Hillary’s Voice

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.

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.

We cannot afford to be guilt-tripped into voting for Obama this time around. There are just too many tough problems to fix waiting for the next POTUS. This is not the time to bargain for power.

The Obama Bargain By SHELBY STEELE
March 18, 2008; Page A23

Geraldine Ferraro may have had sinister motives when she said that Barack Obama would not be “in his position” as a frontrunner but for his race. Possibly she was acting as Hillary Clinton’s surrogate. Or maybe she was simply befuddled by this new reality — in which blackness could constitute a political advantage.

AP 
Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama, June 4, 2007.
But whatever her motives, she was right: “If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position.” Barack Obama is, of course, a very talented politician with a first-rate political organization at his back. But it does not detract from his merit to say that his race is also a large part of his prominence. And it is undeniable that something extremely powerful in the body politic, a force quite apart from the man himself, has pulled Obama forward. This force is about race and nothing else.

I won’t be hoodwinked or bamboozled into casting a vote just because blacks can guilt-trip whites to do your bidding.

How to turn one’s blackness to advantage?

CROSS-POSTED AT MyDD

I just read through Sen. Obama’s speech two times although I will confess, I did not listen to it.  To preface the remainder of my remarks, I tried to read it without any political agenda, and although I am a supporter of Hillary Clinton, I believe I was able to give it a fair reading.  I found that as I read it, I agreed with the sentiments he expressed, and indeed found them quite eloquent and powerful, until he got to the end of the following paragraph.

I have already condemned, in unequivocal terms, the statements of Reverend Wright that have caused such controversy. For some, nagging questions remain. Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? Of course. Did I ever hear him make remarks that could be considered controversial while I sat in church? Yes. Did I strongly disagree with many of his political views? Absolutely - just as I’m sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed.

Although I do not know the content of private discussions my rabbis may have ever had with their friends and family, I can say unequivocally that I have never heard any of my rabbis ever say anything that could be considered politically controversial regarding American Politics, and with which I strongly disagreed, because American Politics is not discussed in synagogue!  I suppose that is because there are people of differing political beliefs that have belonged to the synagogues I have belonged to (even though for the most part, the members are fairly liberal, at least on social issues) and political beliefs are individually formed and decided upon.

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.