THE END OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
It may still be called by the same name, but it's not the party I've been voting for since I cast my first vote in 1968. It's no longer the party of the working man and woman; it says it doesn't need us any longer. It's not the party of equal rights; it's the party of misogyny and sexism. It's not the party of the "one person, one vote" principle; it's the party of elite insiders awarding unearned votes to their chosen candidate and favoring undemocratic caucases over primaries. It's not the party of political courage; it's the party of words without substance and consequences.
Riverdaughter calls yesterday "a day that will live in infamy," and I completely agree. In every other race over the past 40 years where my favored candidate was defeated, I was able to rally loyally around the Democratic banner, assured that our standard-bearer would be an immense improvement over the Republican. I cannot and will not do this in the GE this year. The only slightly legitimate arguments for Obama over McCain concern Supreme Court appointments and ending the war in Iraq. Obama himself has delegitimized them by voicing support for the John Roberts appointment, and his own advisers have said that he won't end the war anytime soon. We've not heard the breath of a plan for withdrawing our troops, and Obama has demonstrated an ignorance of foreign and domestic policy that equals McCain's. So where's the advantage in our sucking it up once again for a party that disdains us, our contributions, our experience and our judgment?
Movement conservatives have flirted with the idea of withholding their votes from McCain to prove to Republican party leaders that their votes are essential to Republican victories. Democratic insiders appear to believe that that won't happen with Clinton backers, but they're simply, once again, not listening to voters. This is not a case of first-choice, second-choice. We do not accept Obama as our leader, and will not no matter who he selects as his running mate. The extent of party leaders' tone-deafness (and include the media in this as well!) is the popular meme that choosing a female such as McCaskill, Napolitano or Sibelius will placate Clintonistas and cause us to fall in line behind BO. Are they kidding? McCaskill is such an idiot that she openly declares that her CHILDREN persuaded her to support Obama. In fact, I've been appalled all season by the number of otherwise-seemingly-intelligent Dems who have set aside their own judgment in favor of that of their adolescent and young adult children. Some leadership! I listen to, and respect, my own adult children's views, but as a parent I exert a little more leadership in my own family.
Get this, Dem leaders: Hillary is not interchangeable with "any woman." We support her because of her specific policies, her resume, her history, her character. We reject Obama for the same reasons. And we are now rejecting our party because it first rejected us.
Labels: Barack Obama, Democratic party, Hillary Clinton, Michigan/Florida
posted by Motherlode at 2:04 PM
5 Comments:
Motherlode, I wholehartedly agree with you. I am completely disillusioned by a party who does not listen to its rank and file.Geraldine Ferraro was right when she said that Obama wouldn't have gotten this far if he was white. If Obama had been white and the public had found out that he belonged to the Klu Klux Klan. Obama would've been out of the race and out of politics. The comments made by Obama's pastor reminded me of the 1970's: the Black Panthers, Malcolm X; the race riots. There's a coldness in his eyes. His manner scares me.I am very afraid. It is preposterous to think that he does not agree with the viewpoints of a pastor who was his counselor for twenty years. I hope I am wrong. I don't think so. May God Protect us.
Already the foghorns are bleating out excuses to cover BO's ass regarding the Pfleger video.
AARadio had a different host on this AM with a buddy. They played the tape of the Rev. and called it great American humor.
They insisted that it was just comic theater and bore no relation to politics.
If there is anything good to feel if HRC is criminally blanked out in this Primary, it is that these brave new obamaworld crap-throwers will have to find other targets.
Watching C-Span's broadcast of the RBC meeting, I witnessed the spectacle of an African American man put a motion on the table to allow human beings, in a democracy, in the year 2008, one half of a vote as punishment for something they had nothing to do with, whilst lecturing the fabulous Mr. Ickes on civil rights and the "rules", rules already waived for another state. The camera panned to Donna Brazile who was YAWNING! I watched as Donna Brazile scolded the eloquent former Governor of Michigan for "cheatin" and for disenfranchising invisible voters who may, or may not, have voted. I watched whilst Senator Levin attempted to explain why Senator Obama should be awarded additional delegates based on "exit polls" and 30,000 unopened write-in ballots, which may, or may not have been for him, when he voluntarily took his name from the ballot so as to curry favor with voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, which was no secret. I watched as Senator Levin described the election in Michigan as "flawed" in spite of a turnout four times larger than in 2004. I watched Mr. Wexler squirm and refuse to answer as to whether he would find counting 100% of the votes "acceptable". I watched as Mr. Ickes' call for "fair reflection" was met with bored contempt, they had already decided, the fix was in and they wanted to go home. It was merely a show meeting featuring a mere handful of true Democrats. I am dismayed at this travesty of short-sightedness - I have lost my bearings and all sense of irony. I will continue to Support Senator Clinton to the end and beyond, but can no longer support the DNC in any way, it has broken my heart.
I will never condone the farce that has become the "democratic" party.
I am voting for a Republican president for the first time in my life and consider it a public service to stop Obama and the Dems that orchestrated him from gaining the White House in November.
Nobama '08
Sigh. Motherlode, I absolutely agree and I am heartbroken. You see, I'm a fairly young voter. I worked on the Kerry campaign in college. I truly believed in the Democratic Party and what it stood for. Not anymore. I just cannot support Obama and the Democratic Party this year and I don't know if I'll support them wholeheartedly ever again. There are things bigger than this election that we need to stand up for. We cannot sit back and accept sexism and disenfranchising voters simply because the Democratic Party seems to be the only option. I will probably switch my registration to Independent as well. It depends on what happens before the convention. I suspect that things will only get worse in terms of the lack of disrespect and impatience shown towards Hillary and her supporters. I can't deal with this anymore. I never knew there would be a day I could actually watch FOX News or consider voting for a Republican.
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