If you think Hillary is doing a GREAT job of supporting Obama, don’t read this post.
September 15, 2008

 
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Sorry if I don’t SWOON just because Hillary Clinton does what is expected of any Democrat by stumping for the Party’s nominee, but Hillary’s failure to reclaim her supporters from McCain/Palin is (pardon my French) pissing me off. And the 12 year olds on some of these blogs that resort to name calling just because they think Hillary is doing something MARVELOUS for doing exactly what is expected of her and not one iota more, gives me a bitter taste in my mouth.

THREE TIMES I’ve expressed my displeasure on the “DemocraticUnderground” website (no link proffered) with the way Hillary refuses to go after Palin for suggesting SHE is the natural alternative for disaffected Hillary supporters, and all three times, was attacked by children accusing me of “whining” because Hillary wasn’t doing what *I* wanted, or accusing me of sexism for the same reason, or accusing me of being a close-minded Obama supporter that’s hated Hillary all along, and people telling me it is Senator Obama’s job to CONVINCE Hillary to support him. And each and every time, my posts have been “deleted by the Moderator”, never with an explanation, but apparently because my demanding more from Ms. Clinton was bringing out the flame-throwers.

If anything I’ve said above bothers you, don’t read on. Only those with an open mind need bother to continue.

Let me start by saying that, while I’ve been vocally upset with Hillary’s hawkish support for the war in Iraq and seeming willingness to use military force too easily, I still voted for her in my state’s primary because I agreed more with her position on health care, which is a more direct consequence to me (I was able to dismiss her hawkishness as simply playing to those who said a woman couldn’t be Commander-in-Chief). So I gave her my vote.

I voted during “early voting” (two weeks before Election Day) because the polling place is closer with shorter lines. But on March 3rd, the day before Election Day, Hillary made the following comment about her Democratic challenger:

“I think I have a lifetime of experience to bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002.

Never did I ever wish more to get my vote back. Hillary lost my support on that day, and she has yet to earn it back.

Hillary isn’t “Chris Dodd”, or “Bill Richardson” or even “John Edwards”. She’s become “a symbol“… not just by the Right but of her own doing… for “striking a blow for women in politics”. I’m sorry, but when your entire defense of voting for Barack Obama… “No McCain. No Palin. No way! No how!”… can be challenged with a one word question… “Why?”… THAT’S not a defense worthy of my praise… nor should it be worthy of yours.

John McCain chose Palin *specifically* to appeal to disaffected Hillary voters… and polls say it’s working (a 20% swing among white women). Palin herself praised Hillary twice in a thinly veiled attempt to attract them into voting Republican. And why not? After all, Hillary herself said McCain is better than Obama, right? Listen to Hillary on the campaign trail for Obama (clip condenses Hillary’s speech at the LCCC to just three minutes). Watch how long it takes for her to finally mention “Senator Obama” at this “rally for Obama”:

TELL ME that doesn’t sound like a 2012 stump speech. When she finally mentions Senator Obama, it’s little more than an afterthought, at the very end simply to say “work for him as hard as you’d work for me”. Not ONCE did she say “Obama will…” or “Obama has…”. Nor does she ever mention the fact the opposition keeps using her name to peel away her supporters (slamming Obama in the process). Yesterday, the McCain camp sent its most prominent “female” campaign surrogate, Carly “let’s spy on our employees” Fiorina to go after the “PUMA”s (the “Hillary-or-no-one” crowd). Has Hillary EVEN ONCE addressed these “PUMA”s? Silence can speak volumes, and hers is deafening.

Remember Hillary’s big speech at the DNC Convention? It was a speech that received huge (and IMHO, undeserved) praise for “uniting the Party”. Well, excuse me, but the Party wouldn’t NEED uniting if she hadn’t fractured it in the first place! And I’m supposed to cheer that she actually supported the Party’s nominee at the Convention??? Give me a break! And just like in the short clip above, not once does she address the things that “Barack Obama will” do or go into ANY specifics about him whatsoever. Listen to the entire 30 minute speech again if you doubt me. Then compare it to Bill’s speech the next day, talking about Barack Obama on a personal level, and talking about what Obama will do for the country.

But her conspicuous refusal to defend Senator Obama’s “record” or “policies” is nothing compared to the way she allows McCain’s running mate, Sarah Palin, to compare herself to her, unchallenged.

Watch this snippet from Hillary’s recent rally in Tampa, Florida last week. TELL ME it doesn’t sound like another 2012 stump speech:

She never attacks McCain/Palin by name (in fact, she goes out of her way not to, saying “whoever [the opposition] may be“), and naturally she says to vote for Obama/Biden because “they’ll bring change” (in case you haven’t heard yet).

But my big beef is that she has yet to pull a “Lloyd Bentsen” and tell Palin “You’re no Hillary Clinton!” Nor does she seem insulted that Palin would even compare herself to Hillary. You could swap the name of McCain’s running mate with “Rudy” or “Romney” and wouldn’t have to change a single word of Hillary’s “Obama rally” speeches. Why won’t Hillary go after Palin specifically? Because (IMHO), she’ll holding out for 2012.

When Amy Pohler’s (“Saturday Night Live”) impersonation of Hillary Clinton does a BETTER job of going after Palin than the real thing, it’s time to start asking questions.

I know how *I* would react if someone tried to use MY name to convince MY supporters that they should back a political neophyte SO diametrically opposed to everything I stood for, claiming to be “continuing MY fight”. I wouldn’t simply go out and say, “Don’t vote for them. They’re bad.” I’d get ANGRY. I’d be out there telling my supporters, “Don’t be fooled! These people don’t stand for ANYTHING you or I do! a vote for McCain/Palin in my name is an insult to me and our campaign.” Why isn’t Hillary?

You could actually make a STRONGER case that a vote for John McCain is a vote for Bill Richardson had he of picked a Hispanic running mate because of McCain’s (pre-flipflopped) stand on immigration, than you can make a case Palin is like Hillary on the issues she championed, or to suggest that “Palin has as much experience as Clinton”. That’s a monster insult, not just of Hillary, but to her supporters, and I’m stunned Hillary supporters aren’t OUTRAGED that she continues to let them get away with it!

Though I’ve never approved of Hillary’s hawkishness in recent years, I am more concerned with health care, and voted for Hillary in spite of it.

But when she made that infamous “McCain has a longer resume’ than Obama” crack, that was it. She lost my support, and she’s yet to make up for it. I still see someone unwilling to make a convincing case to her supporters not to vote for Palin out of some misdirected sense of loyalty to Hillary. Nor have I heard her make a convincing argument as to why “Senator Obama” deserves your vote, because, quite honestly, I don’t think she believes it herself.

Here is what *I* am waiting to hear:

“I didn’t put 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling so some political neophyte of the 47th least populous state could stand on my shoulders, chip through with an icepick, and claim she “did it for me and my supporters”. Palin thinks all my supporters care about is that I’m a woman, and you are so simple-minded, you’ll vote for her just because we’re both women. Is that all it’ll take for her to win you’re vote? Ms. Palin seems to think so!

Some say “it’s not Hillary’s job to take on Palin.” You know who says that? Hillary supporters that don’t care if Obama loses. (don’t believe me? Click the link.) When Hillary brought up the “18 million cracks”, she MADE it her job. When she praised John McCain over Barack Obama, she MADE it her job. And every time she says nothing when Palin evokes her name, she MAKES it her job.

So pardon me if I don’t get all dreamy-eyed because a fellow Democrat stumps for the candidate that actually won, raises money for him and tells their supporters to “vote for” him. That’s what the losers are SUPPOSED to do! If you don’t get that, then no wonder we keep losing. And if Barack loses in November, I’m blaming Hillary. Period.

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September 15, 2008 · Admin Mugsy · 11 Comments - Add
Posted in: Politics

11 Responses

  1. fastfeat - September 16, 2008

    I couldn’t agree more.

    Hillary worked very hard to get where she did. Palin comes out of nowhere, so to speak, to land a position that, arguably, HRC should have held on the other ticket.

    That said, the relative silence from the Clintons, esp. Hillary, in the support of Obama, is one of the shocks of this campaign.

    Obama needs Hillary to, indeed, have a Bentsen-type statement. Palin has offered SO many opportunities to hit, WTF are the Clintons waiting for?

    Hell, I’d be happy for a sexist remark from Bill at this point…

  2. guruoo2 - September 16, 2008

    So exactly how does bashing Hillary help our nominee win the election?

  3. Mugsy - September 16, 2008

    guruoo2:

    If Hillary is only using these rallies as an excuse to campaign for 2012 and NOT secure an Obama win, because a McCain/Palin victory opens the door for her in 2012, then she is *hurting* the Obama campaign, not helping, and he should no longer be sending her out as his representative. Likewise, those who are of the (mistaken) belief she is *helping* Obama with this type of campaigning should NOT be lavishing her with praise so that she continues to harm the campaign. – Mugsy.

  4. guruoo2 - September 16, 2008

    Fascinating theory you have there, mugsy. However, true or not, I still believe it’s best to let the campaign make the call.

  5. Mugsy - September 16, 2008

    “The Campaign” doesn’t make the call as to whether you praise her or not. I’m saying what’s she’s doing isn’t worthy of “praise”, but “suspicion”.

  6. guruoo2 - September 16, 2008

    My point is, mugsy, is that we should follow our candidate’s lead in these matters. And if the campaign feels she’s not doing the job they can simply quit bringing her out to support the ticket.

    Actually, IMO, we should probably be grateful that Hillary’s still willing to do anything at all considering the shameful beating her and Bill took from SOME fellow Democrats, and their agent provocateur cheerleaders during the primary.

  7. brantl - September 17, 2008

    I don’t think that anybody who ever wants the national party’s support gets to expect gratitude for supporting the party’s nominee. That’s crap. And Hillary and Bill brought on themselves what they got. That crap about “Obama’s got a speech, and John McCain and I have the credentials”, was crap. Neither Hillary or McCain have commander in chief credentials, either. But the best credentials for president are judgement, anyway. And Obama dwarfs both of them, there.

    “Shameful beating”, my ass. They went out and shot their mouths off when they started losing, using a “scorched earth” campaign tactic and now it should be demanded of them that they help put out the fires they set, and set willingly. Obama never pulled any misogony on Clinton, but she sure pulled some shit on him. And in on the record, direct quotes from her, I might add.

  8. guruoo2 - September 17, 2008

    The ‘scorched earth’ campaign tactic was ‘adopted by, as I previously stated ‘SOME fellow Democrats, and their agent provocateur cheerleaders’ early on in the primary. It began with paid RNC operatives (i.e., ‘agents provocateur’) posing as Obama supporters (i.e., the ‘cheerleaders’) working message boards and blogs for the purpose of inciting major division within the party.

    Although quite a few of these operatives have been outed, banned, and otherwise banished, there are still a few around that managed to slip through the cracks to continue spreading chaos.

    Their goal now is to piss off former Hillary supporters to the point where they will either stay home, or vote against Obama.

  9. Grant in Texas - September 20, 2008

    I don’t see Bill Clinton giving Obama any big support, YET! His remarks earlier this week where he lavishes compliments on both Palin and McCain don’t sound like a ringing endorsement for Obama. Add that to his earlier comments that he “wasn’t sure that Obama is ready to be president”.

    http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/260047

    I think Bill is still pissed that Obama interfered with his “third term” and is hoping that Obama will lose making room for Hillary (and him) and Sarah fighting it out in 2012. There is no way I could vote for the Clintons in 2012 if they continue to appear to be half-hearted in their support of Sen. Obama.

  10. Grant in Texas - September 22, 2008

    Bill Clinton can’t seem to say a “discouraging world” about Sarah Palin. On The View today, he was less than enthusiastic for Obama (and Joy Behar just stated that on Larry King, also). He talked mostly about Hillary, things like her getting most of the “popular vote” but that Obama was selected by the Super Delegates and the caucuses. Then he gave Hillary’s plan for the mess on Wall Street like she is running for president! Why not tout Obama’s plans???

    Later today. Bill compliments Palin again:

    http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gZeh9bSfM63ST6q6PFnha9jr3qGQD93C0R705

  11. Grant in Texas - September 25, 2008

    Bill Clinton is still a jerk. He actually hopes in his heart of hearts that Obama will be defeated setting up Hillary for 2012 against Palin (McCain will either be dead or will have decided to retire as he has already laid hints that he may be a ONE-term president).

    Chris Rock saw the obvious on Letterman following Bill Clinton on that show:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyuY-30ag8U

    Maureen Dowd wrote yesterday in the NY Times…

    Besides talking about what a great man John McCain is on The View and David Letterman, Bill praised Palin at his Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York and will receive her there on Thursday.

    “I come from Arkansas. I get why she is hot out there,” he said authoritatively, adding: “People look at her, and they say, ‘All those kids. Something that happens in everybody’s family. I’m glad she loves her daughter and she’s not ashamed of her. Glad that girl is going around with her boyfriend. Glad they’re going to get married.'” He said voters would think: “I like that little Down syndrome kid. One of them lives down the street. They’re wonderful. … And I like the idea that this guy does those long-distance [snow machine] races. Stayed in the race for 500 miles with a broken arm. My kind of guy.”

    On The View, Clinton said he understood that some women might vote for Palin on the basis of gender, even if it was against their economic interest.

    “You can’t tell someone else that the ground on which they make their voting decision is irrational,” he said primly. [Is Hillary even trying to inform?]

    Maureen Dowd adds, “Well, actually you could, if you weren’t still sulking and plotting for 2012.”

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