The Daily Dose---2/16 (Part II)

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.

Then yesterday Obama told reporters who had asked about Clinton's latest attack ad, "I understand that Senator Clinton, periodically when she's feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal."

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

As reported by The State:

"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.