Reader Posts
« previous | TPM CAFÉ READER POSTS HOME | next »
Why Obama people should vote Hillary
i dont know what world ferraro lives in, but obviously she has shown no curiosity about any other candidate other than hillary. she's not only close-minded about race, but about the candidacies of anyone else who ran.
Part of the reason Obama is so exciting to so many people (perhaps this only applies to the educated vote he keeps getting) is because he is such a cerebral guy... and for once this country could have a president who would sincerely be interested in tackling complex problems domestic and abroad.
The reason Obama has been endorsed by nearly every professor or faculty member at Harvard Law School where he was a student and University of Chicago Law School where he taught (see huffpost's fundrace) (and also surprisingly none to hillary) is the reason why most of the educated probably support him, as conservative David Brooks points out
I'm still hoping Hillary wins though, Obama is going to get mauled by the GOP while they make it look like McCain is taking the high road. The people in this country are for the most part, too stupid, too prejudiced, too suspicious to vote for Barack Hussein Obama. Obama will end up like John Kerry, just another loser in the Democratic party, and probably unable to run again for the presidency even when he does accumulate as much experience as John Kerry had when he ran in 04.
Comments (16)
Kind of took a ninety degree turn at the end there didn't you? Anyway, although I disagree with your final conclusion, I appreciate your post. It is rare that someone actually compliments the rival candidate these days (on both sides). There have even been a disgraceful number of people defending Ferraro out of pure partisanship.
I'm assuming you use "loser" in its regular sense instead of as an insult, so I guess that's the point where I would disagree (regardless of usage, I suppose). I personally don't see Clinton doing any better than Obama in the general and probably much worse--most of those stupid, prejudiced people (there are a lot of them) already hate Hillary. While I think most GE polls are fairly useless at this point, I do think it is a pretty obvious indicator of the electorate's general feeling. Those polls may change by November, but Obama's got a big advantage to work with.
March 12, 2008 8:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah, im a total obama supporter and am shocked by clinton's divide and conquer strategy. i know she's not a racist, but she knows where the fault lines are and how to exploit them. (i.e. sista souljah incident) But i'd much rather see obama be able to accomplish some great things in the senate and run for the presidency when he can actually win than just be known as the party loser, and any future accomplishments or past, will probably be tarnished by losing the general. (Plus, i'm seeing the deep south results and ohio, and this country harbors too many prejudices to elect a black person. maybe it'll get better after the older generation dies out..) I mean a majority of people still think John Kerry is some kind of weasel because of those swift boat lies.
I just think Obama will get creamed by McCain. According to Mark Halperin who has been spending time with McCain's campaign, insiders are telling him they think Obama is far easier to beat than Clinton.
i don't know anything about about US political history so i may be mistaken if there ever has been a candidate who has lost in the general election and was able to be nominated again successfully...
March 12, 2008 9:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
90 degrees to the right...It was like Ted Kennedy wrote the first part and Bill O'Reilly wrote the second.
But really, anyone who takes Halperin seriously, shouldn't be taken seriously themselves.
March 12, 2008 10:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
i know halperin is a schmuck but the observation seemed honest and halperin isnt exactly bill o'reilly.
anyway, i just dont want obama to end up like john kerry and this little ferraro flap is depressing and i expect it to be more explosive in the general. mccain has no intention of really taking the high road: hagee, karl rove, bush, possibly picking mitt romney as vp...
March 12, 2008 11:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
stole this excerpt from a reader from andrew sullivan's blog:
If you did not hear Clinton's interview with Steve Inskeep on NPR this morning, be sure to give a listen. It shattered my Obama optimism.
Inskeep gave her several of the hard questions you write about every day, and she parried every one. She sounded -- not was, but sounded -- rational, logical, sensible (Obama-like?) in explaining why the MI and FL delegates should be seated, and denying she ever said McCain was more qualified than Obama. Some of her answers were such whoppers that Inskeep actually repeated the questions, his voice rising with incredulity.
The woman is an absolute assassin. Ice water in her veins. A second-generation terminator (yeah, the liquid-metal kind). As a politician, I fear she is light years ahead of Obama, and I am very, very afraid.
March 13, 2008 12:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I have to disagree on your last point. Conservatives aren't a fan of McCain but they really hate Hillary. There are three ways Republicans win elections--put a volatile ballot initiative up like defining marriage, get a low Democratic turnout(see Schwarzenegger's original election in Kahlyfohnya), or incite absolute hatred among their own of the Democratic candidate. Hillary's got the third part sealed with Republicans. Ann Coulter talks tough but she won't vote Hillary in the General. And the way the HRC campaign has been waged against Obama, you can count on low Democratic turnout and definitely low independent turnout in the General if Hillary gets the nom. Repubs don't even need to seal the deal with an anti-gay initiative.
If Obama wins, Democrats will back him. The talk is big now because Hillary's supporters by and large feel like Obama's Democrats are petty for not supporting the party, so they threaten to do the same. But Hillary's people will still turn out for Obama, because they believe in the Party and McCain scares them though they won't admit it until after Denver.
Keep in mind that young voters, especially the latte-sipping crowd we all espouse to be, are largely not Democrats in the way that older voters are Democrats. We don't have a lifetime of support to the party. We have progressive values and prefer the Dems to the Repubs, but aren't chained to the Democratic Party if they don't share our values. I think everyone would agree the Dems have been lacking in "where's the beef" moments over the last few years, more Loyal than Opposition.
March 12, 2008 8:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
"If Obama wins, Democrats will back him."
I'm an Obama supporter, but this is just not realistic. Sure us latte sippers will, but many white and Hispanic working and lower middle class Dems will not. Your idea of party loyalty among older generations is greatly exaggerated. Ever heard of "Reagan Democrats"? Especially when a black man is the candidate. I think Obama can win, but it will be a *tough* battle.
March 12, 2008 9:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
also add catholics and the deep south and asians, who all overwhelmingly voted against obama
March 12, 2008 11:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
If he does get the nomination and loses the general it will be because of Hillary Clinton and her henchmen/women.
March 12, 2008 8:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
ever see Primary Colors?
March 12, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well said centaur!
March 12, 2008 9:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
"I'm still hoping Hillary wins though, Obama is going to get mauled by the GOP"
I don't see this at all, for many reasons. First of all, there's no evidence for it. Barack Obama leads in the polls, after all. Without evidence, you're just believing what you want to believe.
Barack Obama ATTRACTS Republican support. He scares the crap out of the Republican party because even their own people like him. And McCain is still struggling to get the GOP hard-liners behind him. In an Obama-McCain contest, the Democratic turnout will be huge and the Republican turnout will be small.
On the other hand, NOTHING would guarantee a huge Republican turnout than having Hillary Clinton on the ballot (even as V-P). Her negatives are through the roof. Republicans would absolutely vote - not to mention donate money and volunteer their time - to defeat her, even if they don't like their own candidate.
And finally (or, at least, enough for now), Barack Obama will run a lot better than Clinton in many swing states and almost every red state. Even if he doesn't win them, he'll come a lot closer than she would. And that means he'll force the GOP to spend scarce resources in those states, too. That's really to our advantage. And just being on the ballot will be a huge help to other Democratic politicians. Even red states, after all, elect Democrats to some offices. Barack Obama has long coattails, and those younger Democrats are the future of our party.
March 12, 2008 10:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
The people in this country are for the most part, too stupid, too prejudiced, too suspicious to vote for Barack Hussein Obama.
I completely disagree with this.
Not that racism doesn't obviously still exist, but things have changed. Less and less people care about skin color, and many think it's an advantage.
March 12, 2008 10:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
i thought so too, but unfortunately the exit polls are extremely daunting, considering hispanics, asians, blue collar whites, deep south whites, catholics are solidly the democratic base and solidly in clinton's corner.
March 12, 2008 11:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Feh. You want some vapid fear-mongering to go with yours?
Since Obama does better than Clinton against McCain, I say the situation for Clinton is hopeless, because the American people are obviously too sexist to vote for a woman.
"How's that?"
March 13, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
fear mongering? im just speaking out of cynicism after looking at the exit polls. and plus i live in Georgia, the ONLY deep south state where Obama got more than 50% of the white vote, AND YET!, the conversations I hear time and again from white DEMOCRATS around me are that they won't vote for Obama because 1) they think he's a Muslim or "tainted" (their word) by having Muslim blood b/c of his middle name, 2) because he is black, and 3) they think he's some affirmative action candidate and will promote such policies 4) some of the people i've been hearing are outright racists and use the N word to describe him
Clinton does worse than Obama because of her tactics, her personality, her secrecy, perceived nepotism, her vote for the war, special interests, and being perceived as the establishment candidate. I dont think I have ever seen such a visceral reaction to being led by a black man than by a woman.
March 14, 2008 2:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
Post a Comment