I support Obama because I was sexually abused. I hate my own vagina and suffer from penis envy. I hate my mother. I have an Electra complex. I was date raped.

Sweetie, you're really reaching here.

The HRC camp is trying to hit Obama on false claims of plagiarism after he used some lines from a Deval Patrick speech--at the urging of Patrick himself. For some reason Salon hasn't mentioned the flap (perhaps because it is baseless).

I swear, Mark Penn is just flailing around like a drunk stepfather trying to beat a child that has grown too large for him to smack down anymore. It will be a good thing for America when these people are damned back to the corporate PR swamp that they crawled out of.

This is because the rightwing/mainstream media has campaigned for obama for a year and with his help has encourged EVERYONE, including conservatives, to see WHATEVER THEY WANT in him. His support can be brought down, the wingers have already done all the damage they can to Hillary. I would happily support obama if I KNEW FOR CETAIN that he could win in november and she could not. Would you happily support Hillary if you knew she could win and obama could not?

It wasn't me. I don't do anonymous. Insults, yes, when apropos, but not hiding behind analnymity. But thanks for the presumption, the constipated scold imitation (very convincing, may I add), and the erroneous and patronizing double spaced bullshit. Maybe it's you who requireth the Midol. love heywood

I find it ridiculous to try to dialogue with some anonymous.

How assertive is is to be anonymous? Where's your documentation?

I do need to leave, but it's hard to leave when so many are so misinformed.

I really want what's best for our country.

It really is true though, that Obama supporters offer mostly insults.

Such hypocrisy in the face of hope, change, and unity.

Why don't you start demonstrating how much you really want hope, change, and unity by actually being it?

That's what some of us are doing.

So leave. I hope you're late.

According to today’s New York Times, Patrick last week GAVE Obama the permission to use these speech lines.

“In a telephone interview on Sunday, Mr. Patrick said that he and Mr. Obama first talked about the attacks from their respective rivals last summer, when Mrs. Clinton was raising questions about Mr. Obama’s experience, and that they discussed them again last week.

“Both men had anticipated that Mr. Obama’s rhetorical strength would provide a point of criticism. Mr. Patrick said he told Mr. Obama that he should respond to the criticism, and he shared language from his campaign with Mr. Obama’s speechwriters.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/us/politics/18video.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=deval+patrick&st=nyt&oref=slogin

It’s not plagiarism if the source tells you to use it. Sorry Hillary.

I'm going to repeat my self, but you should go look at Firedoglake's take on this kind of bickering...

http://firedoglake.com/2008/02/18/campaign-2008/

In particular, the following quote:

6. Your candidate's supporters are clearly worse than my candidate's supporters. It sure seems like they start most of the baseless criticism -- as opposed to my candidate's supporters' worthy concerns.

We haven't devolved into Hitler comparisons (yet) so there is some hope for us here.

From a leaning towards Obama supporter (already voted for Edwards), but hopefully not in a creepy, culty, Tom Cruise-ish way.

If you were arguing with anonymous, how come you called him Tom repeatedly? Uncle Tom? Peeping Tom? Tom the Piper's son and notorious piggie thief? love heywood

Barack Obama: Uplifting America.

Bill Clinton: Uplifting skirts.

absotively posolutlely not a shred

Let me get this straight, paranoid anonymous: right wingers are promoting the less hawkish, more electable left winger?

This thread is full of dumb. I can't believe anyone smells even a whiff of sexism here. I need to stop taking some of your opinions seriously, I had no idea this site was so loony.

The site didn't get that loony until the most popular post name became anonymous. It's such a flurry one can't tell one idiot from the other. Claim a name and stick with it.

Go with Clinton...it's better to stay with something rotten and old, than to charter a new course that's bright and bold.

Anonymous trolls can support anyone, or just be bomb throwers who want to cause disruption.

Since they won't create a simple anonymous account name, you can't look at their other posts to see what kind if idiots they are.

I won't judge Hillary OR Obama on anonymous smears.

I can't believe there are nearly 400 comments posted about this. It seemed obvious to me (and I'm about as feminist as one can be) that these comments are related to her poll numbers being down rather than any emotional state.

I haven't decided for whom to vote, but if this is the kind of "attack" Clinton feels she has to respond to, I'm not sure how she could survive this long.

both obama and clinton have electability problems, clinton supporters mostly admit this, why can't obama supporters discuss the specifics rationally as well.

UncoolCynthia,

Senator Clinton has not bothered to comment on Senator Obmama's sexist slip. She may not even be aware of it yet.

All of the commotion and commentary is happening online with no input or encouragement from her what so ever.

Like most professional women, she has probably become inured to the constant flow of sexist/gendered words that come her way. If she took the time to respond to each, when would she campaign?

Shakespeare's Sister has a great rolling post that illustrates this point:

http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/2008/02/hillary-sexism-watch.html

If Obama is so inspirational in his speeches, why does he have to borrow someone elses speech. Also since Obama doesn't write his speeches.....how could Patrick tell him to use it. Obama has a 26 year old speech writer who said in the New York Times, he reads MLK, JFK, RFK and others to craft Obama...I meant craft Obama's speeches....wink, wink. Joe Biden was driven out of the Presidential race last time because he used one quote from someone as his own.