaries and caucuses.
Stephanopoulos then asked:
“But what if one candidate has won the popular vote and the other candidate has won the delegates?”
Pelosi replied:
“But it’s a delegate race. The way the system works is that the delegates choose the nominee.”
Pelosi last night redefined the role of superdelegates and stated that the popular vote is irrelevant. In two sentences she effectively said the race is over.
It seems clear that by convention time Clinton will be behind in pledged delegates. There is a good chance, however, that she will be ahead in the popular vote. Especially if the popular vote of Florida is certified (independently of its delegates) which seems can be done.
Pelosi’s comments are clearly meant to influence the superdelegates who are still neutral.
Or maybe Pelosi is trying to steamroll past the Wright controversy, the Rezko controversy, and the 2006 earmarks controversy. Probably she meant all of the above.
It is clear — and after Fleafllcker’s superb analysis it should be even clearer — that the delegate system is somewhat arbitrary. We have several open primaries. PA is a closed primary but Obama is openly exhorting independents and republicans to register as Democrats for a day and vote for him in PA. Watch for yourselves:
And then we have all these states with caucuses where bullying seems to have been the norm this year.
It certainly does not seem that the Democratic party’s inconsistent, unfair and exclusive primary systems are a truly legitimate expression of popular will.
We haven’t thought much about this since … yes, Florida 2000 and Gore vs. Bush.
Yet here is again. Dean and Pelosi seem hellbent to nominate Obama.
So I ask Speaker Pelosi: Isn’t it “harmful” to select a nominee who doesn’t win the popular vote and more importantly that cannot win those battleground “must win” states?
Pelosi crossed the line. As Speaker of the House, thus automatically the Chair of the Convention, her duty was to remain neutral. Her statements were irresponsible and undemocratic.
I have sent an email to her this afternoon at her Speaker’s office e-mail contact form.
I invite you to send her one as well; it’s easy and takes 5 minutes. Would it matter? Probably not, but would surely like to see her inbox full of emails holding her in contempt.
Here’s why:
A plain-as-day common sense view of Obama’s 20-year close relationship with Rev. Wright tells us that Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and their two daughters have been steeped for decades by Rev. Wright’s consuming hatred of America and of white people. The bedrock “everyday patriotic Americans” — all of whom consider it their sacred duty to vote — SEE this about the Obamas, and for that reason alone can never vote for him.
Those “bedrock” ordinary Americans will have no part of such a candidate. And they will never forget the words of Jeremiah Wright or their realization that the Obamas — no matter their weak and dishonest excuses — heard those words, applauded his words, stood up for his words, and supported his words through donations in the tens of thousands of dollars annually (they donated $22,500 alone in 2006).
It is also plain as day that Michelle Obama, in particular, agrees with Jeremiah Wright. Having now heard Rev. Wright’s screeds against America, it is clear why Michelle Obama expresses disgust with her “country,” and comes across as so angry and hostile. Barack Obama is smoother, and hides his disdain better, but his attendance, his financial support, and his frequent references to the influence of Rev. Wright belie his calmer exterior.
Here’s a sample of Michelle Obama’s hate-filled attitude towards America:
As NewsBusters previously reported, the wife of Democrat presidential candidate Barack Obama isn’t very proud of her country.
Two weeks after making her disdain for the nation clear during a campaign speech for her husband in Wisconsin, Michelle further debased America by saying that we’re a country that is “just downright mean.”
How can any “bedrock” American hear that and not be repulsed?
For that matter, how can any of us hear that and not be repulsed?
Your turn.
TheHill had an article the other day that may explain Pelosi. There’s belief inside the DNC that Obama’s bring in so many new people that downticket Dems will benefit. She’s thinking (if you can call it that) Obama will win her more house seats.
It was this week - I’ll look for the link.
Not all the people who live around me. They’ll be so revolted by Obama and Wright that they’ll vote against the other Democrats.
The governor of my state — who has a TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH reelection fight coming up in November — has endorsed Obama very publicly.
The people who live around me will take due note of her endorsement. And punish her accordingly.
They’re already sore because she won in 2004 by a few hundred votes, and many think she “stole” the election through crooked Democratic politics in Seattle/King County. And Dino Rossi, who barely lost to her in 2004, is running against her again. He’s smart, charismatic, articulate.
I was planning on working hard on her reelection. Now I’m so turned off, I wonder how much I’ll do for her. (Hopefully, for the sake of the state and because she’s done a pretty darn good job as governor, I’ll get over it and help her. But it will be difficult. I’m sick and tired of forcing myself to support these people who don’t deserve my support.)
Oh yeah, I think they’re way off on the coattail theory, and Pelosi needs to re-evaluate her beliefs in the context of current events.
Yeah - Gregoire, that was a close one. Seattle is a bizarre place politically - surrounded by Republican suburbs right?
Thanks for the email addy - I’m in Pelosi’s district and will write her toute de suite.
AF:
If you are a constituent there is another email you can use as well
(it is just for people in her district).
It is http://www.house.gov/pelosi/contact/contact.html
I guess you can email her at both (as your Rep. & as the Speaker)
Done and done! Thank you Andrew.
I am Andy but not from Andrew
Heh. I emailed her and told her that when the democratic party calls me for a donation I will say ” I am unable to donate at this time due the vast amount of Democratic Party officials who have the title of SuperDelegate but yet can only rubber stamp a flawed process.”
Good point lois !! Thanks for emailing.
WOW Susan, another Emerald stater!!!!yea!…oh wait…wow, sorry, another Emerald stater. This last fiasco forced me to become a delegate. I just can’t be an innocent bystander anymore. (sigh) Looks like I’m off to Olympia in the next few weeks…please tell me you’ll be there…we can mix up Bombay martinis before we go face the scary and rather loud Obama fanatics again.
You’re a delegate for Clinton? My daughter and her boyfriend are both Clinton delegates. She for King County and he for a rural county where he keeps his permanent home.
What’s this about Olympia? My daughter is planning on going to the King County convention and hopes to be a delegate to the state convention.
(I’m not a delegate because I was in the hospital and was disenfranchised … don’t get me started on that … ha!)
Here in the 50th Congressional District (formerly Duke Cunningham’s district) in San Diego County, I was volunteering for a Democratic candidate who is running against Brian Bilbray. I was collecting signatures to put this candidate’s name on the ballot. Then the candidate endorsed Barack Obama. I did not try to collect one more signature for him.
The local Democratic club seems very pro-Obama since John Edwards dropped out. The club is composed of middle-class, middle-aged white people. I stopped going to their meetings.
This is a very conservative district. A Democrat might have had a chance without taking on all the Obama baggage. Now I think we are pretty much doomed here before we even got started.
Ms. Gregoire, as Deputy Attorney General, wrote the brief for the famous AFSCME v. Washsington State, that effectively ended comparable worth in the U.S in 1984. Her efforts reversed a judgment of over $800,000 million awarded women employees in the State of Washington. Her specious and speciously applied argument that the “market does not discriminate”, while her employer discriminated overwhelming against women, was lifted almost whole as the basis for Judge Kennedy’s (now S.C. Justice Kennedy) reversal of Judge Jack Tanner’s decision finding that indeed the State of Washington had systematically discriminated against women.
Gregoire is no friend of women. As Attorney General, she defended every egregious act by her employer to maintain overwhelming sex segregation within the State of Washington, the largest employer in Washington State.
That she endorsed Obama is more proof if any were needed that a Barack presidency would do women no good.
Maybe it is age creeping up on me but I have reached a point where I refuse to support someone just because they are a Democrat and the alternative might be worse. I have thought all of this through and have decided that I am an American first and a Democrat next.
I will support the person(s) that represent the things that matter most to me. And in this Presidential election that person is Hillary. And maybe with Hillary in the White House my core Democrat bones will start walking and talking for me again. But at this point I am so completely disenchanted with the DNC and many Democrats in Congress that I find it more than a little difficult to offer my support to many of them.
“The people who live around me will take due note of her endorsement. And punish her accordingly.”
Yep, I live here too and you’re right. I have declined to sign up for her re-election work because I’m just not motivated anymore to put in the effort. I’m tired of bouncing around in the back of the democratic turnip truck.
Susan, I did not realize that you lived in Washington state–I lived in Bellevue, WA for 5 years while I was in graduate school at UW! The election that I remember most vividly was when that crazy whackjob Ellen Craswell ran on the Republican ticket against Gary Locke back in 1996. I STILL recall hearing Democrats talking about “crossing over” to vote for Craswell in the primary because she would be “easy to beat”–a VERY dangerous strategy, if you ask me. Personally, I voted for Norm Rice in the primary, and if Norm Mailing had been the Republican candidate for governor in the general, I probably would have voted for Mailing since Gary Locke seemed a little abrasive to me. Needless to say with Craswell running as the Republican candidate for governor, I made sure to vote for Gary Locke! Incidentally, I had watched all three debates between Ellen Craswell and Gary Locke. In the first debate, it was clear to any sane person of either political persuasion that Craswell was a lunatic since she wanted to “sell or give away” the University of Washington so that the state would not have to support it. She also advocated chemical castration for sex offenders, expanding the death penalty to include executions for rapists (among others), and doing away with much of the appeals process so that the state could execute people more quickly! Ironically, by the third debate, Craswell had moderated her message so much that she almost sounded reasonable! As I recall, that was the largest turnout for a general election in Washington in history–and it was all to make sure that Craswell did not win!
I must admit that I was relieved to see Christine Gregoire ultimately prevail in the last election since Dino Rossi is a little too right of center to suit me, but Gregoire was NOT my preference among the field of Democrats. I liked Deborah Senn because I still remember how she drove unscrupulous insurance companies out of the state and became a true advocate for consumers when she was insurance commissioner. For what it’s worth, I still have a few friends in Seattle so I know that you are right about Gregoire. If the Democratic nominee for president is not a strong candidate, you guys may just get stuck with Rossi–an unpleasant thought, if you ask me.
BTW, do you remember when Jay Inslee defeated Rick White in 1998 with his campaign consisting primarily of opposition to impeaching Bill Clinton? It was an interesting moment in that district since that is one district that has a sizable proportion of “moderate-to-liberal Republicans” (many of whom went to my church) who completely rejected the notion of impeaching a president over lying about a private, consensual sexual matter. Rick White was actually not that bad a representative, but he was a casualty of the GOP’s overreaching in the Lewinsky affair. At the time, I was so disgusted with the Republicans over Ken Starr’s “witch hunt” that I was ready to see ALL the Republicans go so I did not shed any tears for Rick White. Nevertheless, Rick White was a victim of the GOP in the same way that Linc Chafee became a casualty of belonging to the GOP in 2006. Chafee was actually a good senator with probably the most liberal voting record of any Republican in the senate, but with an “R” after his name and all the damage that Bush had caused, Chafee had to go.
Here’s that article Eyeing Obama Coattails
Ugh, link didn’t come throught. Eyeing Obama Coattails.
Pelosi and Dean need to read the Dallas Morning News piece on the Obama voters not bothering to vote in any of the down ticket races. They picked Obama and left the voting booth.
Yes! And I should have written up that story. It was shocking. Those PUNKS only came because they are high on HOPIUM.
if obama gets the nomination, all those chickens will come home to roost after it’s too late to do anything about it. hello, president mccain is what we’ll be saying.
I believe historically, the country has done better when one party holds the WH and the other the House and Senate.
A makes a more synergistic body of government when one cannot go forward without the other. Period.
Perhaps what we should be discussing and emphasizing also is that with a Democratic President elected in November, we would be back to one party rule.
And total power corrupts … everyone.
Now imagine Olbamarmann and his crazy uncle with all that power?
I think some Obama devotees have to go through some face-saving in order to disengage from him. What would really help is if a prominent Obama delegate switched to Hillary.
As for Obama supporters needing to save face when they switch. Well, they might not announce till later. Or in the case of Pelosi and other big-wigs, just finding some fine print in the rules that supports seating of FL/MI as is, might weaken him enough that they don’t have to come out publically against him any time soon.
AT one time iirc moveon.org was petitioniing to let the popular vote decide. There are so many ways to spin the popular vote (or even perhaps the delegate count) that justification can be found for just about anything.
In fairness, Talk Left outlawed posts about Wright because it was too explosive for the closed community. I don’t think they took a position on the preacher, but rather they recognized how volatile it would be and decided not to go there. We all agree to the rules when we post there and it keeps the Obamabots from coming in and calling us all stupid cunts, so I think it’s a fair trade off. Plus, at the end of he day, we do not own the blog.
But, since y’all so kindly allow it, I will say this as an Atlantan and as a southerner: there is no way in HELL Obama will get elected with this preacher hanging around his neck, and nothing Obama says will shake Wright. It’s only a matter of time before someone splices an Al -Qaeda propaganda piece in with footage Wright spewing his hate, because they are basically saying the same thing about America and Americans. And forget Florida with that smear against Israel. Hell, forget ME. If I had been sitting in the audience when Wright started that hate speech, I would have stood up and walked out with my family. Are we to believe that the clips we are seeing are isolate incidents? I’m sure folks are poring over the audience out takes right now looking for Obama. Will he be clapping? Shouting amen? This is egregious and disgusting, and the “uncle” excuse insults my intelligence.
Man, that felt good to get out. Keep up the pressure, No Quarter. Y’all are doing the Lord’s work!
I agree. And to add, not only are people pouring over the audience shots, they’re still pouring over the tapes themselves. Isn’t each Sunday sermon taped and sold? Either way, I think we’re not done with the outrageous and offensive clips from Wright. And the clips we’ve seen have come from a number of speeches, not just one or two, so the excuse Obama has given that he somehow missed the offensive speeches is going to look more and more ludicrous the more clips are produced from different speeches. I really do think that this is just one scandal too many for the Obama campaign, especially as this one looks like it’s not going away anytime soon. How many shady characters can Obama make excuses for? He recently said he still considers Tony Rezko a friend. He considers Rev. Wright to be an uncle. How many lapses in judgment can we be asked to excuse from the man whose sole claim to the presidency is his judgment?
The Wright issue is immediately resonant with people — we immediately see a man cursing and damning America, and we see connections to Obama that are easy for everyone to understand — he married Barack and Michelle, he baptized their children, he brought Barack to Jesus. And he is rabidly anti-American. Rezko is a little bit more involved — but this one, this is easy to grasp.
Oh, yeah, and Nancy Pelosi? She supported Al Wynn. Looks like people are getting used to ignoring her voting preferences.
Yes. The Rezko thing is complicated and boring and who knows, really?
But these Wright tapes are simple fact, and so are Obama’s taped statements supporting Wright. These speak for themselves. Fox and talk radio will play them (and Dems listen in their cars), and the links will go around in emails. This will reach people who never listen to the talking heads or read past the headlines.
It may take a little time for these to percolate to base Dems, but we’ve got time. Probably by the time Pelosi and those people need to actually do anything, the polls will be showing the effects.
I understand your agreement, but I completely disagree, and it is part of my contempt for the left and its inability to deal with racism and the reality of the world.
I don’t disagree with much of what Rev. Wright feels. I do believe the US has some culpability in 9/11 from its behavior around the Middle East and abandoning Afghanistan. I would never believe the people who died in the WTC, Pentagon, or Pennsylvania field deserved it at all. But our government with our tacit approval has killed tons more people before that day.
And I agree with his view that many wealthy white folks are responsible for much of what happens in our poor communities of all color. I agree that the legacy of the US has so much blood on its hands in its treatment of the black community that one can only expect lasting resentments. THE NEED to express such outrage is obvious.
Where he lost me and frankly discredited himself was when he said Hillary had never been called the word that Obama may have been called, but lets be honest, she’s been called all the names that can sexists can call her for YEARS. So I’m sure she can relate.
My friend tried to say, “but he was saying that to respond to whether Bill Clinton should be called America’s first Black President…”
SO WHAT, She has been called vile sexist comments and to make the standard for understanding it be actually experiencing it is ludicrous and self serving. I don’t believe white men can say that, but women who have been called these vile names certainly could relate to the humiliation. Give me a fucking break, preacher man.
Then to buy into the “aids was intentionally inflicted on the black community” is intellectually dishonest. I would agree that Reagan’s admin, Bush I’s admin willfully ignored the AIDS epidemic, and their willful ignorance was supported by their homophobic and racist views. But without evidence on the level of the Tuskegee Experiments, its a leap. I’m open to facts on this.
But the bottom line for me about how this affects Obama is that he has now waffled in his support for his mentor, spiritual teacher. If it were me, I’d have said, “what is wrong about what he said?” and played it out, if I was a loyal $22,500 donation level friend of the church. He threw him under a bus in these interviews. “Well, uh…he’s like that crazy uncle ya got.”
Yeah?
Well, I’ll defend my fucking uncles against Obama anyday, or Hillary Clinton, or that pencil twit Hannity. Where is this guy?
“Uh rezko was just a friend, er a minor consultant about land, er…major campaign force behind my career, er..never got influenced by him, er…judge me…er…”
This is where my problem with Obama is rooted.
As for Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s comments or those of Michelle Obama, I view it from my card carrying Democratic Mom….she was offended at Mrs. Obama’s sudden pride. She said to me, “oh, now she’s proud because America accepted her husband? give me a fucking break.”
My mom is a bit old school compared to her radical, can’t understand how he got that way, did I raise him, politically active son. I tried to talk about reparations with her and she didn’t want to talk about it. She has also been clear that the reason is that this happened a long time ago and she’s not racist and our family never owned slaves because we were too poor historically.
Unfortunately she’s incorrect about a couple ancestors including Henry Zorn of NY who had 13 slaves and was a blacksmith in the RevWar of the US. Mostly the rest of the family never did, but it doesn’t matter to me. I want repairing. I want the action of repairing our nation’s racial divisions and inequality with such a passion I’d make Obama look like fucking David Duke if you got me going. (slight joke don’t go ballistic).
But her voice is common around many many newspaper comment sections, in CSPAN calls in the morning on Washington Journal, and in many of the blogs and areas of middle america who do not like racially charged political talk.
I think TalkLeft should grow up and let the dialectic work its wonders. You are not going to see America get behind its racist past by not letting people talk about Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
Now on our Youtube channel, when I posted clips about William Ayers, I said clearly, “we will not accept posts that deal with Rev Wright because they are off topic. Comments will deal with Obama’s connections to Ayers or the Weather Underground.
But in the post we just put of Major Garrett’s interview, its open season, so long as it isn’t stupid and can be sourced.
Malcolm X was wise to say:
“It is criminal to teach a man not to defend himself, when he is the constant victim of brutal attacks.”
And the reality remains, especially with constant reports of nooses, swastikas, racist practical jokes involving nooses, whiteface…etc…that the attack on the black community continues.
But if Obama is going to be President, he can’t simply become president by having the overwhelming support of resentment and division. He’s got to be President for everyone. His waffling has exposed him as a fake. His lies about what he knew and when he knew it reveal him as an opportunist.
Rev. Wright is arrogant in his teachings. He is boisterous beyond what Jesus taught. And though I know he is accepted in a certain context, he is quite out of the mainstream of thought in America and an extremist in his views and delivery. This is a major achilles heal for Obama.
It wasn’t Hillary Clinton who played the fucking race card or even the gender card. It isn’t Clinton who benefits from playing either card.
The division of the Democratic party lays squarely at the foot of Barack Obama and his staffers, especially that fucking weasel David Axelrod, who is the typical white left racist prick you’re mama should have warned you about.
Conclusion: Fuck David Axelrod, Fuck Daily Kos, and Fuck Talk Left.
have a great sunday, go to church, and tell me that your pastor rants like a rooster while he or she teaches you humility, kindness and grace.
AMEN
sorry: already wrote lots there, but shame on Rev. Wright for saying “God Damn America”. That is the main shot he fired that should tank his protege Obama.
Well, your right, it’s an inability to look at Wright , and Obama, and acknowledge truthfully the meaning of his words, and thoughts. Pelsoi hears the truth in regard to Wright’s comments, the implications of wright’s comments, and she diverts it right to her spam file, without a second conscious thought. So it sits there like psychic baggage, for lack of a better word.
(There is no escaping the subconscious…lol)
And this “god damn America” well, it gives the Republicans a giant opening, and in terms of real leadership, (and this is why I despise Pelosi), it is incredibly detrimental to the American psyche. The Republicans traditionally pick up the wreckage men like Wright leave behind, and exploit it, against the democrats, for electoral gain.
That boomer Democratic just doesn’t get it.
An analogy would be to Fleas’s analysis. He shows this number, now, at this time, but, say, he instead swung it toward Obama. Pelsoi then makes a decision on March 16, based on a photo Flea took on March 14th, say, to exclude Clinton, based on Flea’s analysis, and proceeds with a plan based on Fleas numbers for March 14th.
But she doesn’t counter in Wright’s comments, realistically, because she disregarded it as a threat, due to her discomfort with the subject matter, her inability to anticipate or admit the damage Obama is doing. She also DOES NOT Understand the greater republican game plan. So in three weeks, by April 10th, say, Fleas analysis is no longer accurate, because the republicans, by exploiting wright, rezko and Michelle, have drained off 30 of the independent vote. Hell, even some Obama supporters are wavering, choosing instead to vote Republican. Pelosi, though, by not recognizing Wright as a huge Liability, by not UNDERSTANDING the republican game, or being too OBTUSE to understand the republican game, does not adjust, missing the contingency, entirely, sticking with Flea’s original projections, even though the numbers are obsolete, it flying over hew head like a 747 doing an aerial loop while Karl Rove sings “that’s amore,” by Dean Martin.
And by the time the numbers have trended down, it’s too late, though they will pretend it isn’t, and they will lose.
The voters can’t be told, like an abused child, they are worthless criminals, to blame for every transgression this nation has committed. And Pelosi fails to understand this greater point, WORDS DO MATTER, and when they are disingenuous crap, people know.
Rove will exploit this, Pelosi will psychologically ignore it, because it is inconvenient, and she is bottom line not comfortable with fighting the republicans. She will lose, and so will the Democrats, she cannot read, and she cannot adjust to fight the Republicans, even though they telegraph their game plan over and over.
I would suggest it’s flawed planing, on the democratic level, and it is , but ultimately she, they, cannot understand how to fight, she makes BAD DECISIONS based on a HORRIFCALLY flawed model. But since she doesn’t even ask the right questions, she says to me she really doesn’t know what she’s doing. Why the FUCK do they want to put a corrupt piece of shit in the White House? Bottom line, how fucking irresponsible is that, tells me, and Karl Rove, all we need to know about the delusional Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi shows the UTMOST contempt for the voter.
She wants those seats?
To accomplish what, exactly?
I’m hard pressed to name a weaker democratic party.
Period.
And the sad thing is, the republicans know exactly what I’m speaking of in regard to this matter, and respond.
If the democrats were to play it smartly, they should have supported Edwards.
Clinton is next best, despite Bill’s baggage, woman wise, say.
Clinton is their best bet to win, less to exploit, the strongest candidate against McCain regarding intellect, stability and experience.
Obama is trash, if you wanted to lose, you pick Obama.
Pelosi is a fucking idiot.
Cheney,Bush and even McCain’s disrespect for the voter is exhibited by corruption, how they exploit the system.
Obama is well, all of the above, plus he’s Obama the tard.
Edwards and Clinton resepct the voter the most, maybe being children of the lower to middle classes.
The more they respect the voter, the less corrupt they are, rule of thumb, the better leader they will be, all other factors being equal.
“Obama the Tard,” it was a lost work of Shakespeare, written shortly after King Lear.
I’ll have to see if I can find my copy, I know I have it here, somewhere.
Wright is a brand, like Apple is to the Kos supporter.
So, if the Kos supporter identifies himself by his Mac, and uses it as an identifier to others, Wright is the identifier to people of faith, and others, HIGHLY significant.
The democratic elite ignore it at their own peril.
The whole Wright thing is gonna blow up whether TL allows people to discuss it or not. You’re right Kathy, their blog, their decision, but that doesn’t keep me from having the opinion that it needs to be discussed. BTD thinks that Obama has a better chance in the general. But will that hold true with Wright hanging around his neck?
I have heard from several lifelong Democrats, Senior Citizens like myself, that they would never vote for Obama after hearing that his “preacher” actually said “God Damn America.” Many of them are angry about the Bush Administration, as I am, angry about the wimpy Democrats or treasonous Blue Dog Democrats in Washington, as I am, and had been pretty much guaranteed to vote for whatever Democratic candidate was nominated. Now, not so much.
They are angry about the whole damn Michigan and Florida fiasco;
is the thing I hear most. This is going to be very ugly for the Democratic Party if Obama is the candidate.
Too many bridges burned by Obama fanatics and too many things being found out about him now.
Unfortunately, McCain will look far better to a whole lot of senior Citizens than a man who sat in church while his Minister said “God Damn America”. Doesn’t matter if he was really there or not if the perception is that he was.
I could never vote for McCain but I could never vote for a phony like Obama either.
I am one of those Seniors you are talking about.
Who the hell is the DNC to tell me my Florida vote doesn’t count. I have already told them if Hillary is not the nominee, there will be one less party member at the election.
Chris Matthews this morning on his show was exclaiming that so many people have registered for the democratic party in Pennsylvania. Isn’t that wonderful. They all got Obama’s “Democrat for a Day” letter.
Are the superdelegates aware of Obama’s “Democrat for a Day” letters.
Are they aware of the crap his people are pulling to get so many delegates at these caucuses. Why isn’t someone with a camera capturing all this on tape? And taking testimony from the Clinton people who are locked out of the caucuses?
What is plan B for the election. Do we vote? Do we not vote? Do we start a new party? I can’t vote for Obama and I can’t vote for McCain. A vote for Nader would be a waste. What is everyone going to do?
Not just in a mailer: have you watched Obama’s TV Ad above exhorting them to switch from Rep. to Dem. only for the April 22 since it is easy to change back and forth.
Obama says: do whatever to sink Hillary, I don’t care what you do in the GE….
Not just in a mailer: have you watched Obama’s TV Ad above exhorting them to switch from Rep. to Dem. only for the April 22 since it is easy to change back and forth.
Obama says: do whatever to sink Hillary, I don’t care what you do in the GE….
——————
Above? I didn’t see a link.
Pls everyone who can play it, archive it for us. For the Superdelegates, we need evidence that Obama’s thing is not bringing in new Dems that will stay Dems, but bringing in temporary saboteurs.
1950democrat @ gmail.com
I agree with you that this Wright stuff is going to stick around. And like you, I agree that if I had been there when something like this was said I would have walked if not run out of the place. And never returned.
And it takes a serious willing suspension of disbelief to accept that Obama knew nothing about these sermons. 20 years in a church like this with a Reverend like that and one expects that he has said this type of stuff more than the few examples that are making it around the news cycle. It is only rational to make the assumption. To buy into the argument that they were isolated incidents or that Obama did not experience them one would have to be under a spell or something. Or belong to a cult.
Yes, Kathy, Jeralynn threw me off because I mentioned Rev. Wright , quoting his exact words. Her email called me “racist.”
I am “auntmo,” and I won’t return to TalkLeft.
YOUR posts were marvelous, by the way.
What??? She called you a racist for quoting Wright ??
Are you serious? Unbelievable….
Their decision not to talk about it was in itself sending a message. I guess we now know what their message is….
Very disappointing.
The issue of Wright and Obama is not a personal matter of a man and his faith. It was about antisemitism, hate-speech, a very public issue entirely relevant to the election and Obama’s run.
I thought so, too, Andy.
Given that I am the woman who actually taught in an inner-city ghetto school for years, and LOVED those kids, Jeralynn’s accusation offended me deeply.
And I never, ever, saw any Jeralynn-types, or Baraks, or Michelles, or Oprahs, down in the hood when I worked there every day.
NO ONE calls me a racist. NO ONE.
Forgot to add, Kathy: Jeralynn made the “No Wright” rule AFTER she threw me off. There was no such rule before then.
Pelosi doesn’t want a tough boss. She want an easy man with no experience so she can spin him around. Same motive as TK and JK, they want someone that they can push and shove to get the thing they want. They can’t do that with Hillary. So all in all, this is another politician-as-usual comment.
Ferraro is my hero. Pelosi doesn’t have backbone.
Wow, Joey. What an astute, if cynical (ha!), observation. I like how you observe these situations … you’re sharp.
thanks Susan. I really don’t care much about Pelosi’s comment.
I have so much faith in Hillary’s ability that the Super Dupers will have no choice but select her.
If not, DEM will lost this GE first, and House majority later. We will go back to GOP absolute rules.
God Bless America.
“The power of clear vision is called cynicism by those who have not got it.” George Bernard Shaw
Ferraro is too good for words. She should never have given in.
I didn’t see her give in. She simply recognized that she had to speak for herself. I think I know what you mean, but she hasn’t changed her tune due to pressure. All the more reason to respect her, unlike that nitwit Obama who spits you out when you don’t make his palette sing.
Could be your assessment is right.
Let me add my own 2 cents worth. I think Pelosi is: (1) liking being the most powerful woman in the Demcratic Party and doesn’t want another woman stealing her thunder. Selfish but human.
(2) I think she believes in the same kind of conciliatory politics as Obama and thus he’s more her “type” of politician than Hillary. The word was that she was a tough old pol but she’s shown no signs of that whatsoever. The only time she’s been tough was when she took other Democrats to the woodshed if they stepped out of line. Otherwise she’s been pure Jell-O.
(3) I think the Democratic Party has all ready decided that having a AA President would make us look “better” and thus the world would see us as “racist no more”. They believe they can erase the images of the victims of Katrina that showed us for what we are to the people of the world.
I guess it only matters if you don’t want John McCain for president.
I’ve never voted for a republican but I will NEVER vote for Obama.
Surely the Clintons have a strategy for dealing with the rule-bound incompetency of Pelosi.
I am right with you there about not voting for Obama.
BTW.. I really like your site.
Thanks for the link. I sent her an e-mail saying that if she kept trying to insert herself and her influence in the primary I would vote McCain in Nov.
ChicagoIL: good that you emailed her. Thanks.
Pelosi’s behaviour is disgusting.
It’s been a while since this campaign was about issues. Obama’s attempt to ‘extend’ health care is about as lame as anything else he’s ever said or done. I honestly can’t stand the man or listen to his speeches. He’s like an automaton. But I see strings leading up to Axelrod, Daley, Plouffe. I don’t like it.
I don’t like people NOT looking into the issues. The US is the only country in the western civilised world with such a crappy social system. Heck - even Wikipedians admit it! Cold clear look at things: people in the US continue to get the shaft from the powers that be. For those really in the dark here a few clips from George Carlin at YouTube are recommended.
In the face of this the big money are pushing Obama because they know full well he ain’t ever gonna stand fer nuthin’. He can smell money a mile away. No issue is too sacred, no cause so obvious he can’t bend to the will of money if needs be. Make health care more affordable?
But this - THIS - is how people vote. They vote because Hillary is a woman. Or because they are women. Or because BHO is supposedly black. Or they’re black.
They don’t vote for Hillary because matriarchy is better than patriarchy. Most of them probably don’t even know there’s such a word.
They vote for Hillary because some spiritual Merlin said this or that. Or they vote for BHO because he stands for ‘change’. Change from what and to what they have no clue. IT SOUNDS GOOD.
This is the body politic. The fuel for the most militarised power in the world. The potentially most dangerous country in the world. And that’s how they vote.
So get the campaign back on track. It’s about ISSUES. It’s about Hillary has a vision; she’s without compromise; from Day One she’s going to kick butt there in Washington DC and get things done and yes she’s going to turn the country topsy turvy. But that’s what you want. That’s what you need. If you don’t want to be polarised from the rest of the world anymore.
Will it be easy? Heck no! Will she be able to accomplish all she wants? Of course not! But at least she’s going to try. And you don’t see a single other candidate even promising to try!
Politics: dirty. Make promises, get elected, forget promises. That’s the patriarchy way. Hillary don’t work like that. She doesn’t care how the good old boys carry on. She has things she wants to do; things the country needs to get done; she has a plan and she talks about the plan.
Concentrate on the plan. People in the US are getting systematically screwed like nowhere else. They’re getting royally screwed and they don’t know it. Enlighten them. Educate them. Show them how other people live - better. Tell them what they need to know to mobilise efforts to promote their own human rights.
Get the campaign back on track. Talk about the issues again.
Good point. Let’s talk about issue again.
There will be a debate coming up and I heard that some scientist group want to ask candidates about research and funding. Maybe we can talk about that beforehand. It might be very interesting. HRC will be sharp again.
The Obama campaign made his “judgement” a key issue.
Ergo, his judgement in attending Wright’s church and taking his children there IS an issue.
UPDATE: at the end of the piece, I just added a sampling of Michelle Obama’s negative attitude about America — it’s so clear she shares Rev. Wright’s ugly view of America and of whites.
I absolutely agree with you. Her association with Wright explains a lot of things.
Does she remind you of Winnie Mandela?
From every article I have read, Michelle Obama is a super BITCH - and I do not often use that word. She really believes she entitled.
In the New Yorker article Turthteller linked to, she was telling blacks she and Obimbi are not trust fund ppeople and that “Uncle Dick” SHOULD set up one for them.
She is someone I would not deal with no matter her color. What people in this country need to understand is that Rascism or Bigotry is NOT bounded by color - it’s endemic all over the planet.
My favorite example was a student named Sanjay I had from India. He arrived at the age of 24 for grad school. Like all others from Inida he had finished his undergrad work in Engineering. Moreover, Sanjay lived in my upper middle class house in my upper middle class neighborhood for FOUR years. (He was such a mess I had to get a years extension for him)
When Sanjay arrived, he was 24 going on a very shy 14 emotionally. His mother had literally saved his life by putting him in a boarding school at the age of 10. His father despised him because he had inherited his fathers family dark skin, instead of his mother’s family light skin. Father apparently would find reasons to beat him until he was bloody, and had even broken his bones more than once.
In India, they NEVER vebalize anything bad about their families. It did not take long for me to see there was a huge problem. Everytime Sanjay’s father called, he literally wet his pants. Over a couple of months, I finally learned his father liked his “alocholic” beverages. The guy was obnoxious even when I answered the phone.
Well in the third year Sanjay lived with me, dear old dad decided he would do some checking up on sonny. He would call at 10:30 or 11:00 at night to see if Sanjay was there. I had finally gotten Sanjay to go out with young people, and yes there were two clubs they frequented. Must have looked like clubs in Dubai do today - very multi ethnic and interantional.
One night at 9 PM the doorbell rang, and there is Sanjay’s father with bags, determined to stay at my house. He was loaded, and nasty. I closed the door on him and called the police. While waiting the 7 minutes until they got there, Sanjay’s father was pounding on my door, yelling, and totally disturbing the neighbors. I am the one who had him arrested, and I am the one who went to court and pressed charges.
Sanjay admitttedly was a mess for a couple of months. His father got 3 months and extradition. Then Sanjay, after many converstations, realized I had done the right thing. I had to say over and over, No One, not even God himself, comes to my home, and plans to beat anyone bloody. It is against the law and against any human decency.
Several calls to India after that, and Sanjay had finally gotten my message through to his mother and siblings.
Sanjay’ fahter arrived back in India a changed, and more humble person. It was good for the entire family. When Sanjy graduated, I had his mother, and siblings stay with me. Not fully truting him, I had Dad stay at the Holiday Inn.
Sanjay went home and married within a few months. Even to this day I get calls and cards saying how Sanjay is a much better father, and more attentive to his children’s individual personalities. One visit by Sanjay’s married family provided me many opportunities to speak alone with his wife and children. I saw for myself that those four long interminable years, and my firm stand, really had helped the next generation in his family.
Racism and Bigotry are UGLY, no matter what part of the world they exist. Change can come, but it is not easy. Consistency and repetition, over, and over can solve the problem.
Something seems very very wrong about the video above to me. Since when does a candidate use the web to tell voters to re-register like this?
It seems like voters know how to vote and can make up their own minds about how they are going to do that.
I think there needs to be a reform about what is being done in the web in regards to all future elections, and this kind of tactic needs to be explored by the media VERY soon.
I even think this was a TV Ad…. Amzing isn’t it.
He sais hey, it is easy switch so we can sink Clinton and then it is so easy you can switch back for the GE. Sounds like solicitation….
Susan, Sorry if I posted this already, this place moves so fast and I couldn’t find it and thought you’d be interested in the article http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/JC04Aa01.html
Sing, o muse, the wrath of Michelle
By Spengler
The wrath of swift-footed Achilles, of which Homer called his muse to sing, nearly lost the Trojan War for the Greeks. The wrath of swift-tongued Michelle Obama well might lose the White House for her husband. We had a peek into her diary last week when the Obama campaign finally made public her undergraduate thesis, titled “Princeton-Educated Blacks and the Black Community”. The contents of this remarkable document sharpen the profile of Obama’s women that I offered last week (Obama’s women reveal his secret Asia Times Online, February 26.)
HI Susan,
Frankly, I don’t think superdelegate voting should be a choice between the nationwide popular vote and the pledged delegate vote.
Many superdelegates are elected representatives of a particular state. Should State X’s superdelegates ignore the majority of their constituents and vote with the majority in some other state or district?
Surely, Ms. Pelosi — as a state rep — should understand superdelegates’ need to not vote against their own constituencies.
Pelosi is basically changing role of Superdelegates midstream. She needs to release a statement correcting her comments.
AF Catfish,
I agree, and I just copied my comment (edited version) into the email form at Pelosi’s website. It can’t hurt!
Indeed, it can’t hurt. Thanks for emailing her D. Cupples.
But you either are not aware of the purpose of superdelegates or you misunderstand their purpose.
Superdeleg