The party’s over….
We have all seen by now Donna Brazile’s vile, divisive rhetoric towards what she calls the “old coalition” of the Democratic Party. Apparently women, latinos, and blue collar whites are no longer welcome in the party that they helped to victory in two Presidential campaigns in the 1990’s. In Brazile’s new Democratic Party, only African Americans and well-heeled whites need apply. And if anybody thinks I am being hyperbolic, one only need look at the message this “new coalition” is sending to us (via SusanUnPc at No Quarter):
“It’s the Kool Aid Cultists and liars I am calling out. Get lost. We’ll win by double digits without you as we attract tens of millions of new voters in the place of the few of you. For decades people have been turned off as the likes of Susan, Karen, and Larry have been too prominent in our party. (not you 3 specifically but the likes of you such as Bob Shrum, Mark Penn, Harold Ford, Joe Lieberman, etc…) It is your ilk that made the Democratic party a minority party for way too long. And by getting rid of your ilk, Democrats will become the majority party for decades to come”.
Well, bigdave, it was our “ilk” that got the only two-term Democratic President since FDR elected in Bill Clinton, so how about you stick a cork in it?
It is my opinion that many in this new coalition are quite eager to force gays from the party as well. Many of you may have read about the ongoing drama at the DNC regarding the wrongful termination lawsuit of Donald Hitchcock, former DNC gay outreach director.
It seems that Howard Dean’s chief of staff, Leah Daughtry, along with other “prominent” African-American party members were unhappy with criticism, leveled by Hitchcock’s partner, of her handling of gay delegates and may have retaliated by having Hitchcock fired:
He acknowledged a proposal by gay DNC member Garry Shay of California to add gays to the party’s affirmative action guidelines for selecting convention delegates triggered a contentious internal debate.
Dean said some “influential individuals” within the DNC Black Caucus, such as Donna Brazile, opposed the plan because it was seen as “an affront to the civil rights movement”.
Well, excuse my French, but Donna can go F#%$ herself. How dare she insinuate that my struggles for equal rights are in someway an “affront” to hers? Last time I checked there were no laws on the books that actively discriminate against African Americans, as there are for gays. In fact, there are quite a few laws that specifically protect them, including hate crime laws. Yet many times when the LGBT community tries to amend these laws to protect ourselves, it is the African American community that is among the most vocal of the opposition. (This topic in and of itself deserves another entire post in the future). But I digress….
Dean was deposed in the lawsuit, and video of part of his deposition can be seen here:
It doesn’t end there, however, as there are other examples of African-American members of the democratic party thinking that gays had gotten a bit, shall we say, uppity?:
“The messages to Brian Bond, Hitchcock’s successor at the DNC, were triggered by the news that a lesbian had been elected to the Alabama state legislature.
Patricia Todd won her seat in the Alabama House of Representatives in July 2006, following a protracted fight in which her victory was temporarily overturned.
Todd defeated her Democratic opponent, Gaynell Hendricks, by 59 votes in a primary runoff, but Hendricks’ supporters challenged the outcome, arguing that Todd should have been disqualified because she missed the deadline for filing a campaign finance report, a charge Todd denied. A party subcommittee overturned results of the election, but Democratic Party Executive Committee officials later voted 95-87 to reverse the decision and let Todd’s victory stand.
Party insiders said Alabama Democratic Conference Chair Joe Reed, who is black, orchestrated the challenge.
According to media reports at the time, Reed wanted an African American to represent the mostly black district. The Birmingham News reported that the vote by the full Democratic Party committee split largely along racial lines.
A bit off topic, but does this remind anyone of another certain candidate’s efforts to have his opponents stricken from the ballot?
Anyway, I for one have had enough. If the Democratic party continues to bow to the politics of exclusion being promoted by the likes of Brazile, we need to fight to take our party back. It is our party, by the way. If the African American coalition (which, imo, is part of the “old coalition” too. They’re just being used by the “new guard”) wants to shack up with ex-republicans like Marcos and Arianna, they do so at their own peril. This new coalition can stay if they want, but they better damn well show some respect for those of us who were fighting for democratic causes while they were republicans singing the praises of St. Reagan of California. So as far as I’m concerned, the ball is in their court. It is now incumbent upon them to convince me that they deserve to belong to the party, and they need to prove to me that my vote is every bit as valuable as every other member of the Democratic Party. I won’t hold my breath….
Gary, thanks for this post (including those articles).
I expect BO to do his usual “all things to all people” shtick in hopes everyone will like him. It won’t surprise me when he *suddenly* favors many of HRC’s proposals and LOVES THE GAYS! Perhaps he and Michelle will ride aboard one of the floats at the next GP parade. An opportunist of the highest order. ICK! No way, no how.
Wait, there is no LGBT desk at the DNC?
Gary–thank you. As a thirty year gay Dem from California, I agree with everything you said.
A friend asked me today (knowing I’m a Hilgirl) if I’d vote for Obama. I said no. He said, what about McCain? I said that Obama had made it clear that my vote was unneeded and unwanted, so I’m sure he’ll do just fine without me.
But, he said, what about the Supreme Court? Surely you don’t want that on your conscience?
I said I don’t respond well to threats. Besides, I’ve been assured by people much, much smarter than I that we now live in a post-feminist world, and that it’s no big deal. Besides, I said, I’m nearly 50. I don’t need reproductive rights any more.
I’m not taking my ball and going home. I have no ball. I’m completely without balls. I’m just going to take all these smart people’s word that they’ll do fine without me and my friends, and I wish them luck.
It feels oddly liberating to write this.
Gary, hang in there, brother; lots of us of all shapes, sizes, and colors are in your corner.
edwardian: Not only will they ride the float in next Pride parade, they’ll have Donnie “I fixed my curse! and you can, too” McClurkin with them.
OT, but did someone ask for a BO pic w/mission accomplished banner?:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/NewHampster/oaccomplished.jpg
By the way, is Dean wearing a flag pin? What would Obama say?
Holy Hemiola! They really are that clueless. But Gary, I think you hit on something really important. People like Marcos and Arianna are libertarians and moderate Republicans. And they were disenfranchised with their own party so they took over ours and kicked *us* out. They aren’t really Democrat and so, while they are in charge, it isn’t the Democratic party. They are going to lose this fall because they are country club Republicans vs batshit crazy Republicans. Which leaves all of the completely normal people without a party.
merciless said:
“I have no ball. I’m completely without balls. ” Now that brought a smile to my face : )
riverdaughter:
I don’t suppose that being married to a closeted millionaire republican in anyway affected Arianna’s judgement, do you?
That Davefromqueens guy is a complete moron. Awhile back he wrote a diary at the Cheetos place telling us baby boomers that we aren’t wanted in the Party. Of course Obama had already made that clear. These people don’t seem to be capable of elementary arithmetic, much less “the math.” Just who the hell do they think is actually going to vote for “The Precious.” The precious few AA’s and rich liberals suffering from white guilt, I guess.
gary - thanks for this. I watched the Dean deposition clip several weeks and was stunned to find out the party I had been supporting for decades (and I thought supported me) just wanted my money and my vote without giving anything in return.
I have been shocked to find out that the CEO of the Dem Party (Leah) is a Pentecostal minister - my God. Are we crazy?
I am so glad you have posted on this issue - I have been trying to talk to everyone about this problem but they just look at me like I am crazy because the “DNC would never take the position that gays rights are not human/civil rights”. WRONG - they did exactly that and have been trying to keep it a secret. F**k them.
gary, could you scratch out K****’s name? She want’s that diary deleted and has asked MyDD to all day. So far, inaction. She doesn’t post under that name and doesn’t want it out there.
Well, now we know why Obama’s campaign logo is a setting sun. Goodbye Democratic Party!
Nice observation, riverdaughter, about who’s pushing the DNC nowadays.
bostonboomer: Just who the hell do they think is actually going to vote for “The Precious.”
the Children’s Crusade
Melanie, I’m not sure I know who you mean. who is K*****? the mydd link is by someone called bigdavinqueens.
From the quote at the top of the post: “For decades people have been turned off as the likes of Susan, K****, and Larry …”
I know who wrote the diary. She is trying to get it taken down.
This story will never reach the mainstream blogs, much less the media, I’m sorry to say.
We gays are an expendable element of the Democratic coalition, new or old.
Though, I have to say, many of the DNCers who have acted to sideline gays at the national party are now whistling Obama’s tune.
“Yet many times when the LGBT community tries to amend these laws to protect ourselves, it is the African American community that is among the most vocal of the opposition. (This topic in and of itself deserves another entire post in the future).”
I really agree with the part in parenthesis. I am under the vague impression that attitudes within AA culture are less accepting/tolerant of homosexuality (I think I read this in a psych textbook I had). The situation has to be a lot more complex but as you are pointing out, it deserves discussion (or maybe not; I have little knowledge about it). On the other hand I’m not sure if breaking down attitudes towards homosexuality by demographics is going to be helpful.
I am not ready to hop on the Dean hate’n wagon but Donna Brazile… Lately Dean has seemed a bit confused but Brazile sure has not. She is trying to be incendiary (like say Carville). The key difference is their position, Carville works for/with the Clintons. I know where Carville is coming from and he is self-described as the “ragin cajun.” Brazile goes around saying crazy shit while pretending that she is detached and objective. She drives me crazy.
This is kind of a side note but I think tossing around the “really just a republican” insult is lame. Plenty of people are saying Clinton is a Republican and plenty of people are saying Obama is a Republican. It is kind neat that it has become such a dirty word but it is just not true in either case. In general I think it is better to file ideas under ‘good’ and ‘bad’.
The black community is very intolerant of gays. But again, this is the same group that absolved OJ (a double murderer) and Michael Jackson (King of the Pedophiles) and Al Sharpton (Tiwana Brawley) and called all of us who did not agree “racists”. The double standard coming out of that community is ridiculous.
I know I sounded paranoid about what was going on behind the scenes but I am convinced now, more than ever, that the fix is in. They are willing to push Mr. Unqualifed to the front without reservation because it suits their cause. And if they have to burn down Hillary Clinton to do it they will.
Ryan, I only said that about Markos and Arianna because they really were republicans….i meant it literally, not as an insult
Ryan: On the other hand I’m not sure if breaking down attitudes towards homosexuality by demographics is going to be helpful.
My guess is that the principle factor is church attendance.
It seems that Howard Dean’s chief of staff, Leah Daughtry, along with other “prominent” African-American party members were unhappy
OK, I know nothing about this issue specifically, but an aside … Leah Daughtry is a Pentecostal preacher. She’s been known to speak in tongues. I’m not kidding.
It seems to me that Brazille is promoting a position that the civil rights of the AA community depends on putting all other ‘minority’ claims lower on the ladder.
I think that is crazy, each minority stays minority by fighting only for interests that serve them directly. It helps to divide and conquer by not having us work together and help with each other’s causes.
Regarding those Supreme Court nominations. That’s what they are, just nominations until they are confirmed by the Senate. And, the last time I looked we controlled the Senate.
I don’t understand. Are the DNC and Obamacons telling me that the Senate is too weak to keep bad candidates off of the bench. If that’s so then maybe some primary challenges for the weak Senators are in order.
I don’t understand why Taylor Marsh’s harping on Hillary’s female base, and how she “honors women” is kosher, but Donna Brazile is “divisive.”
Doesn’t anyone think that the wife of a former President running for President is a stratagem to circumvent the 22nd Amendment?
The GOP would never want Roe v Wade overturned because it would defeat their cause. They need a rallying cry for their base voters and if that disappeared they would be left with few issues to rally support. The GOP is well aware of the number of female voters in the US and would never go that far to alienate them altogether. Even Republican women under child bearing age would come out strongly in opposition.
riverdaughter, I am proud to link to this important post on my own humble site. However, I think you have it precisely backwards in one respect…
“People like Marcos and Arianna are libertarians and moderate Republicans. And they were disenfranchised with their own party so they took over ours and kicked *us* out. They aren’t really Democrat and so, while they are in charge, it isn’t the Democratic party. They are going to lose this fall because they are country club Republicans vs batshit crazy Republicans.”
You’re right to say that Libertarian “ex-” Republicans have effectively kicked out the real Dems. (Add Andrew Sullivan to the list.) But you should do a 180 degree reversal when you pass out the terms “country club” and “batshit crazy.”
Look at Arianna’s background. She has always wanted to obliterate every last vestige of the social safety net in order to “liberate” private charity. Yeah, she lives in Brentwood — a town that is one big country club — but her views are as batshitty as they come.
Moulitsas? Look at his site. That guy has become the KING of batshittiness. His followers engage in a daily contest to see who can out-guano the others.
Can you honestly tell me that McCain is going to come across as crazier than Kos and Zsa-Zsa?
McCain is going to seem like Everyone’s Grandfather. If he can somehow reverse his policy on Iraq — forget it. He’ll have November sewn up with double stitching over duct tape.
Doesn’t anyone think that the wife of a former President running for President is a stratagem to circumvent the 22nd Amendment?
It would be, if the person who actually won the presidency had the intention of not actually running the country, but instead turning over the office to the spouse.
Since I do not think that would be the case in this instance, then the answer to your question is no.
Boy the trolls are out in force today. They must be starting to realize that their “Precious One” is in trouble. So sad.
The more I read Donna B’s e-mails, the angrier I get. Who does she think she is? A professional does not take that tone in a missive that can be passed all the internet unless:
1. This thing is so in the bag she is unconcerned about her divisive tone.
2. She truly does not give a s**t about party healing.
3. She is completely nuts.
And to think I was in the habit of sending money to the DNC in my idealistic days which only went into her pocket.
jsilverheels, what the hell do you mean by circumvent the 22nd Amendment? You do realize Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is actually a seperate person from Bill Clinton, right? Do you realize that no woman in history has come so close to the presidency? Is it alright with you if women celebrate that?
Joseph Cannon: HuffPo’s home page practically screams out at you, like a demented grafitti artist who just has to get your attention. And that orange lettering at Kos always drove me crazy. God, I pray for Hillary to win. These people are causing me great concern.
Thought: Would anyone else love to see Donna B and Sugar together on the podium at the convention? And then predict the winner?
Statements like this makes me want to spit nails. Is it incomprehensible to you people that women are capable of great, important things without the help or guidance of a man?! I want to meet the wives, mothers, girlfriends, and daughters of men who think like this. And don’t get me started on the women, WOMEN who go on and on about Hillary riding on Bill’s coattails as if she isn’t a separate person capable of independent thought and accomplishment. You all are an embarrassment.
Are ya’ll really gonna let the current crop loudmouths take over the Democratic Party so easily? Really?
If you exclude African Americans (not that they aren’t important and vital, but they clearly have other motivations for which we can all be sympathetic), Hillary is winning 2/3 of the non-African American Democratic voters. A large part of that 1/3 really is pretty clueless about Obama and don’t really dislike Hillary or Bill Clinton. They are excited about Obama’s banal promises is all. Of that 1/3, I’d imagine that the “creative class” elitists make up less than half of Obama’s supporters.
Let’s see: carry the one… My estimate is that the Brazile faction of the Democratic Party represent 1/6, about 15%, of the Democratic Party. Do we let them run the Party? I say no. In the very off chance that Obama is given the nomination by the Party elitists, then they will be resoundingly beaten and all those youngsters will go back to being cynical (I suspect they are already starting to be).
There is a fight for the soul of the Democratic Party. I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again. I’ll take most religious fundamentalists over any libertarian as an ally in a heartbeat. The young generation–my generation–is not at all as libertarian as the “creative class” and we need to fight for their hearts and minds as well. I intend to do so. I don’t have to support Obama to be in that fight, but I’m not gonna let some street corner loon with a megaphone try to undermine Democratic principles.
“Hendricks’ supporters challenged the outcome, arguing that Todd should have been disqualified…”
Hmmm, just the same song and dance of the Dr. Alice L. Palmer variety.
I sent for voter registration forms this morning. I’m reregistering as an Independent.
I also sent Hillary some more money.
hlr, yeah church is probably part of it. I think gender norms and the concepts of masculinity are probably different as well.
“But again, this is the same group that absolved OJ (a double murderer) and Michael Jackson (King of the Pedophiles) and Al Sharpton (Tiwana Brawley) and called all of us who did not agree “racists”. The double standard coming out of that community is ridiculous.”
I think I disagree with this. OJ was not absolved, he was found not guilty by a jury with like 2 (guess) AA on it. Personally I thought he was guilty but something like 70% of AA thought he was innocent at the time. To me it is indicative of two things. There was (or is) a pretty steep racial divide in this country. I think the support for these allegedly “guilty” individuals stems from the pretty shocking racial injustice within our judicial system.
This does not excuse AA intolerance towards gays or make people who object to it racist (obviously). BTW I think you are on to something about Roe Vs Wade. Remember in 2004 when something like 14 states proposed state constitution amendments banning gay marriage? Basically they were all unconstitutional in a pretty obvious way. These proposed amendments usually dealt with a little bit more than the singular issue of gay marriage but since they were referendums, constitutionally, they had to deal with only one. So they got out the vote, the referendums were struck down, and they can now rinse and repeat.
Gary, thanks for the clarification. I really do not know much about either of those people. I am just hesitant to jump on somebody for prior more conservative beliefs because I would fall into that category. However, current beliefs are fair game… which is what I think you were addressing.
Obama’s Political eGFR…Calling Dr. Dean…
http://insightanalytical.wordpress.com/
Obama has a hidden “medical emergency”–
Did you know that “Exit polls taken in 30 contests so far showed Obama carrying the white vote in only seven, including his home state of Illinois.” ????
More in my blog post…
After reading Jeff Gold’s article (You Will Win, She Will Win, We Will Win) on Stop-Obama.org and reading about Hillary in the news today I was inspired to send Hillary some more money too.
@jmtacoma, 5:21 PM
“It seems to me that Brazille is promoting a position that the civil rights of the AA community depends on putting all other ‘minority’ claims lower on the ladder.”
Yes, and she’s doing this now because changing demographics indicate that this probably is the last chance for AAs to carry such clout. No minority ever will be irrelevant, except maybe all those uppity faggots. But the day’s not long coming when every politician wants to talk to Hispanics instead. (Actually, McCain already has figured this out. Oh, and Hillary, too.)
I have lost my white guilt this primary. I no longer feel like the Black community is owed anything for what happened during Slavery or Jim Crowe. Although I know both epsiodes in America were devasting for Black people, and the effects are still felt today, I think genuflecting to the particular suffering of Black people is actually hindering the community’s growth.
In this primary, if %60 of white people vote for Clinton they are racist. If %90 percent of Black people vote for Obama, they are supporting their community.
If Clinton says that LBJ was instrumental in passing the Civil Right’s Act, she is demeaning MLK. If Obama’s pastor says Clinton was riding black people like he rode Monica, that is just what goes on at Black Churches. I have heard so many people come on TV and tell me that Trinity Unity is a main stream church in Chicago, and no different than other Black churches. Well, if that is main stream in the Black community, blaming everything on white people, and anyone else they don’t like including gays, I don’t think I owe them anything.
This lawsuit story sh*t goes deep! Just google “gay DNC” and “gay Leah Daughtry” My favorite link is where Leah Daughtry is called a snake by the Stonewall (gay) Democrats.
http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=16193
Yep, we did elect a two-term Democrat who turned out to not much like the poor, but he liked Mark Rich. He also liked a whole lot of women, while his wife, the now Sen. Clinton was dodging sniper with their daughter. I do agree with you, however, that Sen. Clinton made it clear who your are - “working, white working people.” If I were Hispanic, or Asian, or Gay, or Lesbian, or Black, I’d be real worried right now. Why is it you can’t understand obvious, clear English?
“You say you want a revolution, well-ell, you know”
We have all seen by now Donna Brazile’s vile, divisive rhetoric towards what she calls the “old coalition” of the Democratic Party. Apparently women, latinos, and blue collar whites are no longer welcome in the party that they helped to victory in two Presidential campaigns in the 1990’s. In Brazile’s new Democratic Party, only African Americans and well-heeled whites need apply.
Because of this, my resistance to vote for Barack Obama has been strengthened a notch so as to teach a lesson to those Obama surrogates (and by extension, to Obama himself). Maybe women, latinos and we blue collar workers could unite by not voting for Barack Obama even if it means John McCain wins the Presidency.
Or we could put Hillary Clintons’ name on the ballot when Nov. 8 comes.
You know, I had such high hopes when this primary season first began. We had Elizabeth Edwards making a ground-breaking appearance as the keynote speaker at a kick-off breakfast for the SF Gay Pride Parade. We had all the Dems talking about reversing the executive overreach of Bush. Our candidates were determined to get out of Iraq. There was talk of re-building unions and creating good-paying jobs. We stood for equality and opportunity and a level playing field. Now, to read about these black v. gay schisms, about Donna Brazile kicking the base to the curb, about the misogyny towards Hillary, I just shake my head; because I see that the Democratic party no longer represents its base, just as our Congress no longer represents the will of the people. How did we come to this from such a promising start?
to coldH2Owi (also answers grayslady ‘how did we come to this from such a promising start’):
“You say you want a revolution, well-ell, you know”
I hope you don’t really believe there is going to be a “revolution”.
I am sure that some lower-class, low-status people will probably go overboard, hurt or maybe even kill some other lower-class, low-status people. But all Obama is doing with his marxist rhetoric is redirecting your anger somewhere safe (for him, not for you). It’s no secret Americans are angry after Bush, and the status quo can’t afford to have that anger festering, so they funded a “movement” - one that gathers up all the stupid people into one big angry bundle and then redirects the anger onto the labor vote, who are scapegoated as “what is wrong with America”.
As it happens, the labor vote needs to be neutralized anyway. Right?
So you kill two birds with one stone - the angry people get to have their anger heard and maybe even vented, while the would-be labor union folks are stripped of their power to demand concessions on quality-of-life and economic issues.
But that’s not a revolution. That’s just being someone’s tool.
The ONLY way the “Democratic” party will come to understand the error of their ways is witnessing significant numbers of disaffected members — active voters — exercise some “tough” love on GE day, in November. It’s the only way they’ll get the message — I’m sure of it.
I can tell you that here in the Castro in SF, support for Obama is tepid at best. Gays are offended and most of them have yet to hear about the Reverend James Meeks. That relationship is yet to reach its likely crescendo which it will.
They think that they can win by carrying 98% of the African-American vote, 70% of the under 30 vote, effete white liberals, splitting Hispanics and one-third of the white working class. Good luck.
Now we’re getting somewhere. I am willing to consider the possibility that the Democratic party is over. That’s a serious long-term deal and I’m willing to roll the dice. But in the meantime there will only be two candidates in November and I’m voting for the one who isn’t McCain.
edwardian- I totally agree. If the unspeakable actually happens and Obama is given the nomination, I will do nothing and I will not vote. On election day, I will send an email to the DNC telling them that I am not voting and that I am changing my affiliation to independent. They can look me up, all voting records are public. They will discover that it is the first time since I turned 18 that I did not vote, including GE and primaries. When Obama is crushed, someone will write a book about us, will make tons of money, and everyone will wonder how the DNC didn’t see it coming. I am still praying that it does not come to that.
gary, my brother, not everyone who is African-American is intolerant of Teh Gays. Many of Teh Gays are African-American, bro.
Lots of people gay/straight/hoplessly undecided and regardless of ethnicity practice the deep meaning of diversity and tolerance. And some of Teh Gays are not very tolerant of anything. Bigots come in all flavors, sizes, shapes, colors, ages—we got a whole Crayola Box of hatin’.
I’m asking with humility for you, my queer brothers and sisters, and even you crazy breeders, not to love the ones who hate us. Fuck that. I’m asking you to fight. Queer, not queer, in all flavors, sizes, shapes, colors, ages—we got a whole Crayola Box of fighters to take on the casual cruelty of those who preach unity and offer derision instead.
Stand and fight.
Make those calls. Write those emails. Donate that money. I know it hurts, but do what you can. Bring your anger and belief and sense of humor. Get in touch with your inner drag queen and fight.
Contribution Details
Date: May 08, 2008 8:03 PM EDT
Contact: Ohio
Amount: $100.00
ColdH2O,
Your comment above is difficult to understand. You write like some of the college students whose papers I’m grading at the moment. You seem to be trying to insult President and Senator Clinton, but your writing is so poor that your points are unclear.
Get in touch with your inner drag queen and fight.
Humming: “On a clear day, rise and look around you and you’ll see who youuuu-uuuu arrrrrrre …”
Just want to know–when we take the women, the gays, the Hispanics, the old people, the working class,and the Asians with us to start a new America can we have the Democratic Party name. I am sorry, but I have become attached to it, it has always been me and I do not think that they should be able to take it. Any divorce attorneys here??
My partner and I each donated to her campaign again today. It was a pleasure. Did we get in touch with our inner drag queens? Lol, I love that line. We’re a couple of fem gay women, but we know how to fight, too.
Just read that Obama plans to claim the nomination as his on May 20th. Shades of Henry the 8th! So does this mean that the Red Sox can claim victory in the bottom of the 8th when they are ahead by one run? This is becoming more and more like that coronation we joked about several months ago. It’s real.
Gary,
Melanie is right. Please revise the post, to take certain names out. The diary it refers to has now been deleted.
If the DNC doesn’t allow MI/FL a meaningful say (e.g. revotes), women voters should threaten the DNC, Lysistrata style.
Someone suggested that in honor of Obama’s May 20th declaration of victory that someone should photoshop an Obama Mission Accomplished.
Well guess what? New Hamster did it!
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/NewHampster/oaccomplished.jpg
I’d like to nominate this for tomorrow’s front page!
Teresa, New Hamster has lot’s of great stuff!
Look a this New Hampster on Zazzle Page.
And there was another graphic too. So, yes: We’ve got to have a post featuring them all.
I love it, that thing in the front even looks like a teleprompter. We know that Obama will need one of those on the 20th, w/o it he could concede or something.
Off topic for a milisec - anyone catch tonight’s episode of Survivor? Looks like the women outsmarted the lone male contestant - Erik. Well, well, well …
I am so frakkin’ tired of people telling me that because I am a Baby Boomer, and have (failing) ovaries, and am Latina, that I am irrelevant.
Hey, guess what? I also have a big fat savings account, accumulated from years of twice-as-hard toil in a male-dominated profression, from which I make political donations. And guess what else? The DNC isn’t getting a dime from it. Nada. Zip.
So buena suerte getting those coffers filled for the fall campaign. You don’t need me, I get it. Not me, and not my money.
Maybe I’ll use the money I would have given Hillary and the DNC to make myself more creative. Or maybe I’ll just take a vacation.
See ya.
{{{litigatormom}}}
The Democratic Party that I knew was long gone. I said when they stacked the deck against HRC before Super Tuesday that “If the good ship HRC went down at the end of the primary, I’m going down with that ship.” My life as a Democrat will end on that day. And I will be welcoming President McCain against Barack “Cheater” Obama.
Rich -you said you will be voting for the candidate that is not McCain in November.
I’ve been thinking on that… I will be voting for the not Obama. Now just what is the not-Obama, I ask myself. And truly I do not know yet.
Is it write-in Hillary? Is it McCain? Nader?
I really do not like Rethugs in power, but how can I commit an act of what I consider self loathing to vote for Obama? That just can’t happen.
Donna’s dismissal of so many of us die-hard Democrats as the ‘old’ coalition reminded me of Bush’s dismissal of our most loyal allies as ‘old’ Europe during the run-up to the War-That-Will-Never-End. We have our ‘new’ coalition and the rest of you can just go away.
And I fully expect the result to be the very same. A big clusterf*ck disaster followed by a lot of begging for us all to get along in the end.
As far as Donna’s crusade against gay rights, it’s quite perplexing considering she’s a lesbian. She’s acting more and more like a typical Republican every day.
Gary,
Thanks very much. However, there is one more reference that you missed.
Ohio, on May 8th, 2008 at 7:52 pm Said:
gary, my brother, not everyone who is African-American is intolerant of Teh Gays. Many of Teh Gays are African-American, bro.
The issue is not Gay Blacks, but the straight Black community that doesn’t want to acknowledge that gays are part of the civil right’s movement too. It is a real problem. The black community resents not just white people, but every other minority group out there. It has become: my suffering is greater than your suffering. They’ are the bigots that they have been waiting for.
First, straight men who opposed the Vietnam war sold out women on ERA after they had gotten what they wanted out of the peace movement, namely an end to the war. Now the Black community, seeing themselves in Obama are ready to throw out Latinos, Gays, and Women.
I’m gay, so I know what it is like to be part of a political party that doesn’t always acknowledge or support you. Democrats as a whole have not stood up for LGBT issues. They give lip service, but vote for DOMA laws. I have given them a pass on this for years. However, I am not going to support a party that actively tries to marginalize me, and then demands my support by reminding me that I don’t have any friends anywhere else.
No Thanks. I think I’ll start being selfish and begin voting my economic interests, which would be Republican, since I make good money, don’t have any kids, am too old to go to war, and wouldn’t mind paying less taxes.
Mawm, thank you for repeating my point—the issue, IMHO, are the homophobes inside the African-American community. True of any bigots in any group. But statements such as, “The black community resents not just white people, but every other minority group out there,” are inaccurate. And unhelpful.
In what way does tarring an entire group of people falsely as homophobic any more insightful or beneficial as falsely tarring an entire group of people as racist?
These sorts of labels do not help me fight. I know my enemies. I also I know I do not want to become them.
Oh, and I’m queer as an Easter basket. The fab GF and I have been together for twenty-three years and were married in BC three years ago on June 21.
That was a very good day.
Not to feed the troll, but I (among others, I suspect) am totally unable to parse coldH2oWI’s syntax. Word up dude, even the allegedly academic-hating Hillary Clinton speaks to the bitter working class in complete sentences. It don’t cost, it’s free …
Brazile, Dean, Axelrod and Obama must be hoping for a new cluster of losers to come out of the woodwork, along with the raised level of Hillary bashing by the media to get him through this.
Also they must be hoping that all of their “prime choice” new Democrats come out in numbers suficient to replace us old-line Democrats they now despise. I have never needed the Democratic party, it has needed me and all I brought with me. People and money.
So far, just about every Democratic loser has come out in support of Obama. Perhaps they think that by using Obama as a surrogate to defeat the Clintons, and to control the party, somehow they will magically turn into winners.
Kerry, Kennedy, Carter, Dean, Gore’s campaign folks like Brazile, Kerry’s like Shrum, Reid the ineffective Sen. leader that has not won a single legislative victory, Pelosi to whom the same applies, and on and on. All losers.
It doesn’t work that way. Losers are losers, winners are winners. Even if the losers help defeat the only winners we have had period in the last 42 years, and the only 2 term winners we have had in the past 64 years; nothing changes for them.
They are still losers, and history has recorded them as such.
They can have the Democratic Party. They have destroyed it anyway, with their egomaniacal attempts at redeeming themselves by defeating HRC, and totally denigrating the positive governance of WJC.
Obama will soon join their infamous clique, either in the primary or the GE.
Ohio, on May 9th, 2008 at 12:48 am Said:
Mawm, thank you for repeating my point—the issue, IMHO, are the homophobes inside the African-American community. True of any bigots in any group. But statements such as, “The black community resents not just white people, but every other minority group out there,” are inaccurate. And unhelpful.
Sorry Ohio, but I’m not “feeling the love”, or Unity right now. I don’t think all Black people are bigots, but what I have seen in the past 10 years is a totally disfunctional Black community, and now the leaders of that community don’t want me in their coalition, as Brazile says we are “an affront to the civil-rights mo vement”.
I am gay, and am the first to admit that we have work to do in the that community. To many gays are looking to fufill their need for love with promiscuous sex, and some are getting into a lot of drug use(Crystal). However, I think as a whole the gay community has been good at taking a hard look at itself and making changes. Consider the AIDS education and outreach we did in the 80s and 90s when no one else was helping us. We took responsibilty for ourselves because we knew no one else would.
I don’t see anything like that in the Black community. If someone criticizes them they are immediately labelled a racist. Remember how Cosby was raked over the coals for stating the obvious that the glorification of gangs and violence was tearing the community apart? How about that futile attempt to remove the Confederate flag from SC. There wasLots of money spent on moving a flag two blocks with no real help coming to Black people there. What about the fact that the Black community’s spokespeople are all Charlatons? Remember Jackson calling New York, “Jaime Town”. How about Sharpton? Maybe Farakhan is a good role model. They all want to tell Black people that their problems are someone else’s fault. This is a problem, and right now I only see it getting worse, because everyone in the MSM are saying they will riot if they don’t get their way in Denver, and they are saying this as if it were perfectly reasonable.
I lived through the LA riots. I was at Wilshire and Western when Reginald Deni was getting a brick thrown into his head for being white at the wrong place at the wrong time. The time for giving excuses to Black people is over. I’m going to start calling a Spade a Spade.
Please forgive me for this long comment. This is a copy of the letter my partner and I sent to Howard Dean today. If anyone would like to copy it, feel free. I included the electoral college maps from http://hominidviews.com showing that Hillary could now take McCain 279 to 259 and that Obama would lose 249-289. Actually, I believe he’ll lose by more than that. My letter:
Dr. Howard Dean, Chairperson
Democratic National Committee
430 Capitol St. SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
Dear Chairman Dean:
Today I am enclosing a copy of my voter registration change from Democrat to Independent. To do so saddens me tremendously, as I have been a Democrat for over 30 years. I was one of the many who supported you to become chair of the DNC, because in 2000 I believed the Democratic Party left Al Gore in the lurch, a legitimately elected president who would never take office. I saw it as spineless and without conviction. I expected you to change all that.
Instead, I find myself in 2008 increasingly alienated from the party, because the DNC seems not to like that I support Hillary Rodham Clinton.
I know that Senator Clinton has called for party unity, and I know she is a true Democrat. But it is also clear to me that the DNC does not care about the core values I associate with being a Democrat. I want the candidate who is:
• truly for universal health care, not care just for children (parents need to be healthy too)
• unabashedly and unequivocally pro-choice (not accepting endorsement from anti-choice senators)
• putting Civil Rights for all people as a priority, including GLBTI people
• getting rid of No Child Left Behind because it hurts education
• advocating a forward looking environmental policy
• planning the fastest way out of Iraq while winning and finishing the war in Afganistan
• knowledgeable about foreign policy and not waiting to be educated about it by “experts”
• ready to put “dissenters” in her cabinet and get the best advice possible
• respectful of women, women’s rights, human rights, the working class no matter what ethnic group comprises it
• standing on the principle of letting votes count, not merely advocating following the rules: seat Michigan and Florida!
• taking privatization of Social Security off the table
• planning a means for curbing crime that doesn’t wind up putting more African Americans and other minorities in jail or building more prisons (yes, Clinton, not Obama)
• intelligent about economic policies, with multiple levels of understanding of what will work in the short term, midterm and long term
• going to reinstate habeas corpus
• going to appoint liberal justices to the Supreme Court
• showing that she can take any mud slung at her, without showing weakness; and taking responsibility for successes and failures (the buck stops here!)
Enclosed is a projected electoral map if Senator Obama wins the nomination. He cannot win the General Election in November, in my opinion. He will be a popular, but losing candidate like George McGovern in 1972. On the enclosed projected map, the electoral votes for Sen. Obama are probably too high, because he did not win any of the big states that the analyst is awarding him, but I am giving him the benefit of the doubt.
We all know that the contest between Senators Clinton and Obama will come down to the automatic delegates (superdelegates). I am taking this action today to impress on the DNC the need to work with the automatic delegates to ensure that Senator Clinton is the Democratic Party’s nominee for president in the 2008 election.
A hard look at the facts shows that this is the only road to reclaiming the White House, restoring our country to a place of respect in the world and ensuring that Democratic Party values are once again reflected in domestic policy and on the Supreme Court.
Yours sincerely,
You are fucking kidding me, right? White, rural, working class Americans, even white urban union members were the Reagan Democrats. You know, the people responsible for putting Reagan in office?
It is this demographic that is responsible for the Blue and Bush Dogs, don’t kid yourselves.
I’m perfectly on board with your take on Kos and Arianna, but let’s not pull the wool over our eyes.