57andFemale's Blog

Important News About Voting in IN

2008-05-04T20:34:03Z

This will be short. I just read what the requirements are to vote in IN since the Supreme Court decision held up this onerous act.

Read this diary at Daily Kos: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/4/152726/6612/590/508945

Oh. My. God.

Derailing Obama's Candidacy Derails Hillary

2008-03-26T14:38:05Z

I think Hillary Clinton is perfectly capable of making Obama seem unelectable. The only parties that can put an end to this carnage are the superdelegates in the Democratic Party. Because if she is allowed to continue unmarginalized, she will make herself unelectable as well.

For all her taking credit, the swelling of the Democratic electorate is because of Obama. Come on, people, it's obvious.

By comparing herself favorably to McCain (with whom she does share a foreign policy philosophy), she negates reasons to vote for her. Her increasingly Rovian tactics make her seem more Manchurian Neocon than her well-accepted mantle as Republican -lite. Oh, yeah -- healthcare. And we'll see how big a windfall that turns out to be for the insurance industry, a little hidden fact in her proposal. Everything else about her is Republican-lite, including her recent proposal to turn over the subprime crisis to Greenspan and Rubin. And tort reform (!) being a centerpiece of her plan. God.

What has been so telling throughout the Wright crisis is that her unfavorables have risen far higher than Obama's. His have risen, but by a few points, and that was at the height of the controversy. Even if a portion of the electorate is not happy with Obama's explanation of Wright, they are even more uncomfortable with Hillary as a person.

The bottom line: he did not implode, and she did not skyrocket.. An unreported party of the story is how little she has caught on with the electorate throughout this period. No matter how much the media says he has "fallen" from his high of February in match-ups, we should perhaps likewise discuss Hillary's fall from her 20+ point leads from December when she was "unstoppable."

She can certainly ruin Obama as a candidate. After her tete-a-tete with the likes of Richard Mellon Scaife, where she used the platform to do to Obama what was done to the Clintons in the 90's, I no longer underestimate the depths to which she will go.

But this is a joyless, hopeless, mean-spirited candidate. Who has snarling disdain for anyone who doesn't see things exactly her way.

It is Obama, by the very nature of how he has structured his campaign, who can add significantly to the Democratic Congressional majority, one district at a time, in all manner of states. Because for the first time, he has shown his affinity for Democrats in all states and all walks of life. That's how the Republicans did it in the 80's. It's smart, party-building politics. Hillary has done far more damage to that than just ignoring those states -- she has dissed and insulted all voters she has deemed unimportant.

So even if she pulled out a win, she has done irreparable damage to the party. She has derailed her own campaign by being Karl Rove on steroids, aligned with the likes of Richard Mellon Scaife. Great principles there, Hillary.

If anyone is naive to think Hillary will go unscathed between now and the GE, oh come on. We know virtually nothing about the business dealings, Bill's library or foundation donations over the last seven years.

Hillary and Bill will accept no culpability in this damage, take no responsiblity. And if we reward them, then no responsiblity is needed on their part. How dangerous for a couple in the White House.

Step up, Democratic Party. End this before Hillary makes both of them unelectable.

Why I want Obama to be my president

2008-03-15T14:40:56Z

I am a liberal. I will call out my own hypocrisy if it rears its ugly head. I want to believe what I want to believe as much as the next guy. I had heard about Wright's controbersial sermons but not seen them. And they were horrible. Yes, I understand the anger from his generation that actually fought for what Obama's generation now enjoys. At the beginning of the day yesteray I was angry that Obama had not changed his church the day he announced for President. How could the campaign not know this was going to happen? My husband whose roots are in the racist, white SOuth side of Chicago was heartbroken -- he's sure he's done. He certainy may be right.

I've listened and read and paid very close attention the last 24 hours. What I have to say is nusanced and probably not mean anything in the election. But here's what I see:

Obama at the core of his being, sees the entire person and not fractions of people to exploit or elevate (his "slice and dice politics" line has more meaning for me now). He understands Thanksgiving with my racist brother-in-law who I put up with, won't aruge politics with, but would do anything for my husband, his brother. My brother-in-law is far more than just his politics and if I needed anything, although we don't particularly like each other or understand each other, he would be there for me, too because I love his brother. We all have variations of this in our lives.

Read Cass Sunstein's op-ed about Obama in the Chicago Tribune. It's how Obama views problems, solutions, answers -- he will look at the totality of a task, ask the hard questions, find the best answer regardless of where those answers fall ideologically or politically. Seriously and genuinely consider the other point of view if it has merit and dismiss it if it's b.s. He was able to work in the the Illinois Senate and the U.S. Senate with people who would never work together. He did it in Illinois when no one else could and actualyl enacted progressive legislation on children's health care and the videotaping of iterrogations. What syould have been an adversarial issue on videotaping of interrogations -- Obama was able to show law enforcement that he was on their side, looking for the real bads guts, not just a meaningless confession, which ultimately was what they wanted, too. He showed the "other side" how they would benefit as well. It was an amazing feat, the sort of effectiveness we so desperately need.

He did with the Lugar-Obama non-proliferation bill. He will do it as president I'm sure.

So Obama looks at Pastor Wright and understands that his anger, as offensive as it is, is part of his personal history. Without whose struggles there would be no Candidate Obama. For this he is grateful. He sees a church that calls for public service and responsibility from its parishioners, that social justice and helping your fellow man is living the message of Jesus. Who do good deeds every day with compassion that brings them closer to God. And Obama will not categorically condemn the entire man. There is more to him than those 30-second clips. He will not negate the good. The will not redpudiate the man's entire life.

Then you being to see the context of Obama being willing to meet world leaders, especially the "bad guys". Because it's about finding solutions, not just posturing. It's truly about finding the one, thin thread where our needs intersect, building from that. No "slicing and dicing" into good/evil, black/white, tough/weak. I better understand the kind of leader Barack Obama would be than I did 48 hours ago, because he sees more in Pasto Wright than how he serves or hinders Obama's political ambition.

We hear that Hillary is the Comeback Kid, but Obama nevers gets the same credit for how he wins against insurmountable odds. No -- he's "lucky" because he's black.

I'm not stupid. This will probably sink him. Pastor Wright will not go away. Bad judgment, naivete -- he's taken a hit on his core selling points.

All of this is way too nuanced, I know that. But Obama has undone damage before. If anyone can, Obama can. I'm hoping and praying. Because I would be proud to call this man my president.

You think it can't get worse

2008-03-12T14:27:28Z

And then it does. Big time. Not one interview by Geraldine Ferraro, but cable news shows, Good Morning America, a new interview with the Daily Breeze and the NY Times. Saying the same things. Over and over. Hillary Clinton's Finance Chair is still standing, to say words that should offend any Democrat.

Obama's appeal is he is the candidate for everyone. He transcended race. It was the Clintons who squandered the black vote, let's remember that.

But with several ugly, publicized days, Clinton, through her surrogates, has made it ALL about Obama being black. Any of his accomplishments, his God given intelligence and rhetorical gifts and vision for the country and the world, have been trashed to the ground -- because he wouldn't be where he was if he was black.

We're not allowed to make it be ALL about her being a woman. Or ALL about her being a Clinton. We're shut down, called betrayers (I'm a 57 white female). Any criticism of Hillary is because she's a girl -- not because she's lied with inpunity about Obama's record or accomplishments. Not because she has belittled any state and any voter who doesn't fall in line behind her. Not because she says she's tough, yet garners votes by expecting women to protect her. The utter gaul. The immense hubris. The cruelty. The mean-spiritness. There really are no words to express how angry I am.

In one fell swoop, Hillary Clinton has made everything good this man has done or stood for, meaningless. She may have ruined him in the general election. She has made this election about race, and only race. The entire soul of the party is to be sacrificed for her personal drama.

I will say what I have been afraid to say aloud since she announced she was running for President. Hillary Clinton is unpatriotic. Knowing the divisiveness she brings, the fact that she is the best rallying cry for Republicans -- I couldn't believe that the Clintons would subject us to all of that again. Bill had a good life, doing good deeds. Why in the world would they need to run for the White House? After they'd already been there for 8 years?

The darkness and narcicissim that is their ambition, I cannot fathom.

I was happy with all of our candidates, way back in January.   I became more and more disilusioned with the Clintons (after defending them all these years).  After the John McCain endorsement -- I began to question if I could vote for her in good conscience. The repeated endorsements of John McCain -- I became convinced she was unfit to be president.

But the Geraldine Ferraro assault on everything Democrats stand for -- with the wink-wink from the Clintons which amounts to abject support and approval -- I am now convinced that John McCain would be the only person of honor in a McCain/Hillary match-up.

I cannot, will not ever vote for her.   She has no honor. She has no interest in winning me back, but I don't expect she would see the need to do so.

If Al Gore, Bill Richardson and John Edwards don't stand up this week, then they are all sheep, and complicit in the destruction of this party.

I have never been so sad to be a Democrat in my life as I am right now.

But I will channel this anger and disappointment into helping Barack Obama become our next president. It's an uphill battle against these forces, but I will fight the good fight as best I can.

It's going to keep me up at night

2008-03-11T13:48:43Z

It's been in the back of my mind for awhile. Recent events, tactics, reminders of the secrecy of the Clinton Administration, led me to this sobering thought:

Hillary Clinton as the unitary executive.

It's going to keep me up at night, that's for sure.

Just sayin'.....

57, Female, Jewish and an Obama supporter

2008-02-27T14:15:48Z

Being 57, Female and a Jewish supporter of Barack Obama By 57andFemale - Feb 27th, 2008 at 8:43 am EST

My first blog post ever! Be nice to the old lady.....

There were many interesting moments in last night's debate. But it is always interesting, and sometimes surprising, to see what grabs your heart. How life experiences and deep personal identities well up inside of you.

As you can tell, I'm 57 and female. I'm also Jewish. I haven't practiced Judaism since my early 20's when my parents died. I don't identify much with being Jewish; but when you're born Jewish, you're Jewish.

In the '60's, my beliefs were formed by the battles for civil rights and the Vietnam War. Those issues have defined who I am and what I believe to this very day. And it has always been a source of great sadness for me to see the rift between the black community and the Jewish community that has developed in subsequent years. Because the white, Jewish liberals held hands with the black community and marched and fought valiantly for civil rights. Even my much older parents and aunts and uncles, supported the civil rights causes in a myriad of ways. It was a cause in all the synagogues, in groups, on college campuses. A cause we deeply believed in. Openly, bravely and with all their hearts and souls, because the Jews understood what it meant, better than any other group other than the blacks in America, what damage deep discrimination could do. We had been close to extermination a generation before, and would not allow that to happen to America. We acutely understood that until civil rights were achieved, America would bear the burden of this deep stain on its character and purpose. And we fought. We fought hard.

In subsequent years, this partnership became skewed and diminished, until all history of it was practically erased and this once potent partnership was lost It has upset me all these years, because it was my generation of blacks, Jews, and many others who contributed to the tearing down of those barriers.

So last night, when Barack Obama spoke of rebuilding that relationship, and that he would not be where he was without that partnership, I was moved beyond words. This was the first time I had heard a black leader not just acknowledge that history, but applaud it and be willing to work to restore it.

Any Jew on the fence about Barack's candidacy needs to hear this. Needs to know that this man is about a level of healing and understanding that reaches deep into the soul of America. Not only with what's current, but with the historical currents that shape us.

I loved and believed in Barack before last night's debate. Last night, he crawled into a deep recess of my heart and built a bridge. I am deeeply grateful.