Letters to the Editor
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keep up the hate!
I'm off to vote for Clinton, since none of the hate spewed here was able to change my mind. Of course I'll support Obama if he is the nominee...because I'm not 4 years old.
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AMW - Agree with your point, but...
Unfortunately, the message sent by an Edwards vote is symbolic only - California is a winner-take-all primary state. No delegates accrue to 2nd or 3rd place entrants.
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California is NOT a "winner take all" primary!!!!
Dear skyeman,
California's Democratic primary is NOT a "winner take all" primary!!!! [The Republican primary, I believe, is.]
No Winner-Take-All
That's Right! The Democratic Party DOES NOT use the "winner-take-all" system, and hasn't since 1972. Delegates are awarded in each congressional district among the candidates who receive 15 percent or more of the vote in that congressional district. Basic Example: Congressional District 18 is allocated four Delegates. Candidate A received 50 percent of the vote in CD 18, therefore Candidate A would get two Delegates.
Who Gets What
After the February 5 Primary results are final, the delegate allocations by candidate will be posted.
from The Californa Democratic Party website:
http://www.cadem.org/site/c.jrLZK2PyHmF/b.947937/
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AMW is correct
Hmmm - just hate it when I shoot my mouth off and am wrong.
I saw the same web page, so it would seem that where he can garner at least 15% in a given congressional district, Edwards will in fact earn a delegate. SO FOLKS, DISREGARD MY PREVIOUS: AMW SEZ IF WE WANT THE CONVO TO REMAIN DYNAMIC AT THE CONVENTION, EDWARDS NEEDS SOME DELEGATES FROM CA TODAY!
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I vote my gender
Yes, I know Oprah and everyone else is telling women they should not feel obligated to vote for another woman.
Whatever.
I send my money to Emily's List and Annie's List (Texas' Emily's List) and I vote for women first.
Emily's List is a PAC dedicated to getting women elected. No other organization have made as great of a difference in changing the face of power. All those women governors and senators who are now able to endorse owe a debt to Emily's List for giving them the early financial backing needed to run a successful campaign.
If a race has no woman candidate, I vote for the minority male. This is my long standing method of righting the imbalances of our sexist and racist society.
After all, men have been voting against women and women's rights for centuries and women will always be second class until politicians, judges, lawyers, police officers, and the military reflect the percentage of women in our population.
It is truly past time for a women to be commander in chief.
I came up through some of the most misogynistic systems in this country. Military boarding school, the United States Naval Academy, and a career in the military.
In my experience, having a woman in command makes a profound difference in so many ways to the mindset of such cultures.
In our society, racism still exists, but it is not acceptable and so has become for the most part closeted. However, he-man woman hating is still permissible and prevalent and anyone who thinks different has their head up their a**.
The generals and admirals of the Pentagon need to be called on the carpet by a woman. Trust me, they do.
Everyone needs to see a woman as the most powerful person in the world.
So -- yes, I'm voting my gender -- just like I ALWAYS do... and I could care less what Oprah or the pundits or any of the other Salon comment writers think about that.
Ms. Traister will just have make her own peace.
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What Really Worries Me
Electing a President is not a personality contest, and it never should be. Yet we live in such a commercialized society, where we want everything to be fresh, perfect, fun, and new all the time, everytime!
But that is an illusion. Reality is more complex.
People liked Bush better than Gore because Gore had a stiffer, more serious personality. But Gore was truly more intelligent and qualified.
Obama is much smarter than Bush, but again some people like him better because like his personality better, and he's all young, and shiny, and new, with no real record.
He's a much easier sell.
The question is this: What will become of our country if we always elect "the easier sell."
If we always base our choices on more superficial reasons than intelligence and competency?
Isn't this what is already happening?
If Bush's legacy should teach us anything, it's the disaster of electing someone based on him saying things people wanted to hear and being likeable.
We need to recognize that sometimes smart people might be less gifted socially, but more knowledgable, better at working, and fixing things.
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LT Bohica, right on!
I just cast my vote for Hillary, a strong, talented, experienced woman who can beat McCain in November and be a great president.
I admire your straightforwardness. I can't stand so many women tying themselves in knots about whom to vote for.
I'm thrilled to be m aking history!
GO HILLARY!
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Wish I could keep my vote secret.
I'm in the same awkward boat as you - for the first time ever, I'm undecided. Only I have to walk into a caucus with 8000 other people to cast my vote. 95% of my friends are ardent Obama supporters. But his policies are just not that different from Clinton for my to turn my back on her. And her health care plan is better. My friends will think I'm crazy if I support Hillary. I just don't know what to do.
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Well said -- for me too.
Rebecca,
Thank you for sorting through my thoughts and giving a voice to my dilemna. In the next few hours, I will cast my vote in California, and I remain uneasily on the fence. Why? Not because I am indifferent to the candidates. Rather, I am looking forward to November and trying to envision the possibility that the dem's will take back our country and begin piecing back together a government that is not an embarrassment to American ideals.
And herein rests my agonizing choice: Which candidate is least likely to be shredded by the Republican's vitriolic machine?
As much as I respect Clinton, whose intellect, pragmatism and leadership combine to make a strong presidential candidate, I worry that the she carries too much baggage (Thanks Bill, for royally screwing up the Clinton years-- and leaving a bad taste in many mouths) Do we not anticipate an orchestrated backlash? (Karl Rove must be honing his chops)
Can Obama's idealism inspire a majority vote? I suspect in some ways, the Republicans might have to be a bit more careful in shredding Obama: No one can say politics is blind to race relations. Ican't help but think the Republicans will have to trounce a little less personally and more on democratic ideals to knock Obama out.
So is this a valid reason for placing my vote in Obama's box? Yes, I am inspired by him, no doubt. But how can I deny the vote to the first superbly qualified woman (I am even willing to forgive her the iraq vote, because I believe she will do the right thing as a leader.) Who is the one who will inspire more democrats and invite less backlash? I think I feel the answer deep in my gut. And like you, Rebecca, it doesn't leave me jumping with joy to celebrate what will still be an historic choice.