Sexism At Play?
I'm a Clinton supporter, and I've got to be honest, I don't think Barack Obama is sexist, but then again I didn't think the Clintons were ever racist, but many did. Many, mainly African Americans, said they could pick up "code words" in President Clinton's language that blacks knew to be racially offensive. Well if the media is going to overly play the race card, they should at least be fair and investigate Obama's use of words that could be seen as sexist. ABC News did and here are some of their findings, which I wish were getting more attention:
"You challenge the status quo and suddenly the claws come out," Obama said.
That prompted some female TV reporters to question the language he was using. Language such as "when she's feeling down" "periodically" she "launches attacks."----
(the following is from MSNBC)
Nora O'Donnel: "It's getting a little personal."
Andrea Mitchell: "It's getting a little personal and, very frankly, you know how deeply we interpreted every comment to look for some sort of racial motivation before South Carolina. A lot of people said it was there. But, you know, when you start describing a female candidate as being 'down' and 'striking back,' I don't know, that's a little edgy, don't you think?"
Nora O'Donnell: "Yeah."--------
(Taylor Marsh also commented on the choice of words being used by the Obama campaign)...words like this, in her view, indicate "a way of thinking about women. A way of demeaning women in power; even saying we're not up to the job. Seriously, Senator Hillary Clinton is a woman running for president. Not some emotional menopausal diva popping pills because she's depressed she broke a nail". "Claws"…"feeling down"...I find it hard to envision Obama using the same language if he were facing, say, former Sen. John Edwards, D-NC."
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Making Calls
Little do many casual voters know, one of the biggest ways they can help their candidate of choice is by making phone calls to encourage others to support your choice candidate. Sen. Clinton has launched an effort to try to get a million plus calls out in the next few days. I encourage all of her supporters to pick up a phone and make a call or two. Seriously, just one or two calls can make a difference. All you have to do is follow the instructions on this page here. The campaign produces a phone number for you to call and all you do is follow the script. _________________________________________________
Rep. Clyburn Agrees With Clinton on Super Delegates
"While Clyburn said he'd prefer superdelegates not announce their support until much later in the nominating process, he said he also doesn't agree with superdelegates shifting support from one candidate to another based on how their constituents vote in a primary or caucus.
He addressed the issue several days after a former Clinton supporter announced his intent to vote for Obama at the Democratic National Convention. Georgia Rep. David Scott said he felt compelled to change his allegiance after more than 80 percent of his district voted for the Illinois senator in the Feb. 5 Georgia primary.
Clyburn said superdelegates are not in place simply to mirror the popular vote. "I don't think people are really thinking through what they're saying," he said.... He said the historical role of a superdelegate is in part to be ready to act in case of an emergency, like to throw support behind a runner-up in case a front-runner cannot continue after the convention."
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Obama Not as Pure on NAFTA as He Says
Obama has been hammering Sen. Clinton on her support for NAFTA, but as several sources have reported, Obama is just as big of a supporter of free trade as Sen. Clinton, if not more:
-"Obama said the United State should continue to work with the World Trade Organization and pursue deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement." (AP, 9/8/04)
-"Obama said the United States benefits enormously from exports under the WTO and NAFTA. He said, at the same time, there must be recognition that the global economy has shifted, and the United States is no longer the dominant economy. 'We have competition in world trade,' Obama said. 'When China devalues its currency 40 percent, we need to bring a complaint before the WTO just as other nations complain about us. If we are to be competitive over the long term, we need free trade." (Decatur Herald & Review, 9/9/04)
-Obama, just recently, has been one of the biggest advocates of a new free trade deal with Peru.
7 comments :
he said he also doesn't agree with superdelegates shifting support from one candidate to another based on how their constituents vote in a primary or caucus.
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Do you HONESTLY think this, also? If I'm a congressman and I come out in support of a candidate and my congressional district later supports the OTHER candidate by a large margin, I'm supposed to risk my seat in the November election because I should be BOUND by my first commitment? I don't think so. My first duty is to my constituents who PUT me in office and who KEEP me in office with their votes. A superdelegate is as free and you and I to change our minds AND our votes. The reason for change is insignificant. ~ Johnny
^do I honestly think that? No, not exactly. I would recommend Obama and Clinton get together and either say, "okay, ALL superdelagtes must vote with their state." OR "all superdelegates should honor their 1st committment." Therefore there is no confusion when the convention rolls around.
But let's be fair, do you honestly think Patrick, Kerry, and Kennedy plan to follow Obama's original proposal, which would have them voting for Clinton. How about Napolitano?
Change is not insignificant to the candidate who lost the super delegate. The only fair way in a election primary is for the winner to take all the delegates. There should be no super delegates, that is where the trouble starts. When the general election comes around, the winner of the state takes all electoral votes. They are not divided. The Primaries should be the same with the delegates. That is my opinion.
^if you're saying that the democratic primary system should be winner-take-all, I would absolutely agree. The proportional system, especially in a race this tight, does absolutely nothing it helping a candidate get nominated.
Allow me to play Devil's advocate. Suppose for a minute that candidate "A" won the majority of the popular vote AND the majority of all eligible delegates. Then candidate "B" garnered the nomination through the super delegates, who were NOT elected to the convention by the people but are party veterans. If candidate "A"'s supporters are upset by what they perceive as back-room politics giving the nomination to candidate "B", who essentially lost the primary elections and caucuses across America, what do you think the chances are that candidate "A"'s supporters are going to come out in November and support the party's nominee and other democratic candidates? Could the backlash cost the democratic party the majority they won in 2006? Sometimes, it's best to bend to the will of the people than to use your appointed powers to change elections. I've witnessed it firsthand in Alabama. Google "Baxley Graddick Hunt" ~ Johnny
The devil's advocate remarks are what is wrong with politics today. No matter what happens in the nominating primaries, when it comes to the general election the people should vote for whom ever they feel is the best candidate. Unfortunately to many people are tuned in to their own ego and may resort to what Johnny said. Those people deserve the government they vote for. Remember the people who not only voted for Bush, but they also reelected him and the majority of those people who voted for him, disapprove of the job he is doing. John Kerry may have had his short commings, but he certainly would have done a better job than Bush. The people have had to live with that vote for the last 3 years with one more to go. So much for ego.
I agree with your post about the sexism comment. Some women may notice it and some don't, but to be fair it should be pointed out like the supposedly racist comments were dissected. The media and bloggers lambasted Bill Clinton to death for the "fairy tale" comment, then denounced Hillary for stating that MLK couldn't pass a law, so Obama should be taken to task for implying that Hillary is "menopausal" etc...It's sick that BO can get away with anything he says.
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