All I can say is WOW. The party is finally coming together, and I can relax a bit. Edwards just spoiled Hillary's party and I can't be happier. I hope his 18 delegates all go to Obama and help wrap this up very quickly.
Loved the speech, and while I winced a little about his compliments to Hillary, he's being a good friend and a good sport and classy, reminding us we are all Democrats.
Will Edwards campaign with Obama, or wait until it becomes the General and becomes a surrogate?
"The last big question, where is Al Gore?"
Probably doing the same thing Edwards was doing last Wednesday: preparing an all-but-official endorsement of Obama for broadcast on Friday.
At this point, it's a matter of 2 weeks at most before it's official, so I say screw it. Let Hillary spend the time digging herself deeper into personal debt while Obama continues to do what he's been doing for the past 2 weeks: running against McCain.
Thaaaaat's right, LittleGator; where IS Green Al? :o)
Carol, my sentiments, exactly. :o)
As an Edwards voter (a long time ago, in a delegateless state called Florida), I hope Edwards' delegates switch to Obama.
Al was Bill's veep. It will be very difficult, personally, for him to endorse Obama. I don't see it happening until it's official, at the convention. It's easy to say Gore should endorse Obama now, in that "let's-you-and-him-fight" kind of way.
The fact that you cannot express support for Barack without aiming anger and venom at Hillary is simply baffling to me. Except as CDS.
I've never voted for her. But it will be clear to everyone free of the Syndrome in years to come (as it is to the rest of us now) that the deciding factor in this Presidential campaign was misogyny. NOT the issues. (Hat tip for Katha Pollitt for the phrasing.)
I know, there will be those on this thread who will say "Misogyny? What misogyny?" G*d help us if they are cops, judges, or school administrators.
Edwards was my first choice and I'm paying attention to the fact that he's offered his endorsement. He is much, much more of a leader, independent thinker, and not in the pockets of the elite than Barack or Hillary come within miles of being. Still, he too is a politician, so I'll parse his endorsement and wait until June. There is no rush (except for those who get bug-eyed at the picture of a powerful woman).
All the information is not in yet. Such as, cabinet appointments and Veep. (Which would have given us the entire picture of Dubya ahead of time, again, for those who were listening. Not the crossover Republicans who are suckers for charisma and well-paid speechwriters, not true progressive history and intent.)
If Barack were not as stupid and insulated as he appears to be, he could earn the respect and support of virtually every Hillary voter (still almost half the Democratic party) by simply making ONE FUCKING STATEMENT against the sexist ridicule and flat-out hate she receives daily from the mass media AND from his rabid followers on blogs like this. Where is his integrity, his outspokenness, his fairness when it comes to insisting those who claim to believe in his principle not engage in woman-hating? No, he's been content to let that muck do his work for him. And that tells me he'll do it again, regarding other issues.
I'll vote for him, of course. Whoever is the Democratic candidate. But just as Hillary's nomination would have been tainted by the racism she allowed to be used against Barack (though in a different form -- no less, but different), Barack's ascendancy has been achieved through sexism.
And he just didn't have to go that route. He might have lost all the blogger boys who can't stand to read a post that doesn't put down Hillary, but he'd have gained many more voters (and the decency award) by doing the Right Thing.
Queequeg I though Al and the Clintons despised each other. I thought that the thing keeping Gore from endorsing anyone was his reading of the political landscape not anything personal.
I'm happy about the endorsement but I'm resigned to the fact that she will let this drag on certainly until June possibly longer no matter who endorses or what happens.
Seeing the negative reaction from her supporters on NARAL's endorsement of Obama let's me know that there are plenty of folks in total denial about her hopeless position thus providing an angry base for her use to justify continuing her campaign.
Carol,
Hold your enthusiasm. I was just reading the comments of Hillary class warriors.
An example
Time to bring down Obama, and there is plenty developing right now that the media isn’t reporting like how terrorist Ayers and Dohrn have aided both Obama’s since the 1980’s!
Glad Hillary isn’t going to quit, now time to get the goods out on Obama before Tuesday and especially before May 31!
They are certifiable and if Hillary wants to have a political future she needs to call these firebreathers liars.
None of that big eye "not that I know" bullshit.
She needs to say that he doesn't agree with this nut
Yes, we have Puerto Rico and Larry Sinclair (WHO THE HELL IS HE?) and the truth will set Obama free to go back and play footsie with Daley.
Edwards was my first pick, Obama latterly so, so this makes my day (still wish Edwards was the nominee).
Maggie Jochild.......... you're nuts! I'd willingly vote for a woman. I have done (Maggie T. way back when, when I was a delusional student), but Hillary ain't the right woman for the first woman of the USA. She's history. Get used to it and find someone more compelling.
I don't think Gore will be constrained from an Obama endorsement by his serving with Bill.
This election is too important for that chit to carry a lot of weight.
Gore was speaking out against the war at every turn, at the same time that Clinton was supporting it.
And, OTD is right. Let Hillary decide what kind of political future she wants for herself and and for the party and the country.
And, let her take the responsiblity for that decision, too.
Maybe Gore is hoping to be the compromise candidate out of a deadlocked convention?
Oh, and if Obama really does have the nomination all wrapped up in a tidy little bow on his way to a crushing historical victory November 4, then why, pray tell, does he need Gore's endorsement?
This insistence that Gore needs to get off the fence seems a BIT inconsistent with the serene, not to say smug, confidence in the Chosen One I've been seeing on this blog lately. 
"But it will be clear to everyone free of the Syndrome in years to come (as it is to the rest of us now) that the deciding factor in this Presidential campaign was misogyny."
Yep, unapologetic support for Iraq; voting for Kyl-Lieberman; the anti-videogame nuttiness; promotion of the surveillance state as a way to "win" the GWOT; support of the moronic gas tax rebate; dog-whistle race-baiting to "hard-working white Americans"; cosying up to Scaife and Murdoch; trying to make use of Drudge for a smear; no condemnation of WVWV's voter supression schemes; hiring expensive incompetents like Penn and Wolfson and DLC triangulators like McAuliffe; mismanaging her campaign to the tune of millions in cash and lots more in destroyed goodwill for the Hillary "brand": none of those were deciding factors. It's alllll about the misogyny.[/sarcasm]
I'd say the same thing to you as I would to Hillary: try selling the Boomer identity politics BS somewhere else. It's long past its sell-by date, and there are fewer takers for it with every passing day.
WOW! A shyster lawyer endorses Obama. You people are happy about this??? The Democratic Party is starting to resemble the housing market 2 or 3 years back. As J. Seinfeld would say...."Good luck with allllllll that."
The rude awakening you political hacks are in for will be so many different adjectives I don't know where to start. I hear McCain is old however!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROTHLMAO!!!!!!
Damn the Irish.
"the deciding factor in this Presidential campaign was misogyny"
The deciding factor??? I think not. A factor, for sure. Just as race has been a factor. But THE factor- nothing is that simple and straight forward in this kind of campaign. And it is disingenious to say that it is.
I don't need to prove my feminist creds to anyone- I spent every weekend for years as a patient escort at Planned Parenthood. I marched, I donated, I have given money to Emily's list for about a decade. And I could see that Hillary made huge mistakes in her thinking and campaign that worked against her. The war, the consultants, the lobby money the list goes on and on. The supporters who thought we should vote for her because of the glass ceiling missed the fact that for many people it wasn't enough that she was a woman if her stance on important issues and tactics was off. I wanted a woman to be the nominee it just turned out that I didn't want *this* woman.
not a syndrome, clearly looking at my options.
"Oh, and if Obama really does have the nomination all wrapped up in a tidy little bow on his way to a crushing historical victory November 4, then why, pray tell, does he need Gore's endorsement?"
He really doesn't have to do anything, and Obama's already started campaigning for the general election in the upper midwest.
But Dean is anxious to end this officially for the good of the party, and is likely encouraging Gore to do this week what Edwards did last week, in yet another attempt to cut through the hedge of ego and entitlement surrounding Hillary.
I doubt Gore is looking to be the compromise candidate anymore. However much some of us (myself included) liked the idea of Gore stepping in at the last minute, he's an astute enough politician to recognize that Obama now has the momentum, and will have even more come the convention.
Hillary Clinton's entire campaign was made on 2 assumptions: "I am the wife of a preznit so I know what it's like and vote for me", and "if you don't vote for me you're a sexist".
I've yet to see Obama hint that anyone voting for Clinton or McCain is a racist.
Besides, last year already, there were two obvious reasons why Clinto as nominee would be suicidal: Half the country hates her guts since 10 years or more. It's been 25 years that US has been ruled by 2 families, it's time to move on if it's still a Republic and not a monarchy.
What a dumbfuck little wink that is, Bill.
At this point, it's about showing Hillary how the hog ate the cabbage. If Gore comes out for Obama, it will mean that she is increasingly reduced to the peckerhead vote, and she and Bill KNOW that she's going down. Does she take what "legacy" they have left, with her?
Put it this way; how much can they afford to have their speaking engagement fees drop?
One effect of Obama's taking over the party helm is that Hillary's having half-plus of the DLC in her pocket is coming to an end. There is going to BE a palace purge there, and if she wants party support for another Senate run, she better make a "unity" move, and soon.
There is a bandwagon cranking up, and it's at the point that she needs the good will of Obama a lot more than he needs hers. If Gore endorses, it will be an exclamation point to that.
A lot of democrats are very tired of her arrogance and of her sense of entitlement, and tired of her Rovian tactics.
She's got a lot more fences to mend, than does Obama.
Ms. Jochild, from reading your excellent blog I had thought you were smarter than to fall face down into the dead-end of identity politics. But there you are --
... the deciding factor in this Presidential campaign was misogyny. NOT the issues.
For 20 years before this race, the feminist cry was, "Look past the gender, see the leader!" But when we DO look past the gender and see the ACTIONS the Senator has taken, why, then any criticism is ALL about the gender, it MUST be about Fear of a Strong Woman, it HAS to be Hatred of Women!
Waaah, waaah, waaaaaaah. I'll echo Obama Til Denver above - Hillary Clinton's votes in the Senate have so closely aligned to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney's wishes and desires, and she has been such a cheerleader for John McCain, I'm tempted to start the chant, recycled from 2000 -- a vote for Clinton in the general would be a vote for McCain, and the certainty of a third term for the PNAC set.
And please, because my jaw is still on the floor, just HOW is Obama "as stupid and insulated as he appears to be"?
Come on, if you've got evidence, put it on the table.
OTD! That's gonna leave a bruise.
:o)
Voted for my female Senator.
Have voted for my female State Senator and Representative for a good 20 years.
Caucused for Obama... because of misogamy? Sheesh... that sure is an incredibly stupid argument coming from any gender. Sounds like something a Liebermann supporter would come up with.
"OTD! That's gonna leave a bruise."
This isn't about leaving a bruise, it's about refuting a completely asinine contention. I don't hesitate to call people on their BS.
I volunteered for Mondale-Ferraro years ago and I voted for Clinton for the Senate. I regret both efforts now, but not because either Geraldine or Hillary lack penises. I've also voted for other female politicans who are both competent and ethical. Gender is as much of a factor in my personal voting decision as is race: that is to say, not a factor at all.
So you'll forgive me if I get impatient with the whiny victimology of Hillary supporters. And I'm not alone. Go over to Pandagon, which is about as feminist a blog as you can find, and even they think this "pro-Obama = sexist" BS is getting old.
Barack and John sure make a cute couple - I could vote for this ticket!
You who posted before me said it already ... Littlest Gator, Bollox Red, Ivory Bill, Tanbark.
A vote against Hillary by a woman like me is not misogynistic. It's a matter of principle. She voted to give Jr. the endless Iraq War, dammit, never apologized for that huge mistake, and now feels she has to outman the most racist white homophobes in Appalachia to get the nomination.
Sorry, Hill and Bill. You are history. We need to move on, and move forward to rescue this country. John Edwards gets it, and Barack Obama seems to be seeing the light. I can only hope to cast my vote (in Florida) in November for someone who will start digging us out of this Bushian hole we are in.
"There's a bandwagon cranking up"
Didn't Thomas Dewey have one of those?
Still bummed that Rangers lost against St. Petersburg though.
Where's Madjock when you need him.
Not every person who votes against Barack Obama is racist.
Not every person who voted against Hillary is sexist.
It's really sad to see some of the more delusional partisans on both sides of the race claim this, particularly when, other than a few issues, truthfully, their differences on policy are Tweedledee and Tweedledum.
I am g*d damn sick and tired of being tarred as sexist because I voted for Barack. Me. Who went through business school, a white man on the tail end of the Baby Boom generation, espousing belief in equity in gender pay and making it a hobby horse for a lot of the classes I took. As a manager who had as many women working for him in positions of authority than men. As a man who has worked directly for more women than men, quite comfortably. Me sexist. Eh, not so much.
If it is your sincere belief that Hillary lost because all of Barack's supporters are sexist, I can say only one thing. Go to hell, Maggie.
Hillary lost my vote in October of 2002 by voting for the Iraq war resolution. It didn't take a genius to see that we were being manipulated into this war, and she had more information suggesting this at her disposal than I did.
Worst still, she never came clean about the vote. She never really apologized, and she never really showed me she learned anything from the experience. She was never a consideration for me to vote for in the Primary for this reason, and frankly, this reason alone.
As for non-Hillary voters being sexist, I can personally attest to knowing no less than half a dozen women who voted for Barack Obama. Are they all sexist too?
My own wife, a staunch feminist, voted for Barack. She hates Hillary worse than I do for her ties to Wall Street and big business, for her ties to Richard Mellon Scaife and Rupert Murdoch, for the worst excesses of the Republican-lite Clinton years, for the Iraq vote, and for the Iran vote. For some of her other votes during her Senate years. Is my wife sexist too?
"Didn't Thomas Dewey..."
Not really. And he didn't have a bloody-assed useless war to hang around Truman's neck.
Also, he wasn't nearly as smart or articulate as is Obama. :o)
Said it before and I'll say it again: I've never heard ONE of the gazillion "misogyny"/sexism Clinton apologists give ONE specific example of misogyny or sexism directed at HRC. The closest they've come is the "I can't explain it, but trust me -- I KNOW sexism when I see it" of Rebecca Traister and her ilk.
I'm a 45 year old professional woman and I do know sexism when I see it. When I see it, I can also explain it.
So Maggie -- got any examples?
To the people defending Hillary; check out the video of Edwards endorsing Obama. At the first part of it, he starts out making the de-riguer praise of Clinton. The booing is so thick you could cut it with a knife.
Keep in mind that that is coming from the people supporting the candidate who is going to win the presidency of the United States. He is going to OWN the democratic party. For the campaign Hillary has run, SHE needs to mend the fences; she tore them down.
Word.
Cries of sexism become neutralized when Hillary stands behind an endorser and smiles when he says she has "testicular fortitude".
That was right before the Indiana primary, I believe.
Betcha you can google it.
I want this primary over in the worst way, but will settle for civility until June. Make your case Hillary - talk yourself up, do not talk negatively about your DEMOCRATIC opponent (that will, in all likelihood be the D nominee).
And, hey, loves me some John Edwards.
I'm on a conference call 
And I've just figured out where Al Gore is and when he's going come out and endorse Obama.
I'll bet Obama will be scheduling an event in Florida next Wednesday or Thursday, just after KY, and we'll see who show's up then.
Misogyny. Huh. Must be Rovian plants still trying to get Shilary erected.
I voted for Ferraro. I now REALLY wish I hand't.
While in San Mateo, CA for DECADES, I voted for SciFi. I even voter for her twice while here in Sacto.
I deeply regret my decisions, given her voting and legislation.
Pelosi, too. I DEEPLY regret ever voting for HER.
And now, Boxer, too.
Seems every woman I've cast my heart and vote to, has abused my progressive vote, and broken my heart.
Just like the guys did.
Misogyny my ass.
Life is hard, and losing is harsh.
Paybacks for abusing my vote? BRUTAL!!!
Obama/Edwards. A ticket to a future of HUGE change to reverse 30 years or more of hateful, racist and REAL misogynist leadership.
Not to mention reversing the corruptive influences of the RightWing Christian Coalition.
All, whom, hate, Shilary.
I never thought I'd have anything in common with those factions.
Obama/Edwards.
A future.
The rest of them can rot in the hells of their own making.
Harumph.
Let's keep it as nice as possible. No one is "nuts"
disagree on the points but don't attack the point-er-out-er 
please
(except of course for sean, have at him)
I'm elated that Edwards came out for Obama. Just back from the dentist when I got that email and I can imagine how a big a half numb mouth smile looked to my coworkers :D Didn't care 'cause I couldn't smile big enough. I must commend Edwards on his timing. Stellar!
Its nice to see so many women on this thread speaking out against the misogyny BULLSHIT. I support all of you in this hell rained down on women everywhere from this craziness. The men too, but in particular the women, like e, who were so supportive of putting down the identity politics Hillary brought with her contrived candidacy.
Barack's ascendancy has been achieved through sexism.
Bullshit, Maggie. He's a better man than that and you are a better woman than to claim that.
I agree with Obama 'til Denver's assessment-my opposition to Clinton is on the merits. I also voted for her as my senator-for lack of a better option. That's not the situation this time.
I'm not a misogynist, but I've seen some anti-Clinton people who were. Chris Matthews certainly displayed it early this year, if I recall correctly. I don't think most voters share his rancid viewpoint, though.
I also don't think most Clinton supporters are racists. Some certainly are, and some are willing to exploit it in others, but I think it's less salient a factor than some might fear.
That said, racism and misogyny come in distinctly more subtle forms than "I just hate me some [insert epithet here]." They come in the form of "I just don't feel like I can trust that man. I don't know why, but I don't like the look of him" from a person who was raised by overt racists but would never dream of, say, voting to strip African Americans of their voting rights. They don't feel racist, but there's something in the back of their mind that makes it awful hard to give the benefit of the doubt to someone who looks like one of those rappers. And, of course, there are many gradients within that mindset, too.
Misogyny comes overtly, but also in the form of "I've never liked Hillary. Ever since 1992, she's seemed too ambitious." Read that last word as "uppity." There are variations on that theme, too. But people displaying this form of misogyny don't think they are being misogynists-and they probably aren't completely.
One's opinion of Clinton or Obama as a person or as a candidate, divorced from his or her gender or race, may have gotten a particular voter 80% of the way to voting against them (or for them), with subtle racism or misogyny taking them the rest of the way. And this is probably impossible to tease out. How much one's biases shades one's impressions of a person is impossible to know.
That's the long way around saying that confident declarations that "this vote is the result of misogyny" or "your position must be based on racism" are oversimplifications at best. And my issue-based reasons for supporting Obama over Clinton are plentiful enough that I take at least a little offense at the allegation of sexism.
That said, I have to also take issue with Tanbark's assessment of the booing during Edwards's speech. I understand the sentiment. Truly, I do. I've lost a lot of respect for Clinton based on how she's scorched the earth in this campaign. But booing is only emotionally satisfying for the people in the audience. It doesn't help. Right now, magnanimity, grace, and party unity are the order of the day, and that kind of display only fires up the Maggies of the world-whose analysis you may disagree with, but whose vote we need in November.
Ah, I said I wouldn't respond to anyone who tried the old bait of "Misogyny? What misogyny?"
but
Here's some one link (my comment is being held back because of links, so I'll do them all separately in a couple of more posts):
Another video on campaign sexism from Echidne of the Snakes
I didn't say anyone who voted for Obama is a sexist. Way to personalize it, folks. I said misogyny is what has decided this race, given how incredibly close it has been and how overt the sexism has been. If you're not open to what's going on out there, if you're not reading more than just the blogs and commenters who agree with you, I can believe you've missed it. But if you read the above posts and still deny it, you're choosing to stay ignorant.
Y'know, just because you've voted for a woman doesn't mean you've got a get out of sexism free card. (I mean, some of my best friends are black...does that mean I'm not racist?) And sexism is taught to all genders, sorry. (When we aim it against ourselves, it's internalized sexism but the lies are the same.) It's not an us vs. them, it's about the systematic misinformation and power imbalance against target groups -- women, POC, working and poor people, non-Christians. We're all part target, part non-target.
I didn't say all of Barack's supporters are sexist, or even most of them. (That would include...well, no, no personal testimonials here -- let's just say, I'm VERY CLOSE to folks who have and are voting Barack).
I said the sexism of the mainstream media (who aren't necessarily supporting Barack, just anti-Hillary for reasons which are NOT issues based, can we at least accept that?) plus the virulent misogyny on way too many comment threads, which we've all seen and at least some of us will admit is driving pro-Hillary commenters away -- these have served to tip the scales in an otherwise extremely close match.
Just like the voters of West Virginia voted FOR a white person instead of FOR Hillary -- racism definitely ran that state's vote -- when you've got 10% of the national vote plus all of MSM saying I'll vote Republican before I vote for a woman (whether they admit it or not), then it determines the election. And even if that doesn't include you, if you are not speaking out against it, if you're happy it's making your guy win (as at least one of you said above, I'm not going to go look for a name, doesn't matter), then you're colluding with sexism determining a national election.
And that includes Barack. Which makes him stupid, in my opinion. He could gain so much political capitol by calling out the hate. If he's not stupid, then he's calcultatingly on the side of the misogynists, which -- well, I just don't want to believe.
Trust me, once the racist guns come out full force against Barack, I'll be fighting just as hard to keep people honest and talking about issues rather than the overt and covert code of white supremacy.
And for those of you who think Boomer and identity politics are bad words, I really hope you manage to outlive us. Because we're a fact of life for a while, and you're gonna bust an aneurysm if you go on reacting that way. I'd much rather claim Boomer than the Reagan generation right behind me. (DKos, for example). And until people stop having their lives and families destroyed by assigned identities, then identity politics are a necessary step in revolution. Part of the process. If you can't handle that, I'm guessing you don't need to claim a target identity in order to survive.
NOTE: More links to follow.
Okay, another set of links documenting anti-Hillary misogyny:
Shakesville -- a search of their site for the phrase "Hillary Sexism Watch", turned up 91 posts but this one, labeled Double Whammy, covers both sexism against Clinton and racism against Barack (trusting you to read BOTH, not just what you already think is the truth)
And, to be balanced, the other bingo card to balance out the Racism Bingo at the Shakesville post above:
Obamabot Bingo (ten points for every one of these sexist comments you can find on this particular thread)
Okay, last link documenting anti-Hillary misogyny:
Feministing -- a search of their site for the phrase "Hillary Sexism Watch", turned up 21 posts
Sorry Maggie but I don't see how those links make this about election about misogyny. Yes, they are some horrific things. But just because there are people like that, doesn't make this election about misogyny. She ran a bad campaign Maggie. bad.
And that first video FALSELY tried to paint Obama as a sexist. It's bad and wrong. Nothing he said could be construed as sexist.
You paint with too broad a brush.
tlg - I just watched the endorsement speech and you're right. JE did it! We needed that. We all needed that. I think we're moving forward!!! I'm very pleased indeed.
The general has begun and now we all can have a new focus and move forward together. We need more speeches like that I think.
I'm quite unhappy to report that this election cycle I have learned that some of the people I agree with in the broad strokes are stupid assholes in the details, that some of the people I agree with in the broad strokes as well as the details are stupid assholes in the way they express themselves, and that some other people are just irretrievably stupid assholes no matter where they come down on any given issue.
Sucks for me, sucks for you, but that's how it is.
Deal.
I'm starting to realize something: while Obama has made a few sexist blunders, I'm not severely angry with him about those.
As Desert Rat said above, not everyone who opposes Obama is racist, and not everyone who opposes Clinton is sexist.
However, Clinton's presidential bid has exposed a filthy ocean of misogynist sentiment among "progressives". I expect such hideous nonsense from the wingnuts, but I am furious with, and bitterly disappointed in, so many people whom I thought were progressives. They have turned out to be what Melissa over at Shakesville calls "fauxgressives".
As I may have stated here before, it was a virtual raid by such fauxgressives, either supporting Obama [or claiming to--I do wonder about the possibility of Elephascist "ratfuckers"], leaving their shitty little brainless sexist postings all over Shakesville, that pushed me off the fence to decide I preferred Clinton.
The only tool I, and others, have at our disposal to punish those little shits, as well as big shits like Keith Olbermann, who can kiss my ass from now on, is to withhold our votes from their chosen candidate.
Also, I doubt fauxgressives will ever reform unless they see that misogyny will have negative consequences for them. Again, not voting for Obama is a way to retaliate against them.
Off to another topic: I just turned 45 Tuesday. I am getting closer and closer to the age where I will need Social Security, and Obama has sometimes repeated Elephascist talking points about "reforming" Social Security--that is, turning it over to the Wall Street vultures to loot. If his new coalition CAN win without traditional working-class support, will he naively let the vultures at it? Clinton, for all her well-documented flaws, can't win without working stiffs like me. Obama and his supporters seem to think they can win while writing off many of us working stiffs, with a power base in a "creative" class elite, which looks more and more to me like a pseudo-leftist mirror image of the traditional business elite. I can see myself eventually as an impoverished old man begging on the street, sneered at and spat on by "Democratic" yuppies [to revive a term from the '80s] if this new coalition actually works.
As for the wars, the Oil Lobby, the Death Gadget Lobby, and the Israel-First Lobby want the wars, so I don't think any President CAN end them--and if he or she tries seriously, can you say "lone nut"?
This election isn't about disliking women, it is about disliking THAT woman. And since I don't know her, I have to go by her legislation, actions and speeches. I was raised in a matriarchy so I can tell the difference in people far above their gender. The fact that racism and sexism came into the discussion does not give either side an excuse for not being judged by the legislation, actions and speeches.
I just wish that thew Clintons had as much respect for their legacy as I do.
"Obama and his supporters seem to think they can win while writing off many of us working stiffs"
oh come ON! how has Obama written off the working class??? if he has, why so many union supporters? this is just silly.
Neither candidate as written off the working class... to say otherwise is just silly.
IBW:
I suspect that a significant percentage of the "fauxgressives" you cite are indeed either Cheeto-munching ratfuckers claiming to be who they are not. The rest is likely made up of people who either have been thoroughly disappointed with Hillary's Senate voting record, her courting of Murdoch and Scaife, the people who are thoroughly fed up with the DLC who see the Clintons as its nexus and probably the tiniest sliver of actual misogynists who are otherwise progressive in their beliefs (probably not the brightest stars in the progressive firmament, it has to be said).
As for Social Security reform, it's sad that after 7 years of uninterrupted Bushery the word is automatically seen as a euphemism for throwing it to the Wall Street lions, when it could just mean... reform.
OK, I remember back in the fall getting together and looking at the various candidates, looking at several online "match your values to the candidates" and remember one fact:
Obama wasn't even on the radar screen. My personal choices were Dodd, Kucinich, and Richardson - in that order.
Hillary was the 500 lb gorilla in the room, and was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
I didn't like her, mainly based on her penchant for grabbing the initiative to flog... the destructiveness of video games. I thought to myself "We have 2 wars going on, a criminally corrupt administration and government, and she's worried about video games."
And then the ground shifted -- all the white men bowed out, and from out of nowhere, Obama was the surprise Iowa winner.
Say what you will, for someone who was not really on the radar screen, he's put together a fantastic campaign, and has campaigned EVERYWHERE -- from the beginning.
Meanwhile, Hillary and her campaign have shown a distinct aversion to changing game plans that aren't working.
Yes, some people viscerally hate Hillary. Mostly on the right.
The most vicious shrill inanity has been coming from lefty bloggers, who when they discuss anything else, seem reasonable, and have good insight. As soon as the discussion turns to Obama, they wag their fingers in your face saying "You'll SEE!!" They take it peosonally that Obama has taken all of Hillary's advantages, and blown them out of the water. Her rich, elite, village supporters and financiers are really afraid that this upstart black will take what belongs to them.
There really is no other way to describe the rhetoric these asshats use. And they claim to be "democrats" -- fine, now we know their true colors. For this reason alone, the endless primary has been useful.
People are confusing the fact that people are reacting to Hillary - as herself - not because she happens to be a woman.
The problem with identity politics is that the practitioners support ANYONE who supports their own pet cause, and screw everyone else. We've seen it time and time again, especially with (for example purposes ONLY) GLBT activists. A lot of we got ours, so fuck you, because we've done without for so long.
This is why the democrats have been doing so shittily for so long. This is why we hear talk about "key states" this is why we hear about "bi-partisan politics" because no-one wants to risk losing what little piece of the pie they have, while the rest of the community burns.
And that needs to change
Ceabaird: No.
LGT...back off, maggie is nuts, its probably jsut temporary, nto truly sure...as the stages of girf pass and she finaly comes to acceptance that CDS is in the same catagory as BDS and that clinton realy is as bad as the right has felt she was...welll illusion beign shaterd are allways rough.
"I said misogyny is what has decided this race, given how incredibly close it has been and how overt the sexism has been."
And I maintain my position that, given a whole range of ways in which Hillary has screwed up on the issues and on her campaign, the above statement is asinine.
I understand the tendency of those obsessed with identity politics to make it all about sexism; "when all you have is a hammer, etc." And I understand the pernicious level of sexism in the MSM. What I can't stand are the implications that a decisive number of Dem voters chose Obama mainly because they didn't want a woman in power. It's simply nonsense.
"Y'know, just because you've voted for a woman doesn't mean you've got a get out of sexism free card."
No, but it does dampen the accusation that a given person is a sexist when it comes to his political choices. Which is why I mentioned it.
"Which makes him stupid, in my opinion. He could gain so much political capitol by calling out the hate."
Whose hate? That of a few trolling supporters on the blogs? The MSM's? Let's get specific here.
And speaking of specific, I haven't seen Hillary calling out the racially targetting supression tactics of WVWV. I haven't seen a sincere apology for the "hard working whites" comment. I haven't seen her decry the Dem voters in WV who made overtly racist statements to explain their vote for her.
"Trust me, once the racist guns come out full force against Barack, I'll be fighting just as hard to keep people honest and talking about issues rather than the overt and covert code of white supremacy."
The guns already have come out, Maggie. But when a woman Democrat blew the racist dog whistle, you didn't say a thing.
"And for those of you who think Boomer and identity politics are bad words, I really hope you manage to outlive us. Because we're a fact of life for a while, and you're gonna bust an aneurysm if you go on reacting that way."
Well, unless the Boomers figure out a way to drain the blood out of younger people to ensure their own longetivity (and don't think someone isn't working on that, complete with an ad campaign), younger generations outliving Boomers is how it's gonna be.
And the reaction is really more one of amusement at the obsession with identity politics, and pointing out that it's old hat. I mean, really:
"then identity politics are a necessary step in revolution"
I'm surprised you didn't capitalize the "r" in "revolution." It's not 1968 anymore. I know it's disappointing to those who love street protests and showy made-for-TV gestures and great communal upheavals, but for the forseeable future any revolutions against sexism and racism will be small and individual. And for that reason, they'll be more effective and long lasting.
Obama gets that, even as he corrects his own mistakes. Hillary, meanwhile, can't even apologize for hers.
OTB: racism is good because it helps hillary.
pay attention to actions...have you ever seen maggie (or jessie for that matter) utter one negative word about hillary.....she has done a lot to be negative about.
The end (gettign a women, any women as president) justifies the means to some folks.
"pay attention to actions...have you ever seen maggie (or jessie for that matter) utter one negative word about hillary.....she has done a lot to be negative about."
Oh, I've paid attention. That's what makes Maggie's claim to outrage and Jesse's MSM-style claims to neutrality during the primary so funny.
"The end (gettign a women, any women as president) justifies the means to some folks."
More likely if some folks are Boomers.
I just wonder how soem folks will act when hillary fianly folds...oh wait she aint goign to fold, ever...i guess we will see this crap until 2012 and hillarys run at unseating a nencumbent president (not that i think McCain is goign to win, My guess is hilalry takes a swing at it again regradless of who wins the election this year.)
Wow Maggie Child tell us how you really feel about Obama. I think its' very hard to be stupid and be the president of Harvard Law Review let alone become a law professor. Or maybe you think that is all due to him feeling entitled to those things.
Sean you talk as if Hillary is not a shyster lawyer. Surely you come up with something better than that to dismiss the endorsement.
BarbinAtl Hillary came out and said that she did not like the phrase testicular fortitutde. I really do think that the most horrible sexist and racist language comes not from the candidates but their more rabid supporters. Unfortunately I don't know any people who are really in the tank for Obama but I know that on Tennesse Guerilla Women they say crazy shit that would made Taylor Marsh disavow them.
cheers
tenacitus what i don't get is a lot of htese women are supposdly goign to vote for McCain..an actual mysognist who toss around actual dregotory phrases (called his wife a cunt for example). I guess actualy degrading women no big deal. haveign teh audacity to unseat "their girl" capitila offense.
back off, maggie is nuts, its probably jsut temporary,
Watch it, moonglum, this is exactly what Maggie Jochild was talking about.
Maggie is not "nuts," she is ANGRY. What she is angry about is her problem and nobody else's -- at least if you subscribe to the notion that it is mature to own your anger and take responsibility for it, and not project blame for it -- but the larger point is that anger is anger. It is not insanity.
humm thats where i disagree...perhapse she is blinded by anger, going threw the stages of greif...whatever. she obviusly isn't thinking rationaly. shes nuts.
the other option is that she knows the stuff she is spewing is crap and dosn't care as it pushes her cause...i will give her the benift of the doubt here
I would also liek to note that maggie did wnader int o a fellgood obama storie and start flinign the pie.
Look blue coller, undereducated, older, white, men put hillary over the top in PA (not the feminists, she was allways gettign their vote) Maggie wants me to believe that the Archie Bunkers of the world voted for hillary because of the mysaganistic way the media was acting...bullshit, that it a view that is unhinged from reality, and she should know it...let me guess hilalrys recent water works are why shes goign to win Ky as well.
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