Hillary’s Voice

Most Americans who watch Oprah know of Dr. Maya Angelou as Oprah’s mentor, but Dr. Angelou earned acclaim years ago through her civil-rights leadership, poems and books. Dr. Angelou is a national treasure, as Bill Clinton acknowledged when he invited her to recite a poem during his 1993 inauguration.
While some Obama supporters — e.g., Rep. James Clyburn — are busy trying once again to “play the race card” in some strange hope of benefiting Obama, Dr. Maya Angelou (who turned 80 last month) has been busy positively campaigning for Hillary Clinton.

Why? Instead of paraphrasing a brilliant word smith, I’ll give it to you in Dr. Angelou’s own words:

Some bloggers are upset with Barack Obama for giving conflicting responses about the flag-pin non-issue (Little Green Footballs via Memeorandum). Aside from admiring Nancy Pelosi’s pearls, I don’t care about politicians’ jewelry.

I do care about the mainstream media’s repeated failure to cover the more substantive misleading statements that Sen. Obama has made: chiefly, those about where he gets his campaign funding.

Today, ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos offered a prime opportunity to spotlight this important issue, but George and his guests chose not to.

Wise people throughout the centuries have observed that what we focus on (positive or negative) becomes energized.

That said, since late January, more of my campaign-related blog posts have been Obama-negative than Hillary-positive. There’s a natural reason for that: Obama has been stealthily negative since Iowa and his campaign has made many false statements.

I will continue to point out when the Obama campaign does such things, because many media are refusing to do that basic part of their job.

To balance things out and help energize Hillary in a positive way, I’ve decided to also post AT LEAST ONE positive piece about Hillary every day.

Please join my (now small) effort for Hillary’s benefit.

It’s easy to find Hillary-positives: she has a long history of them, which I touched on in a post (with links) here.

She also has a lot of present-day positives, listed at Hillary’s site here.

Today, I did a simple post about the Maya Angelou piece — THANKS to Hillary’s Voice group for pointing it out!

At the bottom of my Angelou post are links to few other positive pieces that have links to outside sources.

Six Democratic super-delegates from North Carolina plan to endorse Barack Obama before that state’s primary. They’re afraid that prolonged contentious campaigning will reduce the yet-unnamed Dem nominee’s chances against McCain.

Translation: they want Hillary to drop out sooner.

Super-delegates’ attempts to prematurely give Obama the nomination would only further ossify the resentment many Hillary supporters already feel toward Obama and the Democratic Party.

Below, I explain why throwing the race to Obama now might make John McCain ecstatic in November — and would likely create a new wave of Independents.

The original is posted on my Blogger site.

Another of the many reasons I am voting for Hillary

I am voting for Hillary for many reasons but wanted to share one in particular. Affordable health care in this country is an oxymoron for many. We have health insurance through my husband’s job. However, said policy has a $500 per year preventative health care limit.I called the insurance company last year to verify they would cover the HPV vaccine for my daughter after being advised by the doctor’s office that they probably would not cover this potentially lifesaving vaccine. I was assured they would cover the vaccine. What they did not tell me was that they would only cover up to the $500 dollar limit. As my daughter was going off to college, she also needed the meningitis shot, one for chicken pox, and a booster for tetanus. plus the cost of the exam and her gyn exam and pap smear.Of course all this added up to much more than the $500. SO- I, who had a bout with severe dysplsia, the pre-cursor to cervical cancer, did not have my annual Pap smear or gyn exam.This is the choice I have to make. Do I, who have lived probably two thirds of my life, get a critical pap smear or do I spend that $500 preventative care limit on my daughter who has all of her life before her? Of course, I did as I think most mothers would- the health care goes to my daughter. It is my belief that when Hillary is elected President she will work hard to fight against the insurance companies who care nothing about our health. I believe Hillary can and will bring affordable universal health care to every American.Hillary has been fighting the insurance companie’s inanities for a very long time. It is time we help her.Vote Hillary and vote for health care for all.

Sometimes I wonder how political campaign staff people sleep at night knowing the difference between what is truth and what is just a political game.

<blockquote><a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/magazine/01axelrod.t.html”> Obama’s Narrator</a>

 This, Axelrod says, is what Karl Rove understood about George W. Bush. “One of the reasons Bush has succeeded in two elections,” Axelrod says, “is that in his own rough-hewn way he has conveyed a sense of this is who I am, warts and all.” For Obama, because of Senator Hillary Clinton’s far-greater experience and establishment backing, this is a particularly essential project. “If we run a conventional campaign and look like a conventional candidacy, we lose,” Axelrod says.</blockquote>

The Axelrod’s, Susan and David, must feel at times that they are ’sleeping with the enemy.’

I remember when I first heard Obama speak. It sent good chills up my spine, kind of like when you hear someone who can really sing.  I listened a few times and then realized he wasn’t saying much. The thrill was gone.

I remember listening to Hillary speak. I was inspired by her health care and economic issues and her intelligence shined though. I got goose bumps thinking that this woman could be the next President of the United States.

From the beginning of the primary season Hillary became my first choice, Obama was second. The idea of empowering the most minorities, which is the majority of the people was my main basis on making my election selection.

Living in New Hampshire I voted for Hillary, she won and I got those excited chills up my spine again. I thought to myself this is going to be a great primary season.

But as time went on I was attacked by first, some Edwards supporters, then when he quit, I was attacked by most of Obama supporters EVERYTIME I diaried or commented about Hillary. Every time!  Being on a political blog has been a chilling experience this winter. The hate-speak and verbal abuse triggered a lot of anxiety in me.

Verbal abuse has long lasting effects.