Letters to the Editor
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Hillary derailed
As a feminist, I started off being a Hillary supporter in spite of both the Clintons having moved the Democratic party to the right and in the greedy hands of corporate interests. I saw Obama as a modern day Elmer Gentry, full of crowd pleasing platitudes and no meat.
I could not shake off my anger at the Clintons for marginalizing the left wing of the party; for dissing Lani Guineer and Joycelene Elders; for signing into legislation the worst omnibus crime bill that has now incarcerated 1 in 100 Americans; for the don't ask don't tell policy in the military, going back on their campaign promise to gays and lesbians; for moving the DNC so far to the right that the lines blurred into the GOP agenda; for ending welfare as we know it. They triangulated but triangulation is a dysfunctional behavior pattern that leaves innocent people disenfranchised; Hillary also voted for the war on Iraq - she not only voted for the war on Iraq, but was instrumental in persuading hesitant Democrats such as Patrick Kennedy and others to go along; Hillary also sponsored a bill to criminalize flag burning, thereby attempting to encroach on our right to free speech. The Clintons, both Hillary and Bill can never be accused of having courage of their convictions.
So I started to listen to Obama. His words did not sound empty anymore. He does have the courage of his convictions and does not cower every time the right wing takes a swing at him or his wife Michelle. The ground swell of the movement is the rise of the left wing of the Democratic party that Hillary cannot stomach much less acknowledge. The downfall of Hillary Clinton is the rise of the people that she so gleefully left behind. Obama is reaping the rich rewards for speaking to the dreams and desires of this electorate that has been marginalized for over 30 years in this ocuntry. He did not start this movement. He just happens to be there at the right time and the right place.
Obama will win the primaries and the general election. He will bring with him the truest cornerstone of democracy, for the people, by the people and of the people, and not by, of and for dynasties, moneyed interests and carpetbaggers where corporate welfare bloomed as welfare for the poor got demonized.
I will not cry for the Clintons. Their time is up and I hope that they leave the primaries with grace and a little bit chastened. But their dysfunctional behavior played out in the pubic arena only makes me cringe to think that they will rather tend to destroy any chances of a unified Democratic party than hand over the mantle to Obama who so richly deserves to be the next President of the United States of America.