Obama’s supporters may lose the White House for their guy
HOW OBAMA SUPPORTERS ARE SAVAGING NEEDED ALLIES
As a life-long democrat (well, like Hillary, I was raised republican but saw the light in college and switched parties before my first presidential election), I am desperately looking forward to a Democratic Party administration after 8 years of George W’s idiotic foreign and domestic policies.
Looking at the numbers, barring a miracle, Barack Obama looks to be the Democratic Party nominee in 2008.
That scares me; but not for the reason you may think.
I’m afraid of Obama’s supporters; not the man himself. Many - and perhaps most - of those supporters are newcomers to politics. And of them, a very vocal few are pulling no stops in belittling and demonizing Hillary Clinton and her supporters.
Horrid videos on YouTube have compared Hillary to everything from Hitler to the whore of Babylon. Of course, last year Obama’s staff started it all off on YouTube by throwing a hammer at Hillary’s face.
That is a fool’s game. If and when Obama clinches the nomination - he will need the vast majority of Hillary’s supporters to fight back the Republican onslaught that awaits him between now and November.
But here is where supporter inexperience can kill a Democratic victory in November. Like every other primary victor in the past, Obama - if he gets the nomination - will have to reach out and absorb his toughest opponent’s base. He also must be able to convince Hillary’s 50-state get-out-the-vote network to work for and to support him.
From personal experience, that will be a tough sell. For the past 4 months, as a fairly vocal Hillary supporter, I myself have been the target of personal attacks via email and the Internet by (supposed) teens and 20-somethings who use personal attacks in an attempt to demoralize me all in the name of their leader. I know they are doing the same to others.
Having faith that Obama is at heart a decent man, I have no doubt that he neither would condone nor agree with these tactics. But the onslaught is painful to watch.
These Obama-inspired political newbies walk in and dismiss tried-and-true politicking as “out of date” or insignificant as “that time has passed.” They thumb their noses at “old people” and those without college degrees (usually blue-collar union workers).
The life blood of the Democratic Party - along with racial minorities, women and gays - are unions and retirees.
Let’s face the truth, shall we? A big chunk of the under-30 crowd inspired by Obama fall into the same demographics and tastes (and political ideology) as the under-30 crowd that elected George W Bush in 2000. They, by and large, aren’t voting for him because they believe in his issues.
For these “me too” supporters, they fight for Obama because it is the popular thing to do. It’s what all the cool kids are doing. It’s mindless peer pressure, plain and simple.
They view the primary as a sport. And are demonizing Hillary and her supporters as the “other team” who must be crushed to make it to the playoffs.
The problem - to use a better sports analogy - is that we are not at that level of competition yet. Just now, we are just in the try-out stage for picking our team and deciding on the team captain.
These newbie Hillary-bashing and Obama-frothed fools are attacking members of their own team before the first game against the only real opponent - the Republicans - has been played.
Obama supporters MUST stop attacking Hillary and her supporters now, if not for the sake of our country, civil rights, and the Democratic Party; then for their own candidate’s fate in November.
Here’s what I mean: after news organizations started reporting Hillary’s win in West Virginia Tuesday night, the Obama attack machine started churning out the hate:
Obama supporter’s posts on a Facebook page for Hillary Supporters:
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From CNN.com:
| Lorna, NY | May 13th, 2008 7:48 pm ET I think the first order of business for President Obama is to send these people to college. I would be insulted to be labeled uneducated, low income supporter of Hillary Clinton. West Virginians should be ashamed of themselves…How backwards can you be??? |
HOW HILLARY SUPPORTERS ARE REACTING:
From CNN.com
| detractors | May 13th, 2008 7:48 pm ET The Obama supporters are hateful and vitriolic. They insult, denigrate and demean anyone who differs from them. They result to vulgar and obscene name-calling.They do this while purporting to believe in hope, unity and change.I will never vote for ANY candidate who attracts such immature, vile, viscious and hateful followers. |
| bessie | May 13th, 2008 7:51 pm ET Why are we keep blaming Hillary for everything? A lot of the hatred are caused the the Obamabots’ constant bashing of Hillary. You Obamabots are the one dividing the party. |
| Courtney | May 13th, 2008 7:55 pm ET I support Hillary, and it’s hard to get behind Obama after seeing him as aligned with anti-gays, racists, and sexists. Their platforms are almost identical but for Hillary’s concern for children, gays, and women’s rights. It’s difficult for her supporters to want to sacrifice that for a cult leader… |
| Brian | May 13th, 2008 7:58 pm ET I’m so glad that I’m considered a racist now that I won’t vote for a senator who is not ready to be president. Well does it make me a sexist because I am a man who will vote for Hillary. You Kool-Aid drinkers need to get your facts straight and vote for the most fit candidate. Whether it be Clinton or McCain. |
Hillary supporters on her Facebook Page:
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It is exactly this type of treatment by Obama supporters and the complicity of Obama and his senior staff in not stopping these attacks against fellow democrats….NOW they want us to unite with this group?! Hell no! Actions have consequences and what the DNC did will reverberate - if not, there is no way to create real change. The fact that Obama and the Dem Pty leaders did NOT speak out against the horrible treatment and mysogeny in the primary against HRC is deplorable, and should NOT be rewarded by HRC’s supporters…This kind of behavior and attitude stand against everything HRC believes in, and Obama, Plouffe, Axelrod and his smartass supporters should NOT be rewarded for it. They are exactly as you described and I don’t even think they know what the Dem Pty platform even is. As for Obama, Plouffe, Axelrod et al, it is their sheer HYPOCRISY, with his words of ‘difft kind of politics’ ‘hope, etc’ that really gets my goat…and the complete absence of any media coverage on this. Obama’s negative,, sneaky, insulting personalizations of HRC, especially in local TV ads, and the underhanded behavior of his supporters at caucuses and primaries should NOT be rewarded by our automatic support.
Actions have consequences and if we want REAL change, we will go forward with a 3rd Party with HRC and get her elected to the White House in Nov. We can live up to what HRC fights for and what the people deserves. Keep the momentum and coalesce around other groups working toward this. Spread the word on your article about Obama supporters - it is so right on!
Please spread the word for Indep/3rdParty/Write-In for HRC swings into full action now! We can do this if we BELIEVE.
Thank you!
so many sites on this but can start at:
http://hillary1000.wordpress.com/on-protest-voting-mccain-no/