when the status quo frustrates.

All Right, People, Let’s Get Moving!

Sunday, June 8th, 2008

With Sen. Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign officially over, she is focusing on making sure her supporters back Sen. Barack Obama’s bid.

Throughout the primary season, Clinton and Obama expressed confidence the Democrats would unify once a nominee emerged.

As Clinton closed her campaign Saturday, she urged the cheering crowd of thousands to support Obama in his run for the White House, saying she and supporters should “take our energy, our passion and our strength and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama … I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me.”

Clinton has vowed to do whatever she could “to ensure that Democrats take the White House back and defeat John McCain.”

The main page on Obama’s Web site has been updated with a message that says, “Thank you Senator Clinton,” and links to a form where visitors can send a message to her.

Clinton’s Web site now urges visitors to “support Senator Obama today.”

Obama released a statement praising Clinton’s presidential run.

“Obviously, I am thrilled and honored to have Sen. Clinton’s support. But more than that, I honor her today for the valiant and historic campaign she has run. She shattered barriers on behalf of my daughters and women everywhere, who now know that there are no limits to their dreams. And she inspired millions with her strength, courage and unyielding commitment to the cause of working Americans.”

(CNN.)

Dubya is, as always, fully in touch with the reality of the moment:

“I thought it was a really good statement, powerful moment when a major political party nominates an African-American man to be their standard bearer,” he said in an interview Friday with an Italian journalist. “And it’s good for our democracy that that happened. And we also had a major contender being a woman. Obviously Hillary Clinton was a major contender. So I think it’s a good sign for American democracy.”

Yes, THANK YOU, Mr. President…the prospect of four more years of McYou but without even the comic relief of your truly astonishing non sequiturs, mispronunciations and bouts of aphasia is…well, unspeakable.

So I think we all know what we need to do here.

On a side note: For those who backed the Hill, if part of the reason you did so had to do with her truly pathbreaking platforms on universal affordable heath care and increased access to college education for yourself and/or your fellow Americans, let them both know. Campaign links are above; click and type like there is no tomorrow. Now is definitely the time to make your voices heard.

08.06.2008 A Clinton Post that implies no hatred of Obama, An Obama Post that implies no hatred of Clinton, Bush is a cock, Politics, Remember November, for reals 1 Comment

Hmmm?

Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

From the beginning of the race for the Dem nominee for prez up to as recently as a few weeks ago, I would have said No, Obama would never really consider nor would he even particularly want H. Clinton as his veep candidate. However, given both the (a) extreme angst and (b) substantial numbers of the Clinton supporters, for the first time, I am considering otherwise.

How do I feel about that? Mostly indifferent. It would incline me more towards voting for the Dem candidates, rather than simply against McCain, if the Hill was Obama’s running mate. However, since the only change we’re talking about here in my voting behavior is how I feel about it internally, not any external action I would have taken, clearly it wouldn’t really impact anything.

My best-guess pick for the Obaminator’s veep candidate prior to this was Bill Richardson.

It’ll be interesting to watch how that selection process unfolds.

04.06.2008 A Clinton Post that implies no hatred of Obama, An Obama Post that implies no hatred of Clinton, Remember November 11 Comments

If you aren’t bitter, you haven’t been paying attention. Or are very, very rich.

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

The AP’s on top of a crisis of enormous proportions:

Political insiders differed on whether Obama’s comments, which came to light Friday, would become a full-blown political disaster that could prompt party leaders to try to steer the nomination to Clinton even though Obama has more pledged delegates. Clinton supporters were eagerly hoping so.

Wow! A possible “full-blown political disaster!” What the heck kind of comment would have the power to potentially devastate his campaign? Some horrible lie? A racist or sexist remark? Something that disparages the underprivileged?

[Aside: Also, don't you love how the AP paints Clinton supporters like vultures enthusiastically hoping to feast on Obama carrion?]

At issue are comments he made privately at a fundraiser in San Francisco last Sunday. He was trying to explain his troubles winning over some working-class voters, saying they have become frustrated with economic conditions:

“It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

…Sooo, let me get this straight: Obama says the system has failed working-class voters. And he says they’re bitter about that. This qualifies as a full-blown political crisis for him? Shit, that just sounds like a person admitting ugly truths about America.

Maybe I’m crazy, but who isn’t bitter about the economic conditions of this country? Who the hell isn’t bitter in general about the recent past and our future prospects? Who isn’t bitter about the gap between rich and poor, about the profit margins for Big Oil, about the Fed’s absurd three-card monty propping up the economy? The only people I can think of are people who would never vote Democratic in a million years anyway. And they sure as hell aren’t working class.

The comments, posted Friday on The Huffington Post Web site, set off a blast of criticism from Clinton, Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain and other GOP officials, and drew attention to a potential Obama weakness — the image some have that the Harvard-trained lawyer is arrogant and aloof.

I can see why people might want to argue with his conclusions and/or his making excuses for falling back on fundamentalism or hate-based anti-immigration attitudes, etc., but to qualify this as elitism? C’mon. Right or wrong, he’s probably one of the few people in politics at least *trying* to speak honestly about what’s happening to the less fortunate. Sure, he calls the working class “them,” but wouldn’t it be even more ridiculous for him to posture as though he’s one himself? I wish more politicians were making any effort to speak frankly about our national bitterness at all.

This isn’t a Clinton/Obama issue, this is a common sense issue. Which automatically means the person making the most sense is the bad guy.



13.04.2008 An Obama Post that implies no hatred of Clinton, Media hackery 1 Comment