Why am I hatin' on all the Hillary supporters? Friends (as John McCain would say), that's not it at all. My whole family was for Hillary. Some of my best friends were for Hillary. My most brilliant students were for Hillary. Do I think they are stupid and knee-jerk? No. I also don't think they will sit out the election or vote for McCain for spite. But I did sit beside a Hillary supporter at the Cleveland Heights Democrats meeting who told me she just wouldn't vote for President since Hillary was so wronged. I've seen their quotes in the paper or on the news about how four years of McCain would be worth it to allow Hillary to run again. I saw that woman crying (and crying and crying) on CNN. PUMAs do exist. I profoundly disagree with them.
Now, there are plenty of people out there who believe McCain is best for America. Fine. I disagree with them too. But I'm not upset with true McCain supporters in particular, because they are voting their convictions. I am upset with the PUMAs in the Democratic party who will vote against their political beliefs just to avenge Hillary's loss in the primary. That is self-destructive, and unfair to the rest of us who would have to live with his policies just so they can get their petty (or strategic) revenge. And it degrades the democratic process.
If you have talked politics with me recently, you know I Don't Like Hillary. I got very tired of her tactics. I got very tired of her presenting herself as Co-President when she was really Wife Of (Obama should have been much more critical of her "experience" claim - now it is the gospel). I got very tired of her sense of entitlement. In short, I really don't like her style. Plus, I don't trust her. I feel like she will vote conservative if I turn my back for a second and she thinks it will help her win the next election.
But that's just my opinion. Plenty of people voted for Hillary because they truly believe she is the best candidate. However, I also can't count how many times I saw someone in the news say they just wanted to see a woman elected President before they die. That's great, but don't vote McCain because it didn't happen. That just leaves the rest of us hanging.
I have been for Obama since '04, when my jaw dropped during his convention keynote address. "Who IS this guy?" (and it had nothing to do with his looks this time, I swear.) He cuts through all the noise that other politicians thrive on. He gets it. It's not superiority or conceit on the part of Obama supporters - it's just our conviction that this is the right guy, and as we all know, the right guy hardly ever shows up at the right time, so let's get him elected.
The bottom line is, if the PUMA Democrats don't vote Obama, it will be one of the reasons we (all) lose. Don't be a PUMA, people!
2 comments:
I think that it is important to remember the great sacrifices that women made 90 years ago in order for us to vote today. Lest you forget, it was not until 1920 that women were even granted the right to go to the polls and vote.
Apathy and spite are certainly the worst reasons this "Hillary Supporting Best Friend" has ever heard not to vote. Well, "It was raining" is up there too.
Women were jailed and BEATEN, chained and starved for picketing the Wilson White House, carrying signs asking for the vote. We need to get out and vote and exercise this right that was fought for so hard for by these very courageous women!
I'm loving this discussion we're having Claire.
I have to think that the majority of women who suppoorted Hillary are smart enough to have voted for her for all sorts of reasons, only one of them being that she's a woman, and that the media likes to stir up scandal and find people who are slightly irrational and put them out there as the majority.
I don't agree that Hillary is a sneaky vote away from conservative - I think that we're a country that doesn't like powerful women a whole lot (not you Claire - you fully appreciate a strong woman, I happen t oknow!)sp we read them as uptight and strident. We might pretend we like a strong woman but look at what we do to the first ladies -- Hillary was interesting and powerful but was skewared by the media and public when she tried to be more than just a loyal wife. Michelle Obama also - she's a powerflu intelligent person - but what do we hear from her in a speech? - How proud she is to stand by her man and raise her kids.
I also don't like the medias assumption that people voted for Hillary because she was a woman but get freaked out if someone were to make that claim about Obama and being black. Sure, there are absolutely people who are swayed in the final vote by gender or race (for and against, I'm quite certain) but most of us, I need to believe are making these choices with a bigger picture in mind.
I'll say this - I have always liked Brack too - it was both thrilling and difficult to have an actual choice of 2 incredibly excellent people to run as a Democrat this year. I'm certainly hoping like you, Claire - that the PUMA attitude is really more of a media created nothing and people vote for whose vision they believe in.
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