Saturday, June 7, 2008

Briefly...

Senator Clinton today officially suspended her campaign, and endorsed Barack Obama. From all reports, her speech was most impressive, as she is herself. While she suspended and did not concede, thereby allowing her delegates to still go to the Convention, she has asked her supporters to support Obama.

As anyone who has read this blog knows, I think Senator Clinton is heads and shoulders above her competition, Democratic and Republican. She is incredibly smart, has great positions on the issues, is compassionate, is a fighter, and is a committed public servant. I hold her in the absoulte highest regard. But I am afraid I cannot, and will not, support Barack Obama. The manner by which he obtained this nomination is highly flawed, filled with voter disenfranchisement; vote stealing; strong-arm tactics by his representatives (talking to YOU, Jesse Jackson, Jr.!); bullying, intimidation, and locking out of Clinton supporters in the caucuses; race-baiting; sexism; and general disrespect for a Former First Lady of Arkansas, Former First Lady of the United States, and a two-term US Senator. I am afraid I cannot do as she requests. Instead, I will be writing her name in on the ballot.

I recognize that Senator Clinton is the comsummate Party politician, and despite the lack of loyalty the Party demonstrated toward HER, she is showing hers for the Party. Frankly, it is WAY more than they deserve after the way Dean, Brazille, Pelosi, Reid, Kennedy, Kerry, Carter, Leahy, Cohen, and others have acted toward her. Way, way more than they deserve, if you ask me. But, she IS a Former First Lady, and IS a two-term senator, so it is to be expected. However, I do not feel compelled to show loyalty to a party that has treated Clinton, women in general, working class voters, and others, as disposable. I do not feel compelled to show a Party that has engaged in WILLFUL voter disenfranchisement in FL and MI any loyalty. As I have opined here before, the right to vote is SACRED, and for ANY party to disregard the magnitude of that does not deserve my loyalty, nor my membership, much less my vote. That the DNC not only disenfranchised voters, but proceeded to steal votes from voters in Michigan was beyond the pale. It was abhorent. I cannot condone that with my vote, and will not. There are, after all, consequences to actions. While many politicians may not be able to maintain principled stands for fear of losing votes, I do not have any problems with my backbone. That is to say, I have one, and it is intact. I am more than capable of taking a principled stand and maintaining it, no matter the pressure to do otherwise.

And the pressure is sure coming from Obama supporters to try to convince Clinton supporters to move on, and jump on board the Obama wagon. Um, no. In fact, hell to the no. Some of the supporters may not be as rabid as those whose comments I have seen here and on other boards, but that does not matter - it is the way Obama conducted himself, and the way in which the DNC enabled him, to which I object. So, Obama supporters can kiss up to me all they want - I will not support a candidate like Obama. I have no respect for him, and will not violate my own conscience to put such an unqualified, arrogant, sexist, candidate in office who not only is a chameleon, but cannot even talk extemporaneously!! I have had MORE than enough of a president like that, thank you so much. Oh, sure, he can read other peoples' words just fine - he mimics others just fine, thank you so much (excellent video at No Quarter USA that highlights this), but thinking on his feet, or crafting his own policies? Not so much. Like I said - we have had almost 8 years of a president like that. Frankly, I want the candidate who crafted the polcies he stole in office - SHE is the one who pays attention to detail and is able to effect change! Just sayin'.

I want to go into this more indepth down the road, but PLEASE don't throw the whole Roe v. Wade argument at me. If the people who are touting this argugment REALLY cared about a woman's right to choose, they would have voted for the candidate who has been working for a woman's right to choose for years, and that would be Clinton. They would have voted for the candidate who proclaimed Women's Rights as HUMAN Rights. Not the candidate who voted, "Present." Or who claimed that Pro-Choice Progressives do not understand how painful a decision it is to have an abortion, a COMPLETE right-wing talking point, and insulting as HELL. Don't tell ME I don't know how painful it is - I have accompanied TWO women to have abortions, and I KNOW it was not an easy choice! I have marched in solidarity at family planning centers against Operation Rescue, making sure women can get in, so don't tell ME I don't know how painful it is!! As I said, this is a right-wing talking point, and implied being Pro-choice is being Pro-abortion. The two are NOT interchangeable! Like Senator Clinton, I believe abortions should be legal, safe, and rare. That is a huge distinction Obama fails to grasp. So, if these folks were REALLY worried about the Supreme Court, and a woman's right to choose, they should have picked the candidate who will ensure women have choice. Again, just saying. (I might add, this Democratic-led Congress has done blessed little in keeping conservatives off the bench, Supreme or otherwise. They have passed along just about everyone Bush has sent down the pike, so SPARE me the emotional manipulations!)

Senator Clinton is an amazing woman, classy to the end. I am in awe of her. And I will continue to support her.

4 comments:

Travelingman Rick said...

Hi Amy,

Thanks for your kind response to my previous comment. I watched Hillary's speech today and was quite awed by it. Having watched pretty much every single piece on TV this season since Iowa I have to say I think it was her best ever.

I have to respectfully disagree about Florida and Michigan. While the outcome may not have been what HRC would have chosen the Florida compromise was unanimous. The reasoning for the half votes was to insure that no other states would try to go against party rules in the future.

Michigan is a whole nother story. As a former resident of that state I have both family and friends there and am proud to call Michigan my home, having grown up in Detroit. When talking to my peeps up there none of them bothered to vote in the primary because everyone told them it would not count. Not one of them voted! My BBF who I have known for 30 years votes in every election and she stayed home.

The MI primary was flawed for many reasons and the DNC did the best they could to insure that the delegates could be seated. Because the election was flawed and because so many people stayed home IMHO I felt the best solution was a 50/50 split with half votes. I know you will disagree but the undecideds voted for someone. Carl Levin my former Senator came up with the idea to split them the way that the DNC finally agreed to. Was it perfect? No, but the election was not perfect either.

I really am not ranting here and not trying to give you a hard sell. All I hope for is that at some point you can step back from your anger about the outcome and look at this particular issue in depth.

The other question I have is about the Roe v. Wade thing. How is it that that is a republican talking point? What hurts my feelings about your comment regarding this is that as a GWM I have never had a dog in that fight yet my whole life as a voter I have used this one issue as a deciding factor in who I vote for. EG: 2000 election, I was leaning toward McCain, but voted for Gore based on this one issue. (I thought Gore was too liberal, in hindsight I did the right thing.) I too have taken a friend to the hospital who had an abortion and have also been there and supported another friend who had her baby and gave it up for adoption.

If you can't vote for Obama I pray that you will at least vote for Nader, anybody but McCain. I am going to keep visiting your blog to say hello and to let you know I am thinking about you down here in NC.

This has been the hardest primary I have ever seen in my adult life, alot of things were said on both sides that were hurtful. My greatest hope is that we can all at some point resolve that the greater good of this country of ours is more important than our idividual selves.

My heart breaks for our party right now and for those of us like you and I who care so much about our candidates yet seem at such an impasse.

I wish you much peace and happiness and nothing but kindness. Have a great day and again remember this guy down in NC is thinking about all of you.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, Traveling Man:

Thanks for coming by!

I completely disagree with you abt MI. Obama WILLINGLY took himself off the ballot there because he knew he was going to lose badly to Clinton, and to increase his standing with Iowa. This has been WELL documented, along with his attempts to get others to join him. So, I am not going to waste a whole lo of time on this, but to say that once he DID do that, John Conyers campaigned for people who wanted Obama to vote uncommitted,a recognized presidential candidate in MI. To then TAKE DELEGATES from Clinton wsa theft. There is simply no other way to look at it. She had 55% of the vote,a nd delegates were taken FROM her to give to HIM. The use of "exit polls" to give him more was absurd- they have been NOTORIOUSLY poor this year. Frankly, with that kind of "logic," they may as well have called the Psychic Hotline. Really. It was thft.

My point abtObama's comment is his asserting that Pro-choice Progressives do not understand how painful a decision abortion is. That is INCREDIBLY insulting. How do you not get that? Of COURSE we know it is painful, and difficult! As a woman, I CERTAINLY know that. It was an homage to right-wingers, and I think that is a fair point.

I cannot and will not vote for someone who used sexism and race-baiting to get where he is, along with the theft of certified votes. Sorry - as a minister, who also specialied in ethics, it is a line I refuse to cross. Add to that the blatantly homophobic people with whom Obama surrounds himself, and I refust to conone that behavior, just as I refuse to condone the horrendou behavior of the DNC.

Yes, the DNC is fracturing - and they have only themselves to blame.

Sorry if this sounds terse - I am actually on vacation, and my nephew has an online class in 3 inutes so I am hurrying! THe tone isn't intended to be, I assure you, I am just trying to be FAST!!

Take care.

Travelingman Rick said...

Rabble Rouser can you please email me at my home addy so that I can respond to your comments? I would like to begin a dialogue with you about this. I would like for us to have an honest discussion and continue what we have started. As a gay man I have a great deal of opinions regarding both candidates and I would like to share some of them with you in private.

I would like to stress again that i am not attempting to "convert" you but just to have an open dialoge with you about this. When I read this particular post it really made me sad about the hard feelings between our two camps. The tears that it brought forth in me took me by surprise. I would like to give you more of my perspective in private if you are comfortable with that.

I look forward to hearing from you anytime at: travelingman.rick@gmail.com
I look forward to hearing from you and hope to talk with you more soon.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Hey, Traveler -

I a kinda surprised to read that you are a gay man, and support Obama, to tell you the truth, given his close associations with James Meeks and Donnie McClurkin, two men who are ACTIVELY anti-gay. These are long-standing relationships, and James Meeks even has ads for Obama. No one has been a more stalwart supporter of our community than Clinton, I have to say.

But, sure - we can talk more. As you know, I am on vacation now, and am only checking in sporadically. Once I get back home we can talk more, okay?

And I am sorry his has been hard on you. I can say likewise - if you have read this blog for any length of time at al, you will know the complete pain of seeing such n incredibly competent wman be treated with such utter contempt. It was painful to see Clinto treated like that, and painful to see how far we have NOT come...

Anywho -I'll be in touch when I get home.

Take care.