Social science breakthrough

My prof agrees with my thesis and said it is solid and complete. All I have to do is write the final draft. It’s similar to Obama winning which would be about intersectionality/feminism in comms of color. It’s about issues of class and gender not race but everyone’s obsessed with race. If he continues to blame the working class and women for being racist/move to the right/court evangelicals because he lost the base, he will lose. Just Say No Deal groups will keep proliferating. Three weeks ago, there were 80 websites/groups. Now there are 160. If he appeals to the working class and women, he will win. Similarly, Asian issues are about class and gender, not race. Don’t hate me for saving the world.

post-primary thoughts

pocochina of H1K rants:

This post is about party accountability. It is not an endorsement for or against one candidate or another - I am the H1K resident undecided working through these issues.

Warning: this post rambles, and will probably be updated and revised. I’ve been writing it since very early last Wednesday morning, but it came out slowly, like cheap vodka that has started to freeze, and burns just as badly going down. I’m hoping to be up and writing again soon, though.

I’m of the generation who came of age in the 1990s, and I’ve always been interested in politics. It’s been interesting, particularly over the last few months, to untangle how those years shaped my views of politics and ethics. Those views on politics, that sense of ethics, has been violated to its very core, by those who I thought shared those views and ethics. I won’t deny that the disappointment is partially about Senator Clinton’s suspension, but the sense of betrayal goes far beyond that. Y’all know I’m usually pretty anal about my sourcing and backup links, even in comments. However, I’m making an exception and not using this post to link to people who I think have made reprehensible comments, both because I generally respect them and am trying to let the wounds of this season heal, and because I don’t want to drive up traffic to those mean-spirited posts.

I am not an angry girl - but it seems like I’ve got everyone fooled…(Ani DiFranco)

I’m pissed at the classism of this campaign. It’s not even that the Democratic Party is taking the working class for granted any more - no, according to Donna Brazile, we don’t want the working class any more. Sending out Harry & Louise flyers, ignoring the rural poor, giving up on true universal health care. A party that turns its back on the sick and the poor is a party that does not deserve power. We’ve been saying that about Republicans for years. We have met that enemy, and it is now ourselves.

I’m pissed at the use and abuse of religion in this campaign. I care not at all as to what deity, if any, a politician prays. As a person with a Catholic background, of specific ethnicity, I am aware that I may respond to someone who speaks in my sub-cultural patterns and language - and yet, the only politician in my memory who has matched that experience was Mayor Giuliani, with whom I share little except a pronounced aversion to long-term monogamy. I hold the First Amendment dear, and believe there is no religious requirement for any role in public life. What I do find infuriating is religious exceptionalism. When within one month, the entire country knew about his religious conversion. And his pastor. And when he did and didn’t go to church. We were treated to photos of Obama standing in front of a cross of gold. His regard for his own faith is high. And yet, when looking for an excuse to lose the PA primary, he lumped in religion with deadly weapons, xenophobia, and bitterness - and these were all bad things, because they were things done by poor people. Respect for the freedom to worship (or not) is available only to those who support him.

No self-respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex.” (Susan B. Anthony)

I’m pissed at the blatant misogyny of coverage of the campaign. I’m pissed at people who should know better - who acknowledge other people’s sexism, who can cast an accusing finger at the entire horrible media, but can then turn around, utterly free of irony, and utter, “but he just inspires me,” or some other sufficiently vague, comforting reason to not check one’s own sexism. You know, it feels a bit ridiculous now, with my highly partisan perspective on the campaign, but I did a lot of soul searching to make sure that I wasn’t just voting based on whiteness or femaleness, and I did it relatively frequently - though less so as the campaign went on and only one candidate acted as if she actually wanted my votes. The bottom line was that I trusted her views on government (we have it, so let’s use it, and do so in a way that helps as many people as possible, and then next time let’s do better) more than his (hope!(TM) change!(C)); that her health care plan was better; that while his reproductive rights record was more than satisfactory, hers showed nuance and leadership. And those, in the bottom line, are the reasons I went for Senator Clinton. I am deeply fortunate to have access to the pro-Obama voices of POC who forced me to take that look into myself.

I’m pissed at what Senator Obama has done to my party. I’m pissed that DNC officials couldn’t even be bothered to publicly acknowledge sexism; I am even angrier that they chose to buy into it. Make no mistake, the DNC chose their candidate. They had no commitment to the process of the primary. They could have stormed every talking head show in the country talking up all the good things about this long and exciting primary. People are interested in politics. A record number of Democrats voted; far more than the Republicans - they were making money, they were raking in votes, they were building a new Democratic system. Instead, they chose to mourn and moan about how every minute that passes, McCain voters have another hate-gasm because That Bitch was Killing the Party and Why Won’t She Just Quit. To expect a woman who’s winning millions upon millions of votes to step aside so that Teh Menz can get to their serious business is blatantly sexist, and every time one of them got in front of a camera to moan WWTSBQ, they sanctioned it, and used it to their own advantage. When the life of one of our own was threatened three times in one week, the DNC said nothing. This is inexcusable.

I’m pissed at Barack Obama for his misogyny. I can understand - though I do not condone - why he did not apologize for his own fuckups on that score. But he had not one, not two, but three clear opportunities to distance himself from the hate speech of others, and he did not. He could have taken a moment - just a fraction of a breath - in his many condemnations of Rev. Wright - whom he could no more disown than the black community, until of course he did just that - to say “by the way, the personal attacks on my opponent are not worthy of my church, my party, or my country.” He did not. He could have said the same when distancing himself from Father Phlegler. He did not. He was careful to condemn so-called divisive rhetoric which did nothing but tell the truth about the drug war, allegedly un-American comments which would (and, of course, still will, for there is no escaping the Republican Attack Machine) make him look bad, and he could not be bothered to condemn hate speech against a colleague. He could have said the same when he issued his departure from his church and he did not.

Were an observer from Mars to judge the man by his public statements in these moments of crisis, that Martian observer would be quite rational to conclude that his need to see Senator Clinton abused means more to him than his faith. I expect that from Republicans. I expected better from Democrats. I no longer can.

Deny us three times, Senator.

And that isn’t even touching the dirt of his shoulder, tea parties, likeable enough, periodically feeling down…you get the idea. Beyond even his upfront sexist statements, he has relied on the implacable and unjustified hatred of Senator Clinton and her charming husband, in both hard right and right leaning media outlets. When Drudge - transparently and baselessly - claimed that a Clinton staffer had spread an email photo of Senator Obama on a visit to sub-Saharan Africa - the Obama camp and its surrogates in the media on and offline jumped to repeat the rumor. Then he went on TV and magnanimously said he believed her, and then he went to Mississippi and lied, and said she’d done it. Everyone, after all, would believe it about that woman. That ruthless, ambitious, political woman.

I’m pissed at the netroots. For a brief, shining moment - like, 2 1/2 years or so - Left Blogistan was a place of high media skepticism, of proud partisanship, of committed progressivism. Now, anything goes, as long as it’s about That Bitch. HRC and her filthy husband are slobbering racists - everyone knows she sent out that photo, I saw it on Drudge - as long as we never have to question the source. And by the by, Atrios and LGM, your Solemn Pronouncements on race and ethnicity lose a lot of credibility when you snidely revel in the disenfranchisement of an island full of brown people, because they didn’t vote for your candidate.

I’m pissed at the next generation of political pundits. Whenever confronted with uncontrovertible evidence of sexism, they reacted uniformly - to grudgingly admit that sexism exists, and then jump to BUT ITS NOT THE ONLY REASON. People who follow politics to any extent are well aware that there are many factors in political decision making, and most of them are subconscious. There is no one and only reason, but if I had to pick the most influential one, it would damned well be sexism.

I’m pissed at feminists who decided their feminism didn’t extend to That Bitch. I want to be clear, I’m not talking about feminists who, in good faith, decided that they wanted to support Obama, Edwards, Dodd, or whoever else. I am the first to state openly that reasonable people could have come to different decisions on that. I’m talking about feminists who, usually incisive and merciless in their rejection of expected gender roles, uncritically accept the Nasty Harpy narrative about Senator Clinton. I expect feminists to be able to step back and say, “well, knowing what I know about how I, and everyone around me, and in particular the chattering heads paid to tell me what to think about this campaign, have been conditioned in my expectations of female behavior, I am going to be critical of how I process this election.” For a lot of feminists (Edwards and Obama supporters as much as Clinton supporters) that happened; for a lot of them, it didn’t. I saw one feminist blogger say of Clinton’s suspension speech only, “Best speech of her political career.” The best speech of a thirty five year career of one of the most brilliant women in modern public life just so happens to be her concession? We’d be unbelievably suspicious of such an assessment about any other woman’s career - but it was Hillary, so it’s okay. It’s nauseating from a babbling jowl show - it is heartbreaking from a feminist. And the wheel turns, and a woman’s career is at its apex when she submits to a man.

They have drawn race as black and white. This is patently ridiculous. I’m not linking to anyone who makes the claim that - essentially - white women are the only ones who liked HRC, we should just stop whining and suck it up, POC are thrilled about Obama and we are just entitled bitches. It is true that Black Americans overwhelmingly - though far from universally - preferred Obama. But this erases the huge numbers of brown women - Asian-American, Hispanic-American, in huge numbers, at least where the pollsters bothered - and men as well, who knew that they are not invisible to her. Those claims are out there, though. I’m thrilled for African-Americans who see themselves in Senator Obama. But I do not ever condone the erasure of anyone because they are inconvenient to a political agenda. I have been proud to call these women ally and sometimes, presumptively, friend. I’ve talked before about my frustration with this erasure, but with Clinton supporters - neither all white nor all male - so offended by this campaign they have decided the Democratic Party is no longer their home, the erasure has reached fever pitch. I do not begrudge Obama supporters their excitement. I do not understand the need to begrudge us our grief.

I think that non-feminist Obama supporters, and particularly male non-feminist Obama supporters, have this idea that we are just irrationally angry, our feelings are hurt and we should get over it or we’re just silly, don’t we know how bad McCain is, maybe they’ll just tell us one more time. The choice not to support Obama is a long-run rational choice. Right now, there is a party that hates women all the time, and a party that used to humor us, but hates us when it is convenient. It is our job to never, ever let it be convenient again, or there will be no one in government advocating for our rights.

We are not your sweeties, who just need candy and flowers to come around.

We are not your bitches, that is not a leash in your hand. Our bodily integrity is not a choke chain you may use to threaten us. If you think it is, you are no better than the Republicans. And yes, the “But! But! But!” Roe stick is just that - a threat. Politically involved women know exactly where we stand on Roe, and we know the Democrats haven’t been all that bothered to even look like they’re trying to protect it, these last seven years. We know what an anti-choice Supreme Court looks like, because we read Gonzales v. Carhart and our hearts broke in fear for ourselves and our sisters and nieces and daughters.

When you tell us that we’d better get in line and vote for Obama, OR ELSE ROE, you are holding our own bodies hostage against us, as if they were yours to take. You are actively, proudly, literally threatening us with our lives. Is that the change we should believe in?

I’ve left versions of the following comment on a couple of journals/blogs over the last couple of days:

What hurts the most is that I really thought I might have a chance to vote for someone in whom I really believed, and now no matter what I do I will be compromising more than ever. There is no choice that does not reward hatred of myself and those that I love. A write-in for Clinton or McKinney will be held against Clinton; a vote for McCain sanctions the Republican war machine, and a vote for Obama sanctions the (new ?) Democratic misogyny machine.

I was thinking of myself, and my own disappointment, and while I still think that’s legitimate, I am willing to say that I missed the broader context. The party’s eagerness to push her out, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY (particularly in the case of Representative Cohen) was in reaction to this very feeling. They have come to rely on women not expecting any better. They have grown dependent on the Bush Administration’s vile abuse of women, so that their burden of accountability to us is lighter. They were terrified of rank-and-file Dems realizing that there is better out there. And there is, and she still lost, and with her she brought down the pretenses of the party. The bullying we’re all getting now is an unapologetic part of that - baby, you need me, nobody else will love you.

If he really is such a unifier, surely we don’t need to be threatened. Surely he will come through, with his famous ability to reach out, and let us know that it’s our party too. Surely it will happen. At least, I hope - though I confess I am not holding my breath.

++In the last week or so, I have read posts by the incomparable pixxelpuss, Kate, Liss, Violet Socks, RQ, Anglachel, Pizza D, and I am sure others. While they have prompted me to clarify my thinking, these (to the very best of my knowledge) are my thoughts, coalesced over the last couple of days.

Fears grow that Obama can’t win

The Guardian: Fears grow that Obama can’t win: Analysts believe white working class Democrats will defect to McCain if Clinton is not the nominee

Clinton has been making the case for several months, as her support has grown stronger among white working class voters, that those voters will not support Obama in a general election. There is strong data to back that up, especially from recent votes in West Virginia and Kentucky where large proportions of Clinton voters said they would not back Obama in November.

There is also a growing fear that many of the women backing Clinton are turning against Obama. Clinton and her supporters have controversially accused their rival, and the media, of being misogynistic in the last few weeks of the race. A recent Pew Poll showed Obama’s support among white women collapsing from 56 per cent to 43 per cent.

Class and gender but everyone’s obsessed with race.

The Guardian: Unify America? Obama had better start with Democrats

Riverdaughter:

We have something they are positively desperate to get- OUR VOTES. They thought we would just blissfully acquiesce like we have every four years.

Not this time. For the record, our opposition has nothing to do with race on our side. Race is the obsession of the DNC and the Obama supporters. No, this has everything to do with the party power players taking direction from a small core while offending the people they need to actually win: women, elderly, working class, hispanics, gays. Does he think we aren’t aware of the mess the GOP has made of the country?

We are all too aware. That is why we DON’T want Obama. We are NOT voting for him unless he is Hillary’s VP. If that makes you mad, tough $%#^. If you are so desperate for a Democrat in the White House, you still have a choice. We are not culpable for your choices and we are under no obligation to indulge your irresponsible fantasy. We will not reward bad behavior and poor decision making.

Class and gender but everyone’s obsessed with race.

Hominid Views:

Clinton beats McCain 100% of the time.
Obama beats McCain 53.9% of the time.

Democratic Storm Warnings

by Texas Darlin’ at Taylor Marsh:

What the party elite and “superdelegates” must realize — before it’s too late — is that this disenfranchisement with the Democrat Party is not an isolated occurrence among a tiny minority of bloggers. These are everyday Democrats, most of whom are just casual visitors to political websites. They are mostly women, although many men have written too, and they have been the foundation of the party for decades. Many of them were Reagan Democrats re-captured by Bill Clinton. Almost all consider themselves “lifelong Dems.” Visit any political website and you’ll find similar comments. With that introduction — this post continues the presentation of contributions from readers, a series which will be ongoing so long as people send me their thoughts.

From the people:

I too will not be voting for Obama if he is the nominee. The democrats haven’t learned their lesson yet. You cannot win a general election unless you can appeal to main stream Americans. Donna Brazile seems to think that Obama can win with the Black vote,college kids, and far left liberals. I will be laughing in November when all the pundits and party leaders will be scratching their heads wondering what happened!! One thing I know for sure is that they will blame Hillary for Obama’s loss instead of themselves.– Elizabeth L

Elizabeth: you said a mouthful, you are absolutely correct, they will blame Hillary for Obama’s loss. I have voted for a Democrat since reaching majority (more years ago than I care to admit) and now feel like I am wandering on some bleak and nightmarish planet ruled by the pajama people. I cannot vote for McCain, I will vote for down ticket Dems, but never, never will I vote for the golden child. Count me in for that third party option. — Phylise

My husband and I have been life long democrats who have voted in every election since we were old enough to vote. I am 66, my husband is 67. We will not be voting for Obama and have already changed our registration to unaffiliated. We sent our cut up democrat registration cards to Howard Dean in protest of the way they have been treating the voters of FL and MI and also for the way they have allowed Hillary to be treated by the DNC, the Obama campaign, and the MSM without saying a word in her defense. We will be voting for McCain in November if Obama is the democratic nominee and that includes if he “decides” to pick Hillary as his VP. We will not vote for Obama under any circumstance. Obama is untrustworthy, unprepared, arrogant, and a product of the corrupt Chicago political machine. We are Americans first, party loyalists last. — Nana

This is agonizing for me. I have always voted Dem (except for Weld over John Silber, who voted for Reagan — who needs a “Democrat” who supported Reagan? Speaking of which…My daughter is worried about the Supreme Court. I informed her that it is thanks to Dem wimps and k***sses that we ended up with Thomas in the SC. And what have the Dems done since we voted them in in 2006? I’m ready for a third party and I won’t vote for O. — boomerg’ma

I won’t vote for Obama. I won’t vote for McCain unless my state is in play in November. I hope to be voting third party (but certainly not for Libertarian impeacher Bob Barr.) — Slim

I , too, have reregistered as an Independent. I have never voted for a Republican in my 47 years. But if Obama is the nominee I not only will be voting for McCain, but I will actually work for his campaign. I feel so strongly about not allowing Obama get to be president. I see and feel and smell disaster if he becomes president. I am in literal shock and disbelief at what the Democratic party has done, not only to Hillary and Bill, but to themselves and to a large part of their constituency. It sort of feels like being betrayed by your best friend….you don’t really believe it at first….then you feel so stupid for believing anything they ever said to you or that you were friends with someone who disregarded you so. I don’t think I have ever felt as passionate about seeing Hillary Clinton in the White House. She is one of the most brilliant and aweing candidates we have seen in a long long time. For the democratic party not to see that, defies logic. I actually hope that Senator Clinton decideds to start a third party. Wow would that be one for the history books!!!! — Ray

It seems like a movement, and grass roots, of long time voting and contributing Dems who’ve forgiven our party and the candidates that didn’t have it in them to win, but who won’t put up with nominating a loser over a proven winner….They dismiss her and install him at their own risk, we won’t be willing to back this hack party if they waste our money and insist on giving us damaged goods. But, they know, the point is, do they care, do they still want us in the party?

The lack of respect shown to Hillary and her hard-working women supporters by Obama and the DNC, make it impossible for me to support him or the party. Even calls by Hillary to unite as Democrats will not phase me. The party is trying to sell Obama, this false image that is so vulnerable to righteous attack while pushing a true leader of the ages to the sidelines. — rhula

Add me to the list, I already re-registered as a independent, so did my sister. I cannot condone in any way what has been done to Hillary Clinton by the very same party she has fought for for years. I am a Hillary supporter who will not vote for Obama if he is the nominee. I cannot see myself voting for McCain but I will stay home. I am insulted as a woman to see how the media and her own party has treated her. I cannot in good conscious turn around and fall in line and I cannot vote for Obama, I just cannot. — Diana

Add me to the list. I don’t like what the democratic party is doing to its base! After being insulted by the Obama campaign, I will not turn the other cheek and grant him my vote.

And I’m in a ’swing state’. — notasheep

Add me to the list of Defecting Democrats! I don’t trust the DNC, and think they have some ulterior motive for pushing Obama, the least qualified of all the candidates from the beginning. My husband, each of our four kids and their spouses, and I will be dropping out of the party and voting for McCain if the Nobody from Nowhere is the nominee. I’m all for banding together to start a new party. Our old one is broken beyond repair. — geminflorida

I’ll be voting McCain in the fall if Obama is our nominee. I can’t vote for someone that I don’t respect. Plain and simple. This is why Democrats lose elections. The party elite haven’t figured out that people don’t always just fall in line behind a candidate just because they have a (D) in front of they name. It’s also about character and experience. Obama has neither. — Gordon

The single most important issue to come out of this campaign season has been sexism. If the Democratic Party won’t stand up against it, then we won’t stand up for the Democratic Party. Some issues demand a loyalty beyond our loyalty to the Party. My son asked me last night, “Come on, Mom. Is it really that big of a deal?” Yes, it IS that big of a deal, and if we don’t stand up right now, in another twenty years some other son will be asking his mother, “Come on, Mom. Is it REALLY that big of a deal?” — izarradar

I decided that I couldn’t vote for Obama and would vote downticket only after the Ferraro episode made it clear who was using racism in this primary campaign. It was a heartbreaking decision because I have loved this party my whole life.

The manufactured outrage and smear over the RFK comment, a historical reference Senator Clinton has been using for months without comment, has pushed me firmly into actively supporting John McCain. And, no, I won’t “come home” dutifully if Obama holds his nose and is forced to choose Hillary to be his running mate. I fervently hope she graciously refuses such a hollow and condescending offer if it comes.

The so-called party leaders are responsible for this fiasco by colluding to expunge the Clintons’ influence in our party. I vote for McCain to register my complaint against Dean and all the rest of them in the only way I can.

I would love to have a conversation with disaffected Democrats, Independents, Republicans who find that their parties have left them with no place to call home. I am over my heartbreak and want change or a new party.

The fabulous RedStar

in All About Me:

Clinton supporters are stereotyped as racist, but from my perspective in the pro-Clinton ’sphere, the most righteous souls are up in arms over sexism, classism or cultural elitism. At my old blog I wrote I how I tended to identify with middle- and moderate-income white ethnics and women and men of color I meet because our life experiences are often quite similar. Who I have met in numbers on-line via supporting Clinton are many new young outspoken working-class and middle-class Asian-American and white ethnic feminists. I have purged many middle-class and upper-middle-class mostly white male and female bloggers who I felt marginally about to begin with.

Why Obama can’t win, and Hillary can

It’s class, not race.

It’s class, class, class

Building on this post:

In 2000, Al Gore lost white working-class voters by 17 percentage points; in 2004, John Kerry lost them by 23 points, a swing of 6 points against the Democrats.

Let me pause there for a second and say this very slowly to some people. It wasn’t racism that led white working class voters to pick George Bush overwhelmingly over Vice President Al Gore or Sen. John Kerry.

That 11-point swing against the Democrats among white working-class women was arguably the most important single fact about the 2004 election.

It’s worth noting that white working class women are coming out in droves for Sen. Clinton. But I digress.

Bill Clinton actually carried white working-class voters in both his successful presidential campaigns (by a single percentage point in both instances). White working-class voters are a larger portion of the electorate than indicated by the exit polls — 52 percent, rather than 43 percent.

A Democratic nominee has to have the Bubba factor or common touch to win. Bill Clinton had the white lower-class appeal. Jimmy Carter said “I’m just a peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia.” Kennedy, Truman and FDR had the common touch.

It’s class, class, class.

Surrogates won’t do it. One day after Obama gets shellacked by the white working class and women, Edwards and NARAL won’t do it. It has to be the candidate himself. Stevenson, Dukakis, Gore and Kerry lost because of class. They were elite, out of touch.

Working class whites are 52 percent of the electorate

The Left Coaster:

American Prospect: The key weakness of the progressive coalition can be summarized easily: very weak support among white working class voters (defined here as whites without a four-year college degree).

In 2000, Al Gore lost white working-class voters by 17 percentage points; in 2004, John Kerry lost them by 23 points, a swing of 6 points against the Democrats. In contrast, Gore lost college-educated whites by 9 points and Kerry lost them by 10 points — not much change.

Eriposte: Let me pause there for a second and say this very slowly to some people. It wasn’t racism that led white working class voters to pick George Bush overwhelmingly over Vice President Al Gore or Sen. John Kerry.

American Prospect: Almost all of the white working-class movement toward Bush from 2000 to 2004 was among women rather than men. He substantially widened his margin among white working-class women, going from a 7-point edge in 2000 to an 18-point lead in 2004. That 11-point swing against the Democrats among white working-class women was arguably the most important single fact about the 2004 election.

Eriposte: It’s worth noting that white working class women are coming out in droves for Sen. Clinton. But I digress.

American Prospect: Bill Clinton actually carried white working-class voters in both his successful presidential campaigns (by a single percentage point in both instances).

White working-class voters are a larger portion of the electorate than indicated by the exit polls — 52 percent, rather than 43 percent.

It’s class and gender, not race

BTD:

The West Virginia exit polls indicate that he lost white voters 69-28. Astounding? Not really. In Ohio, Clinton won white voters 64-34. In Pennsylvania, Clinton won whites 63-37. Indiana? Whites went for Clinton 60-40. Massachusetts? Whites went for Clinton 58-40. Rhode Island? 63-31 for Clinton. North Carolina? 61-37. And the same in Arkansas, Tennessee, Maryland, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Arizona, Missouri and so on.

Obama has won the white vote in Iowa, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Virginia, Colorado, Washington, Idaho, Utah, North Dakota, Nebraska, etc. West of the Mississippi all of them EXCEPT Wisconsin and VA.

West Virginia is not an anomaly. Obama’s white working class problem is EAST of the Mississippi. It is not just Appalachia. It MUST be addressed. Calling West Virginia names is not going to solve the problem….

Taylor Marsh:

It’s about empathy. It’s about an emotional connection to a president. Blue collar workers need their president. It’s about connecting with someone they believe gets their challenges, will fight for them, and find solutions that will make their lives better. What’s he going to do for me? Some people simply don’t relate to this guy, and that “some” is ever expanding the larger Obama’s map becomes and the deeper he gets into America. Oh, and she also shows up. As the map expands and the general election comes closer into view, The One is going to get less genuflecting and more shrugs. The general election is not a caucus.

Anglachel:

It is beginning to look like the main reason for Obama’s red state caucus successes is the absence of voters, not the presence of new ones.

Heidi Li:

If I see one more headline about Senator Clinton’s victory in West Virgina that reads anything like this one “Clinton wins West Virginia, with race a factor”, I assure you I will do anything legal to make sure Senator Clinton becomes the next president of this country. The headlines should be: Democratic Party Nomination Process, misogyny a factor.

Unreality-based

Obama blogger:

Demographic and socio-economic differences between the two states, plus the effects of Clinton’s ugly “kitchen sink” campaign, are not considered. For example, 31.7 percent of Virginians have college degrees, while 23.4 percent of North Carolinians have college degrees. Obama tends to do better among college-educated voters.

Armando:

I am curious if the blogger expects those voters without college degrees to suddenly get them by November and thus solve Obama’s problem here. But I especially wonder if the blogger expects that Republicans will not campaign against Barack Obama. Or if they do, whether their campaign will be so much nicer than the Clinton campaign.

The reality based community? Not so much. Not anymore.

Reality-based:

For everyone “across America who’s ever been counted out but refused to be knocked out, and for everyone who has stumbled but stood right back up, and for everyone who works hard and never gives up,” she said, “this one is for you.” That message understandably resonates with voters who, when they are not bitterly clinging to their guns and their religion, are having trouble meeting their mortgage payments. As long as Clinton is willing to fight on simply for the sake of fighting, there really is no reason that this endless campaign has to end.

Clinton conference call

I love these advisors. So pithy.

Taylor Marsh’s Clinton conference call live blog…

Geoff Garin: Indiana was a close outcome, but they feel very, very good. First time Clinton has come from behind to achieve a primary victory. Amidst a huge amount of spending from Obama, Clinton won. The Chicago media market was over 20% of the state and gave Obama a substantial head start. Eight points down with 10 days to go, then winning by 2 points, represents “significant progress” and is a “good victory under challenging circumstances.” Obama called it a “tie breaker state,” so we feel good about the victory.

We congratulate Obama on his North Carolina. But that state also represents progress for us. We were running even with white voters two weeks ago, but earned a significant win, 24 points. We didn’t do well enough with AA voters. Clinton continues to run very strongly among likely swing voters in the Nov. election, blue collar voters, seniors and Catholics. Last night makes the strong case that she’s the better candidate in November. The win in Indiana allows us to go on and make the case in West Virginia.

We need to work with others to make sure Florida and Michigan are seated. We believe these delegates should be seated. We need to continue to make the case the Clinton is a better nominee against John McCain. Clinton today runs ahead of Obama in Penn. and Florida. Clinton has proved she can win blue collar voters, and suggests she can absolutely be the strongest nominee against John McCain. Obama has not proven he can win the key swing states, or the votes of blue collar workers. That’s the crux of the argument being made to superdelegates and voters going forward. West Virginia is a critical test and we need to do well there and going forward.

WOLFSON: Pundits have counted Clinton out many times. They’re doing it today. But the punditocracy doesn’t make the decision, voters do. They’re more important than pundits, as important as pundits are. Superdelegates are more impacted by our arguments and who will be the stronger candidate in November.

GARIN: Gas tax helped Clinton. … Came from 8 points behind, talked about gas prices, etc. Helped. We think it made a difference in both states at the end of the day.

Hypocrisy

It’s okay to accuse men of color of racism (Wright), classism (Bittergate), homophobia (McClurkin) and anti-Semitism (Hamas) but not sexism because women are not valued in society. The first four involve men.

So the inability to accuse men of color of sexism is more about sexism than racism. Women are the only ones asked to suck it up the name of “unity.” Sexism is the only issue Obama hasn’t spoken up about yet.

HILLARY: IN ‘UNTIL THERE’S A NOMINEE’

CLINTON WON INDIANA! SHE WON ANOTHER BIG STATE AND CAME FROM BEHIND! The gas tax debate worked! Clinton won the late deciders overwhelmingly. Experience, I tell ya.

First Read:

Hillary Clinton wasted little time reaffirming her intention to see the Democratic contest through, telling reporters that she is “staying in this race until there’s a nominee.”

“And I obviously am going to work as hard as I can to become that nominee,” she said. “That is what I’ve done; that’s what I’m continuing to do.”

“We’ve had a historic, record turnout by both of us bringing people into the Democratic Party. … And I think we can build on that going forward.”

She added that her husband didn’t secure the nomination in 1992 until June and was successful, while John Kerry, an Obama supporter, was the nominee by March 2004 and lost to George Bush. She also said that under Republican Party rules, she’d have won the nomination by now.

“So this is a dynamic electoral environment,” she said. “What matters is what strength you have going into the general election, who you’re going to be able to bring to your side, and what the electoral map will look like.”

To drive that point home, campaign aides pointed out to reporters that no Democratic candidate has won the White House without winning West Virginia since Woodrow Wilson.

“If the Obama campaign wants to prove that they can do well with working class swing voters, West Virginia is a good opportunity to do so,” spokesperson Mo Elleithee said.

“What we have not been able to count on in the last elections are the voters I’m getting,” she said. “Women, particularly lower-income women, didn’t vote for John Kerry. “Hispanics didn’t come out for Sen. Kerry in the numbers that people had hoped for. Working people are really a part of the base that we lost that we’re trying to win back.

“I personally believe that West Virginia is one of those so-called swing states Democrats need to win it in the fall. I want to start by winning it in the spring, to lay the groundwork for victory in November.”

“We were very excited about our come-from-behind victory in Indiana, where people are concerned about the economy,” she said. “There’s a lot of reasons why I think we came from eight or so points from behind to win, and it’s because people really know they need a president again who’s going to focus complete attention on making sure you have the jobs that will give you living wages that’ll give you a chance to have a better life.”

Brazile: Latinos and working class part of the “old coalition”

PAUL BEGALA: He said that Obama is closing the door on those white, working-class voters. But if her point is that there’s a new Democratic Party that somehow doesn’t need or want white working-class people and Latinos, well count me out. We cannot win with egg heads. We cannot win with egg heads and African-Americans. OK, that is the Dukakis Coalition, which carried ten states and gave us four years of the first George Bush. President Clinton — reached across to get a whole lot of Republicans and Independents to come. They both have a remarkable ability to reach out to those working-class white folks and Latinos. Senator Clinton has proven it; Barack has not yet, but he can. And I certainly hope he is not shutting the door on expanding the party.

BRAZILE: I’m saying that we need to not divide and polarize the Democratic Party as if the Democratic Party will rely simply on white, blue collar male– you insult every black blue collar Democrat by saying that. So stop the divisions. We know how Democrats win and to simply suggest that Hillary’s coalition is better than Obama’s, Obama’s is better than Hillary’s — no. We have a big party, Paul.

POSITIVELY ORWELLIAN.

BEGALA: We’re not the monochromatic Republican Party. In the Democratic Party, the only way we win is to stitch together white folks and African-Americans and Latinos and Asians. And that’s what President Clinton did twice. That’s how he won two national elections.

I AM the netroots

Latoya asked for evidence of sexism in the campaign because I said I do the heavy theoretical lifting in every community I’m part of so I provided copious evidence. The most important race (Racialicious), APIA (Reappropriate), feminist (Feministing), progressive (OpenLeft) and Clinton (HillaryHub) “people” visit my blog every day so I obviously do some of the heaviest thinking in the blogosphere. People always said I was “thorough.” I know where you all live. Is that creepy? Latoya might not visit any more but I hope she does!

I AM the netroots.

(You’re welcome.)

Misogyny costs you 50%

CNN:

Just how badly is the Democratic Party divided? Only 48% of of Clinton supporters in Indiana today would vote for Obama against McCain. Only 45% of her supporters in North Carolina would vote for Obama. 59% of Obama supporters in Indiana today would vote for Clinton against McCain. 70% of his supporters in NC would vote for Clinton.

It’s the misogyny, then class then race but the MSM and Obama blogs think everything is race including the blog I got this information from. Race trumps everything in the MSM and Obama blogs. The problem with not talking about sexism is we can’t solve this problem and get people to vote until bloggers and MSM face up to the sexism. You can see why my discussions about intersectionality are important. Everyone’s obsessed with race but Democrats would have to face up to their sexism to win if Obama were the nominee. Wolcott failed to say in his Jets and Sharks article it’s misogyny that split the netroots and Party:

He dismisses the role sexism is playing in the current divide between Democrats. He says the whole contretemps sounds rather silly and what people are really upset about is Bush-Cheney. No. Wrong. What people are really upset about is exactly what Alegre said: the relentless misogynistic denigration of Hillary and her supporters.

Sexism is the story of this election year. The fact that so many otherwise intelligent people are utterly insensible to the problem is an indicator of how deeply rooted it still is.

What’s wrong with anti-racism Part 3

American friends, always listen to any Pakistani feminists, never argue, our experience in fighting patriarchy is more than yours, you don’t know about theocratic patriarchy- we know, NEVER DARE TO DEFEND ISLAM ON THIS SITE. What I am saying to you is that if you was living in a Muslim country, u would not have the rights you deserve, and this would be true to all women, not only ureself. And I say that hand on heart and encourage you to study how sisters are treated in Pakistan.

Now how would you feel, if you lived in one of our countries, and instead of supporting ure apsirations to live freely, to own ure own body, to have access to basic health care, family planning advice, to be able to own and explore ure own sexuality any way u want, to have intellectual autonomy, to be free to say u don’t want to believe in a male supremacist religion, that you don’t want to marry someone you don’t love, never met or just can’t feel any physical attraction for, people in the mightiest country on earth, who support the oppression on a huge level and have done with trillions of dollars over decades, come out, even in the most progressive sectors of the blogosphere and basically slap you in the face and tell you, “Hey, Islam is great, we love it, we wear the hijab and to hell with your experience cos we’re Americans and we know more.”

How would YOU feel as a Muslim woman from Pakistan? I think you would be angry, this is what I think. This is ure chance now to make a stand, u can come and join with us and we will embrace to you as our sister, or you join with American Muslims, agents of patriarchy, the same set up that would crush you if you was born in any place where they got the power. Please, don’t give them a chance, they wouldn’t give it to you, and they don’t give it to millions of Muslim girls in Pakistan, what we get, this is punch punch punch, kick kick kick, or worse. We ready to embrace you, will you do the same for us?

I just going to be honest cos I got no shame to tell, I applied to join the UK police and got sent to Hendon Police College for me interview, this was proudest day of me life cos I got treated like a animal when I was living in a Arab Muslim country that I don’t want to name, and not only me, all us Pakistanis were, males also, we got treated like we was all trash. If I tell you what was done, you will vomit. People even took their own lives where I was, u don’t know, and you don’t want to know also.

And that was for 8 years, the abuse i suffered on the streets, got me so sick I was unable to leave me bedroom and missed me schooling. I got back to UK in 1999, me age was 18. I done all me catch up studies and got to the police interview in 2004. I wanted to join the police, with all me heart, all me soul. Why can’t I be in the Police? Just cos I am of Pakistani heritage, no, I want to help people, do stuff, assist, get into desicion making, why have I got to be ghettoized or sent home to wear the hijab, i DON’T WANT. But Islam had one last stab in me back, cos I never really escpated it in me mind, this is I could not join up cos I got a history of mental illness, this was all the way back to age 15 in Country X, and with the meds I was on, no, they had to turn me down. And then things got worse when the one person who had stood by me got sent to Pakistan BY FORCE. BUt the question remains, why can’t I be in the police, I want to be someone, I was never no one, I want to be something and make a difference, and I know all what’s happening in me community also, girls are getting targetted, tricked into drugs, men are trapping them into sex work, so for me, I wanted then and still want now to FIGHT BACK, cos I was nearly one of those girls meself. Now what YOU see is a Paki, a downclass, someone who has no place doing anything except being a professional victim of the state, no, I got me own ideas, I want to influence the state, and we can, cos it’s not as hard as you think, if you stand up and say, “Hey, this is our country too.” And now us Pakistani girls in UK we are policing the Nazis, helping our own abuse victims, giving advice, spreading awareness that if you are in danger, don’t run blindly, get sheltered accomodation, and we are the ones protecting our community’s so it’s not just a situation where there’s a them and us mentality, no, and you can’t erase a woman cos she’s brown or black and wears a police uniform, how come, and if she’s white, SHE’S URE SISTER ALSO. Me, I am brown, proud of this, got no interest in being anything other than I am also, me only interest is to help others so they don’t end up like me, in rehab, scarred after a crack up at age 15 and a sucide attempt years after that, totally dependent on one or two people and unable to form normal relationships with the opposite sex, no, I don’t want that, we suffered enough, i want to break the cycle, that means getting involved, really involved, and if i can’t wear a police uniform then I will do it in another way. It’s racism to tell me I can’t do nothing, no way, I don’t accept, even now, I want to do something, one day I will, you’ll see.

when i was in me community support group, this is where I started to learn how to write, I first learned a word, one word, this word is “Patriarchy”. What is that? I did not know, even though I had lived under it all me life and even though I had been victimized by it. And little by little I started to piece the puzzle together, why was I assaulted, why was I denied mental health support in country X, why was me mum always afraid to leave the house, we did we live with bars on our windows, why was me friend ripped out me life and sent to Pakistan, why, why, why. And I followed all this reasoning and reflection and this brought me to feminism. I was standing on the gallows with a noose around me neck, feminism cut me down. Feminsim is the liberation of women from all what we suffered under patriarchy, it’s equality, an end to gender oppression and to achieve that, we got to tear down Islam, rip it down, claw it to shreds and trash it. There is no compromise. I found me window and it’s name is feminism. And then, no, it appears now as a dead end, diluted versions of what almost detroyed us appearing here and there, blocking our path to liberation, obstacles, deviation, appeasement, people ready to sell us out. Close this window on us and you forcing Pakistani feminists into a very desperate position. What you got to understand is this, we feel so strongly about the fight against gender oppression in our country, we are ready to give our lives and will fight any attempt to sabotage the womens’ movement in Muslim countries. If Muslim propoganda is brought here against us, you will have opened a door that will never close. You put that rope around our necks, we not going to sit down and take it this time.

Women who leave Islam in Pakistan are executed, burned alive and have been gang raped on the orders of religious councils. The sharia’ punishment is beheading. These issues are REAL. No member of any community in the United States suffers this degree of oppression, thankfully. If they did, we would support them without question, we would not betray you. So why by extending invitations to American Muslimah’s, apologists for this oppression are you out to insult and betray us? We done nothing to you.

Do you know that Islam, like filthy Christianty, like all male supremacist patriarchal religions, has ruthlessly exploited black women, in particular? American friends who do not know the world, it is not only Pakistani women who are terrorized under Islam, so too are our African sisters, THE ONES WHO DON’T HAVE US PASSPORTS TO HIDE BEHIND. Without ure rich American passports to protect you, American Muslimas, you will be beaten down with the stick just same like us. It is easy to be Muslima in New Jersey, Haarlem or Brooklyn, throw away ure American passport and come and be a Muslima in a Islamic society, we’ll come back in a few years and check on ure progress, if you even survive 3 weeks that is. If you are suffering under American system, HOW CAN YOU SURVIVE BEING RAPED, BEATEN, ACID THROWN IN URE FACE, UTTERLY ERASED AND TREATED AS HUMAN TRASH UNDER OURS? This is our lifes, our world, you never dreamed of what is going on. We are weak, we are oppressed, but don’t think u are better than us just cos you live in a RICH country. Most of what we are suffering under Islamic extremism is cos your powerful governments support for Islamic mysogonyst Jihadis. And now you planning to bring that support into feminism and spit on us? STOP INSULT TO PAKISTANI FEMINISTS- WE KNOW HOW TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST AMERICAN MUSLIMA COLLABORATORS.

What’s the position of me and african americans? There is no position, no more than there is one with white Americans, you got no special strategic significance other than you are part of America, a country that has meddled in our affairs for decades. White Americans running the CIA funded Jihadists and mysogonyst forces, we condemn it. Now we see a new threat, again, from America, this is women who know nothing about Islam, speaking out in its defence, white liberals also u got the same problem, same like neo cons, you all against us, but in different ways.

Now here we got on Islam defending women pretending to be feminists, this is fragmentation, worse, it’s a direct assault on the feminist movement in our countries cos you got infiltrated by agents of patriarchy, American society is SICK, so you contaminated the ideals of feminisn with this revisionist, appeasing back sliding. Why are some American women doing this? There are many reasons actually and you can believe what you want, of course, but main reason, at this social level represented here, it is reactionary, this is not progressive and it is a danger to us as it undercuts our arguments, when we need funding. You are getting involve with areas you got no idea, STAY OUT, Islam this is our world and our business, you got no right to supoort Fascist male supremacist gender tyranny, cos you’re not going to be its victims, are you? No, we are.

America is so conflicted about race it’s losing focus on the big picture and this in the country that is one of the most influential in the Muslim world, especially in those states where gender repression is most savage. This means alone means that the American feminist perspective would be of interest to progressive women in the Islamic world. What we find however is a tangled mess of race and class issues, that seem to turn even the basic tenets of feminism on it’s head, thus, feminists end up- to further their own agenda- supporting brown patriarchy, either in their own communities, or, much worse, in our countries. Issues like the hijab and support for Islam generally underscore this. Now Muslim Media Watch, do you think that is any kind of reflection of the reality of life under Islam for millions of women, u know that it isn’t, we suffer horribly, American reverts of whatever color don’t, and hence the disconnect. Feminists in the US ought to be able to solve this, to educate the Muslimas in the US about the male supremacist nature of Islam, but, of course they cant. Worse, as you said, white feminists and woc feminists have checkmated each other into silence. I will give you a historical parrael of when this happened before, in the 1930’s in the Spanish Civil War, when rather than fighting Franco’s pro Nazi forces, Communists and Socialists and Social Democrats, the left in other words, slaughtered each other, the Poum, the Cominterm, etc etc. Needless to say, the Fascists won in the end. White feminists and woc feminists in America, arguing when they should be allied on basic issues like wearing the hijab, polygamy, forced marriage, gang violence etc etc, they are committing the mistake all idealogue make, they end up losing site of their reason to exist. What is feminism? It can not co exist with racism, exploitation of women by gangs, drugs, porn, johns, bdsm, religion, low pay, police repression, mysogony. You can’t ally with anti social forces, practices degrading to women, or with Islam; What we are calling for now is a full debate on this, cos if there are feminists in the US who think you can, and still be a feminist, sorry, we need to inform you why you can not. Islamo-feminism is a contradiction, as is being a Nazi-feminist or a feminist in some freaky child abusing Christian cult, sorry, u just can’t be. You’re either a feminist, or you aren’t.

we need to start to talk openly about Islam and it’s relationship to American feminism (patriarchial religions in general actually, not only Islam), and with no particular racial group of American feminists in mind either either cos white liberals and woc feminists are both defending Islam, though they do so from different angles. this debate is well over due. We want to debate feminist support for the hijab. American comrades, do not be afraid of this debate. So if I making a official request then we can have our open, free and fair debate with the Pro Hijabis? Ok, then so i ready to do that.

we are totally desperate to get message across also. I hope u give me this chance to speak and not also be afraid of us and think we very much against u, cos we are not, just we want to speak and have a voice

Stupid white men

Matt was a cheap date so Mr. Slick threw him under the bus. But Matt still has a crush so he’s giving up his principles of openness and transparency to be like him. The netroots was so sexist it alienated half the Democratic Party so Chris said the netroots failed. Chris said all that’s left is the medium which his candidate naturally supports. I can’t read OpenLeft any more. Too many stupid white men. Isn’t that Michael Moore’s book that criticizes Republican white men? I unsubscribed from ten stupid white male blogs today. The netroots lost all its principles for Obama. What does that say about Obama? Clinton blogs or neutral blogs are the new progressive blogosphere. What does that say about Clinton?

Obama represents the status quo

Green Consciousness: I am afraid for Hillary

I have said before that there is very big corporate money supporting the untested BO because corporate interests feel they will be able to manipulate him more successfully than the battle scarred Clintons.

Be careful Hillary. They kill uppity women in this country just as they do all over the world. But here they make it look self inflicted.

Be careful my heroine Hillary, you are the hope of the people against the wealthy elite in the US. Big money here, left and right, is unchecked in the US. We have seen over and over, from the women who fought big nuclear to big lumber to big coal that they will kill with car “accidents” and beatings, false suicides and political assassination. Then they will close the investigation files for 50 years for the “good” of the country.

Obama represents the status quo, the old boys club. His staff is 80% male and 60% white. Clinton’s is 43% male, 40% white. That’s why male pundits, boy bloggers and big business like him. When I posted fat cats owned Obama because 17 out of 20 of the biggest contributors to his Presidential campaign were big financial, insurance and law firms and because his top contributors wanted to privatize social security, every firm from London, Geneva, Johannesburg and New York frantically visited my blog for three days even though it’s public information. Forbes Magazine and others still visit. There’s nothing more cruel than privatizing social security and making old people to eat dog food. Nothing. People work their whole lives earned their check for rent, heat and food.

More from Green Consciousness:

Barbarossa’s veterinarian was on TV today. They asked him if going down with two broken ankles was unusual and he said it was very rare - he went on about how unusual this was. He implied something was very wrong with what happened. He said that it happened at the finishing line when she was pulling up made it even more suspicious.

Even though it seems ludicrous and will make me seem crazy, I do believe this was done to send Hillary a message.

That’s what it’s about?

Riverdaughter:

I don’t know who’s been giving Clinton advice lately but this was pretty, fricking brilliant. WE know that any gas tax holiday would be short term, made up with taxes on excess profits and those taxes could be structured to take the incentive out of manipulating the markets. The benefit to consumers would be small but not insignificant. And out comes Obama with an ad that essentially tells consumers to suck it up because Clinton is pandering to them. Then he offers them a tax cut. Bwahahahahah! I swear, Obama and his fanbase have no clue. They want so desperately to jettison the working class. They think they can win without them. We’ll see. One thing I know for sure: undecideds make up their minds based on the last thing they heard as they walk into that voting booth and Hillary always has a killer ad on the last day.

Jugheads not eggheads