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• Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:47 AM

  @luansos

  Even though it very well might not be possible for Joan to pick back up the specific conversation she started here with me (my asking her if there is evidence that Barack's awful supporters are more in number or demonstrate a significantly different type of awfulness),

  I'm hoping that we see her disire to "think about it" reflected in her future comments. I don't need her to agree with me. I guess I asked Joan for what I needed: reasons based on evidence. I'm not stupid, I do understand that in cultural/political discourse we can't have the type of evidence we get in chemstry. But, BUT because Joan is obviously spending time and ideas on the significance of her assumption that awful Hillary supporters are somehow less significant in this race, I think we need some type of evidence that Joan, at least, considers significant.

  My last set of questions to Joan (which I hope she can find)were asking her to take for grantedthat Obama has a higher percentage of awful sopporters and then tell us what that means about his presidency and how we know it is a reasonable link. I'm not as interested in talking about how negative associations play out strategically because then we also need to dig up all the negative perceptions of Hillary; unlike many people here, I happen to believe that Joan is pefectly aware of how negatively Hillary can be viewed and I don't think Joan chalks it all up to sexism. That is why I am most interested in Joan's ideas about the possible link between Obama's worst supporters and the way he would govern. It's obviously selfish, but that is the kind of conversation that I think Joan's latest blogs beg.

  At this point I'm refusing to accept that Joan is just reacting to all the bile she gets here in the comments. A cursoy glance at other blogs and websites quickly reveals what happens if you tell large groups of Hillary supporters (on the internet)that you have serious doubts about her abilities or character. Personally, I don't think even the worst Hillary supporters shed light on how she would function as president.

  —Carol Richards Read Carol Richards's other letters
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