Political Punch

Hillary stood for something when she was running. There were things that she wanted to accomplish for all of us. I (perhaps incorrectly) presume that those of us who supported her, did so because of what she stood for and wanted to accomplish for all of us.

What Obama stands for is and wants to accomplish is much in keeping with what Hillary did -- and a far cry from what McCain would like for all of us.

Is Obama experienced enough to accomplish it? Well, he, at much the same age that Bill Clinton was back in '92, actually has more experience, especially in foreign policy (which as a Governor, Bill Clinton did not have to deal with), than Bill Clinton did back then.

To any Hillary supporter who would now vote for McCain, I ask much what Hillary just did Tuesday night: Were you in it for her or in it for all of us?

The only reason Hillary is now supporting Obama is because SHE HAS TO. She has about 14 million dollars in campaign spending to pay back, and Obama gave her a few bucks to support him. Don't be fooled - it's all about the money.

I would agree that Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, and some parts of the party itself, did Hillary wrong, etc. However, if one is not supporting Obama for that reason, against John McCain this fall, I have a question to ask: who is it that truly suffers for your not supporting Obama?

The election this fall is REAL. It will have REAL effects that will be felt by every person in this nation, likely for generations to come. Obama is not Pelosi, nor is he Dean. He is the entire Democratic Party's only remaining potential candidate against John McCain.

Are there issues with the party? Certainly. Once this election is over we will have time to deal with those issues (most effectively from the bottom up). But allowing a candidate whose policies diametrically oppose those of Hillary does no one any good. It may, however, do many great harm.

If the issue is the process and the party leadership, by all means, let us work to transform it. However, right now, we have an election to win whose outcome will likely define the next decade (and given global warming and energy issues), likely the decades to come.

I have been a democrat all my life but I am sad to say I will not be voting this fall for Obama. I am a Hillary supporter and contributor and I feel both Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean and the party itself did Hillary wrong, and those superdelegates, what a sham that is...I could go on and on, but it is too irritating and raises my blood pressure.

I wish all these so-called inconsolable Hillary supporters would just go away, and vote for whomever the choose on November the 4th. Barack Obama won the nomination fair and square according to all the established rules. How do they think Obama supporters would have felt if the DNC had taking away the nomination from the candidate witht he most pledged delegates? After all presidential nominees (just like presidents) are elected by delegates not by the popular vote (and even in this category Barack Obama won very clearly, unless you unjustly choose to add votes from States like Florida and Michigan who broke the rules). What ever happened to American's spirit of sportmanship and fairplay. You do not change the rules of a game in the middle of the game to favor a candidate, who losing according to the established (not to talk of mutually agreed upon rules, before the contests began).

That is called CHEATING by any measure of the word. The DNC did the right thing by refusing to cheat on behalf of Hillary, and her so-called (I called them so-called, because if they were truly Hillary's followers, they would do as she now does, and get behind Obama's candidacy). In any game or competition, someone has to win, and someone has to lose. this time around Hillary lost, and her so-called supporters should show some dignity (not to talk of maturity), and accept reality. If they are so devoted to Hillary, why don't they rally around her now that she needs and contribute a mere $1.50 to her campaign. That would surely erase her $25,000,000.00 debt with quite a lot to spare.

If they cannot even give their darling president in waiting a mere $1.50, how can they expect to convince any one that the really support her, and are not in fact 'Obama-hating republicans' in 'Hillary-supporter' clothing?

There is democracy in America. One may choose to vote for whomever one sees fit. However, there are consequences to one’s actions. There are also rules one agrees to abide by when becoming a delegate to one’s party’s convention. While I was supporting Hillary both financially and as a volunteer, I met and worked with Deb Bartoshevich on Hillary’s behalf. Like Deb I sought to become a Hillary delegate to the national convention, albeit from the neighboring congressional district. Hence, I was aware that one agrees to both support the Democratic candidate, whomever it may be and act in a way that is supportive of the Democratic Party. Obviously, announcing that you will vote for the other party’s candidate in the November election does not support the Democratic candidate, nor is it being supportive of the Democratic Party.

I was a voting delegate at the WI Democratic Convention. I spoke on her behalf, insofar as I made it clear that she had been a hard-working supporter of Hillary Clinton. However, I urged all of us to vote to ask the Democratic National Committee to strip her of her credentials as a delegate. She was privileged to represent her district’s Hillary supporters as a delegate to our party’s national convention. Her subsequent actions made it necessary to strip her of her credentials.

We voted to do so. There was no coercion. Obama was not there. We said what we had to say. We listened to the arguments. And then those of us representing Wisconsin’s Democratic Party members made our choice.

Personally, since that time, I’ve gone on to do exactly what Hillary so eloquently and passionately asked all of her supporters to do: support Obama. Further, I have gone on to support local Democratic candidates. This is a pivotal year. We have so much to gain at all levels of government – we also have so much to lose. I chose Hillary for good reasons. Because Obama most closely fits those reasons, he has my support.

I would urge all of us who have a desire to see the next decade be one in which we squarely face all those challenges with which we are confronted, rather than keep trying to “keep doing the same things,” somehow expecting a different result – to do the same. We can make great gains in these next years – or we can set a path that presents us with a future in which I don’t think any of us want to see.

Basically, this woman was punished for exercising her right to free speech--supposedly one of the basic tenets of our country. But the Democratic party kicks her out. I think this woman has a great case for a lawsuit, personally. No one can know who she really would have voted for and it's nobody's business.

Obama would only get my vote if Hillary was on the ticket. That won't happen, therefore he wont' get my vote.

If Hillary got about as many popular votes as Obama, and she was behind in both total elected delegates as wells as total superdelegates, why should have the DNC selected her instead of the one with more delegates (since the delegates determine the winner)? If she is running on her experinece, and she cannot beat a candidate with little experience in a Democratic primary, how can she beat someone like McCain who has decisively more experience in a general election? Remember, most of the Hillary's haters (in the Republican Party, mostly, and a substantial number of independents) had not had their say yet but they would be there in the general election.

Hillary's supporters will continue to insist she is more electable, and that is the reason the DNC should have selected her. How do you define electability? Do people just have to accept your words as they are?

Attention PUMA gals........

Under McCain's Health Care Plan obesity will be considered a "disease". And if you are already overweight, the condition will be considered "pre-existing" and you will be denied coverage or it will be hugely expensive.

So hit the treadmills, folks! I suggest you walk to the polling booth!!

Debbie has shown the courage of her convictions. Nancy Pelosi is jumping with joy. One less female to take away her thunder. She has a book out now. She's what-3rd in line if BO gets elected? Hmmm...by getting rid of Hillary has she been setting herself up to move on up the ladder? What does she secretly wish???

curious voter, a person with a 50 percent approval rating can get elected the same way bush got elected twice. the same way the dnc could nominate obama when he and Hillary had about the same number of votes, and its unfair to take on snap shot during the primaries I bet her approval rating is higher now and gee that 50 percent is a heck of a lot better than congress and bush have rigt now. If you are gonna to use polls what about the polls that said she would beat McCain so she could have won you cant pick and choose.

"No one is electable when more than half of the electorate do not like you. Not even God."

Posted by: curious voter | Jul 28, 2008 10:24:38 PM

but the curious thing is, curious voter,
that despite the polls which said the electorate didn't like her, Clinton garnered just about as many votes as Obama did.....

So... go figure.

I think more and more Democrats are beginning to sizzle and steam because their candidate was selected for them and stuffed down their throat ... and that might very well cause Obama's
defeat.

But politics... is a very strange game!

Can someone explain to me why a candidate whose personal unfavorable rating consistently hovers around 50 percent (in other words, half of the nation do not like her) is electable? Her unfavorable rating at one point during the primary was measured at 54 percent (ABC News/Washington Post poll, April 16, 2008). No one is electable when more than half of the electorate do not like you. Not even God.

hmmmmm,

If everything you are saying about McCain is true, what can be the reasons anyone will choose Hillary over McCain, now or in 2012? Do they have the same policy positions?

Mccain as President would serve as another set of checks and balances against a Democratic congress which upholds the spending of enormous amounts of money for an (s)election during a period of time when tons of people, impoverished by the economy are facing eviction and the loss of benefits along with income.

He would be a stabilizing influence....and with his forward looking attitude regarding drilling for oil and natural gas, wind mills, nuclear power, and motivating prizes for workable ideas for recycleable batteries, I think McCain would be a strong leader.

He would base our leave-taking Iraq on information from the generals.... which sounds sensible to me.

He is definitely not as glitzy as Obama.

I can do without that for a leader who can work both sides of the room and who knows more about the senate than just where the men's room is.

HILLARY OR MCCAIN

but always,

COUNTRY OVER BROKEN DOWN DNC

Grow up. The convention in Denver is serious business. It is about choosing the most electable Democrat--not about who the big rock star is!!

Proud pumapac.org member.

........

Wahhhh!!! I don't want to hear about the rules. Wahhhh!!!! I want what I want, when I want it!

Posted by: Victim Voter | Jul 28, 2008 6:42:06 PM

This is just plain crazy. The DNC is just about sit down and shut up that scares me. How can the they even claim part of the name democrat? You can tell how different the dnc is from the rnc. Ron Paul's supporters get respect and their own freaking convention without a problem, while the Hillary supporters are told shut up sit down or get out. Whats up with that? I mean when you think of it Some Hillary delegates are going to go to the convention and in Nov they support McCain(some), are they some how better because they were too scared to verbalize what they intended to do. Well we all know Obama controls the dnc and probably wont even allow a vote its terrible.

McCain continues to run around crying about the surge this and the surge that. I mean who gives a darn anyway about these semantics from failed war that should have never been started??

The American people want this stupid Bush/McBush war finished and thereby stopping the cash hemorrhage down this rat hole Bush and McBush have created, that's all...

Last week we saw McCain screaming ME TOO, ME TOO! On Obama's 16 month timetable position, and whining about press coverage and other made up stuff like this troop visit in Germany (because they have nothing else to talk about)!

So now this week Obama is getting down to business on what really matters to Americans, the ECONOMY STUPID!

Let's all just watch as Obama again sets the pace and how McBush comes running from behind screaming ME TOO, ME TOO, on this one as well....

How pathetic is this old fool McCain anyway???

Obama '08!!!!

I don't care how bad Hillary ran her campaign. They should have just given it to her. It was HER right! she derserved and not Obama! It doesn't matter that she decided not to run in the caucus states. BAD decision, yes, but IT WAS HER RIGHT! She earned this Nomination, because, well....

Nevermind that she spent money like a drunked sailor early in the Primary. It was supposed to be OVER by Super Tuesday. Then that rat had the nerve to run a better campaign. But it WAS HER RIGHT!!!!

Wahhhh!!! I don't want to hear about the rules. Wahhhh!!!! I want what I want, when I want it!