RSS Feed for This PostCurrent Article

From Our Archives: Collateral Damage? Half of the Democratic Party

By Bud White on August 5, 2008 at 2:53 AM in Bamboozling, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Misogyny, Sexism, Women

Throughout the primary, Obama’s campaign engaged in a ruthless pursuit of dominance dependent upon relentless and brutal attacks on Hillary Clinton. The destruction of the progressive coalition that we’re now experiencing has much more to do with Obama campaign’s vicious primary tactics than in any differences in policy between the two Democrats.

Not only did Obama enjoy being the media’s darling, his campaign fed the media talking points against Senator Clinton, and then when the MSM used these talking points, Obama’s campaign would react in feigned horror that Hillary would say or do such things. Their reaction would then be picked up and reported on by the MSM, creating a continual loop of reporting, reacting, reporting, reacting ad nauseum.
Having witnessed the MSM and the so-called “progressive” bloggers engage in their free-for-all of sexist, misogynist and degrading treatment of Hillary Clinton, no wonder Hillary’s supporters are inured to the fear-baiting taunts that we must vote for Obama, lest we want Republican Supreme Court judges. If the Obama campaign’s performance toward Hillary and her female supporters is any indication of what they think of women, many of us will do anything to keep him out of the White House.
Edward Olshaker, in History News Network, writes:


In the closing days of the primary season, unity was finally achieved—between the Obama campaign and the most extreme elements of the GOP attack machine, who spoke with a single voice as they eagerly ascribed the darkest imaginable thoughts and motives to Sen. Hillary Clinton simply because she mentioned the murder of Sen. Robert Kennedy.


Meditate on this for a moment: Obama suggested that Hillary remained in the race because she was waiting for an unspeakable act to occur, like the murder of our beloved Bobby Kennedy in 1968. This was the final insult in a catalogue of insults.

Now Obama wants unity?
Olshaker continues:


Typical of many Obama supporters in the media was Slate magazine’s Emily Yoffe, who falsely accused Clinton of “voicing the possibility of the assassination of her opponent.” Ironically, an ongoing column entitled “The Hillary Deathwatch” has been one of Slate’s most prominent features for much of the campaign (even continuing after her concession). Would it have crossed their minds to run a daily “Barack Deathwatch” if it were the Illinois senator, not Clinton, running a close second?


The frequent use of violent and sexist imagery against Hillary has been document here and elsewhere. Lakota, in a guest post on these pages, succinctly describes our revulsion to Obama:

I never heard him say to his supporters or the misogynist media, “I denounce support from anyone who speaks hatred and violence toward my opponent, Hillary Clinton, a sitting Senator, a woman who has devoted her life to public service.”

Never once did I hear any “leadership” from him to work for “unity.” Instead, I saw him dust the imaginary dirt off his shoulder and rub the side of his face in that clear obscene gesture toward Hillary.

Obama can get on his unity pony and ride away. Far away.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::


NoQuarterUSA Action Of The Day: We ask that you take part in the I Own My Vote Virtual Platform Committee Meeting now! It takes five minutes. Click here to start. If you have not yet signed the pledge, click here to do so.

  • roseeriter

    With 18 million voters considered as collateral damage, Obama has outdone Bush’s collateral damage.

    I am now beyond outrage.

    PUMA!

  • Clinton Fan

    Women are under the bus, too, as a group.

    And it took an awful long time to load this little page–a curiously long amount of time. I ended up switching out of IE and into Firefox, where it loaded promptly.

    Wouldn’t surprise me if those Acolyte Minions are fiddling around, seeing as the COLB stories will probably get many page views in the next day or so…and of course, they’ll want to prevent that, won’t they?

  • http://barbarany_9.blogspot.com Barbara

    Oh heck yeah, NObama’s made Bush look like a lightweight in the B.S. department.

    As a woman, if I am collateral damage… then I must remind all my fellow women voters of any strip:

    THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE RULES THE WORLD

    Let’s say Buh-Bye to B.O.

  • Perry Logan

    In recent years, Clinton hatred has done more to damage the Democratic Party than any other single force.

    Now, the progressives have used it to destroy the party.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JrHKrSfkxM

    • karen for Clinton

      Exactly right, Perry.

      The years of CDS from Republican forces of smear was in retrospect far more fair than them eating their own.

      The truth will get the last laugh. It always does.

      And Bud, thanks for all your work. Male PUMAs have been marginalized by the media.

      Supporting Clinton, for me, was never about her gender at all. Gender remained a moot point until the sexist attacks brought that aspect into play this year.

      It was also never about Race, till ob and his surrogates made it about race and sex.

      And yeah Bud, they sure did a hell of a job alienating us, didn’t they? Brazile and Pelosi included. Memo to base: Stay Home. And Pelosi saying she didn’t even notice any misogyny. Well, WE noticed that both of those witches had an evil scheme brewing and were constantly stirring the pot of boil and bubble, toil and trouble.

      • American Woman

        Pelosi is a Liar, there was a protest in NY about the treatment from the media and Nobama’s campaign Hillary was getting sponsored by Hillary Forum, many of us sent e-mails to both Coward Dean and Pelosi…she ignored it just like the Coward Dean Scream Machine..but they sure did speak against all the Manufactured Outrage that came from Nobama Supporters…I will never forget Coward Dean calling anyone who spoke of the Wright issue race baiters…I am done with the Democrats after 30 years until they are purged of these UnDemocratic Non-Leaders..and Hillary is on the ticket..

      • helen

        I bought an tire guage that the McCain campaign is selling advertized as obama’s energy plan.
        Where the space is for who recommended you to the site I wrote donna brazille and the dnc.
        I hope the McCain sends them a thank you letter.

        COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS

        PUMAS AND BUBBAS RULE

    • Linda OKC

      NOT progressives have used it to destroy the party…

      Rather, SOME progressives have been used by the DNC, and have fed from what our pitiful Dem leadership must have considered a bitter trough of Clinton grandeur.

      Some (progressives), not all

      I, as an progressive activist, know there are millions of us who were not swayed, who understand the centuries of corruption in the leadership of this party, who BECAME activist, not only because of the radical right but equally the ineffectual left.

      I will not surrender my mind, my integrity, or my principals to any group who possesses neither.

      So when you say progressive, mind you that is a broad brush struck that identifies people “playing” with progressive ideas and goals.

      These PRETEND PROGRESSIVES are willing to deny their logic, their very ability to reason, the simple common sense idea that actions speak louder than words, to prop up a man (and a political party) that appears to be devoid of principal, integrity or even the most basic of values.

      In the end, it is not the true progressive who would make such a compromise. It is not we. We are as incapable of deluding ourselves that the DNC’s anointee “really wants to” represent our views as they are of applying simple common sense.

      No, we are incapable of such dishonor, to ourselves or to the principals by which we live in a world gone mad.

  • bert

    Obama, the Obama campaign, and the DNC are sick, sick, sick. Question still remains – why do they hate the Clinton’s so much?

    • http://knotweed.wordpress.com RWR

      It’s not that they have reasons to hate her, but that the simplistic psychology of those who bought the Change myth requires that they fight an Evil enemy. It was necessessary for these folks to manufacture hatred in order to function.

      Some will grow out of it, but not before the election. Many others will never change and move on to some fundamentalist type religion. But they don’t and can’t see themselves in this way, and nothing we say or do will ever bring self-understanding to this group. And of course this isn’t all Obama supporters, but it appears to be a majority, and the remainder have started to see their base for what it is. That group, in their own way, is as hurt by this as we are.

      Defeating Obama is the short term answer, but a serious overhaul of the structure of democracy in the US should be our aim. The major parties will fight this real change, but it needs to be done or history will just continue to repeat.

    • American Woman

      Bert, they can’t control them and in my opinion they care more about control of the Hill than do about anything else…It’s all about Power!!!

  • KendallJ

    The DNC, Media and the Obama campaign hate the Clintons because they would regulate business and provide for the American people. Obama voted for the corporate 2005 energy bill, meaning that he is a corporate hack who will continue the Bush policies to allow the corporations to rape the american people and steal our countries wealth. Senator Clinton would fight for our country and all of its people.

    THIS IS WHY THEY HATE SENATOR CLINTON!!!!!

    NOBAMA EVER!!!!!!!

    PUMA

  • MEchelle Hates America!

    I strongly disagree with the idea that he’s just like HRC, but for the hatefulness.

    Oblowme’s a human weather vane.

    He does impersonations depending on the audience – MLK, JFK, Malcolm X, Farrakhan, Bobby Kennedy…

    Oblowme steals only ideas from Edwards, HRC and McCain.

    Then Oblowme votes for the Bush-Cheney Energy Bill,

    FISA,

    off-shore drilling,

    funding for the Iraq war EVERY time, and

    against class-action lawsuits (as an alleged civil rights lawyer)!

    Just watch out when he gets in.

    Then it’s absent, wrong button and a corporate auction.

    Scary stuff Oblowme of many costumes and personalities.

    Who is he pretending to be today?

  • fif

    PARTY
    UNITY
    MY
    ASS

    PUMA!!

  • Susan Dougherty

    Exactly Right! Hillary wants to use the F.D.R. model to restore our country and make it strong again. That is why they hate her,but it will come back to slap them in their face because God Blessed America! Puma all the Way! susan

  • Heretic

    Well, Hill did mention RFK in reference to the Assassination then, and possibility of assassination now. The truth is: Obama is the Chosen One to be the new face of the Empire by the Eilites who run the US. Therefore, he is the most protected candidate to ever run for high office.

    However, Hill was making a very bad reference when she spoke about RFK.

    (Go ahead, burn me, I’m a Heritic after all, I’m used to it)

    • MEchelle Hates America!

      It’s called history and the truth. And it was at that time of year – you know the anniversary of the awful act.

      And LBJ did pass the Civil Rights Acts, which MLK despite his bravery, was in no position to do.

      Just history and the truth.

      But the haters can’t stop hating.

      They have to deny history and truth like Stalin and Mao.

      Clinton wasn’t being Rich Little or Dana Carvey or weirder yet psycho Oblowme passing himself off as JFK, Bobby Kennedy, MLK, and Malcolm X.

    • jwrjr

      It is true that Clinton did not make the best of choices in making the RFK reference. OTOH calling the reaction of the MSM, the Obama cultists, and the Obama campaign itself “excessive and exagerated” is like calling the ocean “wet”. Clinton’s only real lapse of judgement was in underestimating how bad the overreaction would be.

  • Salt

    If the Obama campaign’s performance toward Hillary and her female supporters is any indication of what they think of women, many of us will do anything to keep him out of the White House.

    Yes but his campaign theme of pitting demographic groups against one another to inflame for voter turnout and integrate the power within the electorate was and is wrong and has caused great harm to this country but the Party Leadership is just as guilty as Obama amybe more. They, Party Leaders DNC, SD’s and Elected officials forced rigged the race and shoved Obama a non qualified diverse candidate out as the nominee, solely for their satrry eyed view of future Party power and blinded by the arrogance the fog of the Kennedy’s elitist Cause dream and the failure the betrayal to trust the Base. And that will be the lasting legacy of the Dem Party and it is what again has destroyed it’s future.
    Pitting the new collective majority of non whites against the white demographic was not necessary hard work and winning on the merits of deed competence intelligence and service to this country instead of cheating would have been the right thing, then yes the County would have benefited celebrated this was just dumb, there were many other honorable way’s to integrate the electorate.

    This race isn’t about a post race candidate or party it’s only and all about identity politics the problem is who the Dem leadership choose to be the foils that’s the break. The Race Card doesn’t hurt Obama when it’s discussed that’s nonsense it is his battle cry his entire communication theme the message is to us against THEM empower the demographics in the electorate against the rich white peoples who do vote denial is not pretty even on Donkey’s Ass. Rev Wright went under the Bus because he called it dropped the pretense of the manufactured Axelrod campaign code and what we non oppressed empower folks don’t get, don’t hear a pitch beyond our relm of understanding, Obama is all about race his campaign is all about race, he uses effigies like the Clinton’s trotted out as targets to keep the flame alive, that Yes We Can overcome The and too participate in prosperity. This is the new collective “Value Voter” against the evil doers just different name different grievance but reaching a previously untapped stream of hopelessness and fear sects within the electorate, but they underestimated the empowerment of their current Base thus the split.. IMO it’s over for Obama McCain and the republicans did what Clinton did not and should have they called Obama and his campaign on it, honestly.
    I believe it’s also time to start a movement to remove Pelosi she is unacceptable as the default to run our country when Obama loses in Nov. which is her win win scenario.

    • AX10

      True. Obama is very much a bigot.
      He does not see that there are too millions of
      poor white people in this country.
      For Obama and the left, it is all about skin color and division.

      Pelosi has to go.
      Dave Patterson has to go.
      Kathleen Sebelius has to go.
      Donna Brazille has to go.
      Howard Dean has to go.
      Claire McCaskill has to go.
      Christine Gregoire has to go.
      Ted Kennedy will be going soon (Bye!).

  • Bridgette

    wow, i forgot about that Bobby Kennedy thing…now I’m all fired up over it again. And he made a GREAT point about the Hillary Deathwatch thing cuz you can be damn sure no one would have titled anything Barack Deathwatch.

  • http://vbonnaire.wordpress.com vbonnaire

    Oh Bud.

    The payback? I guess all the fawning bamagirls are going to need something down the road and it might not be there! I pity what they are going to go through, but? Not my problemo that they didn’t want Hillary —

    Uppity uncovered fundraising OVERSEAS! Very Bad! How much of that has been done while the damn FEC was on hold? Do we still have a government or is it a free-for -all?

    Look at this! ROVE & BRAZILE the dynamic duo! Together since 2003!

    http://www.thecityedition.com/Pages/Archive/Summer08/BrazileRoveConnect.html

    • steven Mather

      :o Thank you, vb.

  • NotGonnaDoIt

    We need a third party in this country and it needs to be headed by Hillary. NOW….It’s pathetic that the best the Dems can come up with is an inexperienced self adoring child with NO accomplishments to speak of. But he does give a good speech.

  • The Real Hope

    May the Democratic Party implode! I have very few words to say about Obama and the DP any longer. This is a party commandeered by people who are trying to destroy not only their own party, but this nation. They do not serve the needs of the people and have absolutely no intention of answering the concerns of the American people. They are only concerned with their own perceived infallible power. May they rot in hell especially Nancy Pelosi, a disgrace of a woman, a liar and a cheat who is undeserving of the office which she tragically holds. She imagines herself the benevolent tyrant. She deserves to be tarred and feathered.

  • Linda

    http://somethingwildandunruly.blogspot.com/

    Now this is Obama’s idea of an army other then our military that Obama says he need the money to get his army.A army to take care of america people as in the other countrys who take over the people will and right’s.This Is Obama’s plans for our future and our childrens futures.

  • Linda

    http://somethingwildandunruly.blogspot.com/

    Now this is Obama’s idea of an army other then our military that Obama says he need the money to get his army.A army to take care of america people as in the other countrys who take over the people will and right’s.This Is Obama’s plans for our future and our childrens futures.

  • http://donnadarko.wordpress.com donna darko

    AMEN.

  • Laurie

    Barack Obama is really getting pretty boring.
    Unfortunately he’s also unpleasant, in an uncharming way (remember the finger, the brushed shoulder, if you question him you’re either racist or a McCain supporter and get no answers).
    The same lack of a sense of humor you find in Ayers, Axelrod, Brez. and Soros. (Dean, Pelosi, Brazile…)

  • http://www.rhou.fjbc.com gutzbkpo lyhkmjqia

    xiqwc xfnjcmyov dltxwnkfy rpjikhf ksczr iqpbek havrxq