[January 10-- Adding this from Camile Paglia which begins with her take on Hillary. For me, agree or disagree, it's always worth reading her insightful, sometimes caustic and often wryly humorous opinions. I know she's not everyone's cup of tea but she is mine. She nails my concern about Hillary (and those of a lot of other people) and adds on what makes this so tough when she reminds me that if Hillary gets the nomination, because of things like the appointment of judges, how can I not vote for her in November? Ugh! I am getting depressed again...]
Watching the primary results last night was depressing, good and at times funny. The funny part was Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann starting out with talking about this tsunami called Obama and then watching their faces and program shift as results made all their talking points moot. It took quite a few results to change the tone. It might not seem much humor, to watch pundits with egg on their face still trying to fill 7 hours of talk about something that didn't go as they had planned, but you have to take humor where you can find it. I did not stay around to watch the whole thing because I half blamed them for the results.
Turning Hillary into the sad underdog made a great story for them. Then when she got a bit emotional about why she was running for the presidency, right before she assailed Obama's character yet again, that was another heavy coverage and questioning if it's okay to get teary for a woman-- say what! The end result of all of that let New Hampshire be a huge victory for her when a few weeks ago, that narrow a win would have been seen as a virtual loss by pundits. Is there any possible way to get them all to shut up for the rest of the year?
So what is the good news? Well Independents went for John McCain. It's likely a depressing factor in why Obama lost where they can vote in either primary; but seeing Obama way ahead, they chose to support McCain. It's a good reminder that McCain will, despite his stay in Iraq for a hundred years position, pull voters from the middle as would Obama in any election.
The bad news is Hillary's being named the comeback kid. I never believed two states would determine who gets the nomination, but Hillary has always been the favorite-- until a week ago. She is still most likely to get it because people are easily led and some mistakes (if they are) by pundits increase her odds of winning.
Who was the genius who began discussing how youthful Obama looked opposite Hillary's old team? Whoever it was, whoever talked about her looking old (which by the way, she looked her prettiest the day she teared up), was asking for women to come out in support of her.
So it's a real race on both sides and that is good. It worries me some because if the Clintons use their dirty tricks it'll make it really hard for me, come November, to vote for her. I have always voted, but the Clinton machine isn't what I want back in the White House. I don't trust either of them, feel her temperament is all wrong for such a powerful position given her secretive nature and some of the sneaky things she pulled back in the 90s (think law office records suddenly appearing on a White House table and nobody had any idea from where they came... yeah right).
I think it'd be good to see a woman as president but not that woman. Some women won't care but they like the idea of a woman finally running the country. If this particular one gets in, I hope I am wrong about her character because if I am right, the powers that Bush has been amassing for the imperial presidency will suddenly be in her hands. It might seem like karma for the right but it will impact the rest of us also.
Americans are going to be bombarded by accusations of Obama being a virtual child (never mind that CEOs for many corporations are not that much older); not experienced enough (state politics or life experience don't count -- only working in DC where you can be trained to keep the machine going [never mind when that also was all Bill had]); a creation of the media (this is one you have to watch out for being the case... ack!); too charismatic (which is bad when it's Obama but was/is good when it's Bill [explaining why a governor from a small state could win the presidency]); and worse coming through emails that nobody can figure out where they began but that swift boat a candidate (this has already begun) without giving them a way to respond and scare people who are not informed and aren't going to bother getting informed.
It's going to be an ugly election from the looks of it but then they often are. Keep Americans disillusioned, get them to not vote and some groups have won.
So what did you think last night? Happy with the results? Unhappy? Where will it all go next? Next for me here will be discussion of Republican candidates.
8 comments:
I was sad to see Hillary win, but as you said she barely beat Obama. I am surprised to see McCain doing so well. I guess now the race really starts when we get to some states that have more population. I think there are more voters in my small county in Northern California than in all of New Hampshire.
It was good to see Obama lose. Maybe this will spur him into adding some substance to his change mantra. It's not his inexperience. That's of little importance. It's the fact that his agenda his light on.......everything. It should take more than a fresh face and charisma to be president. I am tired of annoiting presidents. I want someone who knows the job is work and has a plan for doing it.
If I hear the words "change" and "uniting" without some concrete examples of "how" following, I am going to puke.
My big concern on Obama losing is more about us as a people and not Obama and whether it will make it harder for him. For almost eight years my concern has been who are we as a people? Who we vote for says a lot about that question's answer. I do not think Hillary brings out the best in us. I don't think wanting revenge for the Bush years is going to gain the democratic party anything. Some do not like how Obama speaks to working together. They want payback. Well in personal life or government or spiritual or anything-- payback is a bitch-- but where a lot see it as only getting revenge on the one who wronged them, in reality, it hits us. We need to look to the highest quality in our leaders and too often it has not been that way. I worry if Hillary gets in or anybody who is just concerned (from either party) with getting even.
I'm with annie. I want substance. I heard both Clinton and Obama speak after the primay and thought, "Shit, they're not saying anything." Is it too much to ask that they please just articulate their positions and not speak in 30 second soundbites. They make me cringe every time I hear the word change.
At this point, I don't see a candidate on the horizon who hasn't already completely disappointed me. I think our democracy is dying a slow and public death. News at 11:00 and a poll.
speeches are a poor place to find out positions of candidates. Obama has three books out there which are a lot more specific on who he seems himself to be as well as what he wants to see for the country-- Dreams from my Father; The Audacity of Hope; and Barack Obama in his own words. He also has information on his website on his positions-- Obama issue statements. To me those speeches are like blogs-- teasers to get people to go looking. His book on reclaiming America has more of what he sees as good to do. He's not one who those who want to see revenge will like as he talks about working together. I think his pragmatic nature is one of his big pluses. Not so much an idealist as a community activist. those are the reasons I believe in him.
It will be good for him to have to face a tough campaign as he needs to hone his strategy, his presentation, before it comes to the elections which get even uglier. I do think though Hillary will get it based on women voting purely for women because they are women as well as the Clinton machine that cannot be underestimated. She played the fear card in New Hampshire with the terrorist scare tactics and it appeared to work. Look for more of that.
Good comment on what happens when you elect somebody for Payback. Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House has done pretty much nothing that she set out to do. Now is the time for healing and progress not more polarization.
I watched the Daily Show and Colbert Report last night. They were hilarious poking fun at the media for screwing things up and for the media trying to become the news. Why can't they just tell us what happened.
It was interesting as CNN tried to figure out and explain the incoming results showing Hillary in the lead. They delayed far after AP declared her the winner, still holding out hope that Obama would take the lead as the results started coming in from the college towns.
It was sad, even sickening, to see Hillary win and Obama lose. I have no problem with a woman for President, but as you say, not THAT woman.
Watching the Republican debates from SC last night confirmed for me that there's not one of them that I would want as President.
Is Hugo Chavez available ? I know more about him that I do Obama. The spin has begun !!
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