Letters to the Editor
-
OK, We get it.
Walter we get it. You looooooove Obama.
No matter what Clinton does, it is Bad.
Got it.
Now Salon can you put a reporter in place so we can get real coverage? Please??
-
DLF: You are 100% right!
A "farce and a fraud" is exactly what we have in Florida and Michigan.
I am a Florida Democrat, but this nonsense has me thinking I will be changing to Independent after this election. If the DNC is going to marginalize my vote and give it like a gift to the front runner, then no thank you, I will just change to Independent and skip the primaries every year.
-
"The Snub" and the Gospel according to Maureen Dowd of NYT
I'd heard of Maureen Dowd and got the impression that she is the dominatrix of American poitics but, having read her column today, I hope I'm not being impolite in describing it as utter piffle, absolutely laughable. In making increasingly desperate excuses for Barack Obama's lack of courtesy to Hillary Clinton (remember Camelot and the code of chivalry!) Ms. Dowd came up with this gem "But Obama is the more emotionally delicate candidate and the one who has the more femine consensus management style". I'm surprised that she didn't suggest that he should wear flowers in his hair. Oh, I almost forgot; Senator Obama doesn't have much time for the Sixties as he's all about the future, nice and nebulous as that is.
I don't know how it is in America but if a woman writer has to rush to the defence of a man who believes he has what it takes to be President/Commander-in-Chief, it would be acutely embarrassing and also the topic of ribald jokes. Holy smoke! By the time they're finished with this election, your media will have destroyed your country in the eyes of the world.
-
Error.
Maureen Dowd - dominatrix of columnists (not politics).
-
The snub thing
This is the kind of crap that makes the rest of the world laugh.
The question of whether or not Clinton was snubbed is ludicrous. Does anyone think that Clinton, or Obama for that matter, wouldn't walk right past us on the average day? Does our getting snubbed mean anything?
This reminds me of the story of the New Hampshire debate, and the jerks with the "Iron My Shirt" sign. These things mean nothing as to whether Clinton is going to extend food stamps to poor people, whether or not she changes the horrid bankruptcy laws, whether or not she gets the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, whether or not she rolls back all those tax cuts for the rich.
Do Clinton supporters choose to vote for her just because they believe she is getting dissed? This is reaction politics. Republicans vote because Bush tells them scary stories. Clinton supporters scour the landscape for presumed slights against her and then demand others vote for her to put a nice shine on their icon.
How foolish this is.
-
To Tishijo
You state that
Senator Obama has stated he is disappointed that Florida will have no role in selecting delegates for the Democratic nominee, but looks forward to competing and winning in Florida during the general election.
As a Floridian, I find Obama's statement frankly insulting. I voted yesterday, and the fact that he is merely "disappointed" that I've been disenfranchised makes me furious.
He may look forward to Floridians voting for him in the general election, but I for one won't vote for someone who has gone on record as passively allowing my vote to be ignored.
-
Michigan and Florida
I'm a Michigan voter who did vote in the primary; I considered not voting in light of the national committee's avowal to not seat any of our state's delegates because the state moved up its primary against DNC rules. Obama's organization here urged voters to vote "uncommitted" as an anti-Hillary, subrosa Obama vote; mischief voting for obvious Repub losers was also discussed by Democrats, not necessarily Obama operatives, mostly over email. Despite the obvious disconnect between the state and national party over the legitimacy of the primary, money was put aside to hold a primary (in this broke-ass state!) and the primary was held.
I voted because the coming election is important and it was the only way, short of giving money or time to a candidate, for me to have any say on the eventual nominee. I had to make up my mind on a candidate to vote in the primary and I believe I have, even though the vetting that goes on in the primaries continues (I could change my mind, depending on what happens from here on out).
If people stayed home and didn't vote in the primary, that's on them. However, the "rights" of these disaffected voters shouldn't be placed above those who, like myself, disregarded the internecine squabbles of party functionaries and voted in the primary. When voters don't show up at the polls, they give away their voice in the outcome. The world is run by the people who show up for work, not those who stay home. Michigan and Florida delegates should be seated. Stop the foolishness before it turns into another circular firing squad for Democrats.
-
Failure To Notice
The Republicans don't have these sorts of problems. Their primaries count, their state committees don't try to change the rules and get into battles with the national committee. Their voting blocks for the most part conform to the needs of the party. They're organized. They win even though they represent a far fewer number of Americans.
What does this tell the sages of this election? What conclusion do they draw in terms of the approaching general election and what course should be taken--what is their recommendation if "we" are to be rid of the curse of the right wing dominated Republican party--at least for awhile?
By putting the focus in Fla. on the Democratic parties problems, and not on Hillary's surprising vote tally, and how it was produced, I am afraid Walter is betraying his hand. What the hell made all those folks come out KNOWING THEIR VOTE DIDN'T COUNT? To me, that is the lead story following what happened in SC and the battle for the nomination.
I think at this point the media bias is only fueling Hillary's support, as several subscribers from Fla. indicate. Super Tuesday could well be an awful big surprise to the media members who want "anybody" but her for their own personal reasons. Time to get professional again guys--and gals.