Hillary’s Voice

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 posted this diary on MyDD and it made the recommended list. One diarist suggested that we continue the conversation here.

As painful as it is, one cannot live in the USA and not talk about race. Whether we like it or not, it is either the elephant in the room or is smouldering beneath the surface. As a black professional who happens to be a Hillary supporter, I have few black friends who understand why I support Hillary. I mostly talk politics with my children or some of my white friends. My daughters have married men from all races and we speak openly about the subject.

A few years ago my secretary was mistaken for my boss just by virtue of our skin color. I have been called every name in the book because of something I cannot change. Recently I have been looked at in strange ways because I support a candidate who I think is more experienced. I am not against someone I am for someone. It has gotten so bad that I am now considered a “negro” because I am beholden to “the white man.”

Racism is not going to go away any time soon, but for every white person that has been mean-spirited, belittling and racist to me, I have found ten who are not. There are also prejudiced people within my race. When one of my daughters started dating a white man, whom she later married, one family went ballistic on how we were denying our race. My daughter was considered an Oreo cookie.

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.

Between 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina (with help from Mr. Rove and Mr. Limbaugh), George Bush managed to get a few million Americans riled up whenever other people questioned their president — as though the questioners were calling Bush fans’ mamas “ugly.”

Brilliant strategy: getting people emotionally invested to the point that they took personally any political opposition to a guy most of them weren’t even friends with.

Six days ago, I received an email evincing that Barack Obama’s campaign staffers are using a similar tactic. In part, the email reads: