DISQUS

Susan · 1 year ago

Why do so many people keep on voting for her when her previous life has been totally full of contraversy and negative events? It scares me that our country will be ruled by old white ladies (I am one) and uneducated blue collar workers (my Dad was one) who decide the nomination.

Joel Pollak · 1 year ago

Hi Baratunde,

I have to say that as a McCain supporter I am enjoying the Democratic fight. Whether it's Clinton bashing Obama or the other way around, we win.

Neither side is going to have a majority of delegates by the time the primary season is over. Either way, Clinton or Obama will have to rely on super-delegates.

So, in the meantime, I think there are two things Obama and his campaign should doing.

1. Stop expecting to knock Hillary out of the race. Obama keeps letting Hillary back into the race by acting as if he deserves the win. This has happened in NH, on Super Tuesday, and again in TX & OH. Even the "Yes, We Can" speech was a victory speech that he had to deliver after losing. Just be patient and keep making your case and let Hillary punch herself out.

2. Stop complaining about Clinton's tactics. Both sides have hit below the belt. It hurts, but you've got to look bigger than that. Geraldine Ferraro said some stupid things but Orlando Patterson looked silly, also. Focus on the issues. Don't try to turn your opponents into "monsters"--what did John McCain have to do with slavery, for example?

Obama's biggest problem is that he can't win the big blue states. That will be the core of Clinton's case to the Democratic Party. So, focus on Obama's biggest asset--the new voters he brings with him. Don't threaten to burn Denver! Sheesh! Just make it clear that the Dems shouldn't blow the opportunity to finally get youth & black voters to the polls.

Also remember this: win or lose, Obama should be around to fight the next election. And he will be, too--unless his campaign sacrifices his credibility in a hail of negativity. The attacks on John McCain have been pretty lousy--all that 100-years and Bush-McCain nonsense. If you believe in a new politics, then let's see it, Senator.

So get out there and fight the good fight. And please pass the popcorn.

J

V · 1 year ago

Hi Joel. I have a few responses, though I'm not Baratunde.

I was born and raised in Arizona state, and might have supported John McCain in 2000. I read his tearjerker of a book, Faith of my Fathers, and I admire him as a person who served in the military and for his time as a POW. As a politician, Sen. McCain has spoken well of Democrats in the past, but his voting record has become more conservative this decade. On several occasions he has let his temper get the best of him and fought with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. He is a good candidate, but Obama is much better.

Obama's plurality of delegates is going to be impossible to exceed unless Sen. Clinton starts winning multiple contests with a margin of greater than 70%. Winning Mississippi more than made up for the delegate loss (-6, I believe) on the day of the Ohio primary. Sen. Obama is winning the popular vote by a large margin, and if the superdelegates overturn the popular decision, the Democratic party will be in turmoil-- so I'm not worried about that happening.

Mr. Patterson is a scholar of race-related issues whose comments may seem silly to you, but his training leads him to look for racism in sources. Because of this, he may see it where we do not. Unintentional and ambiguous racism is common in the United States, though blatant racism is no longer well-tolerated. Ms. Ferraro, on the other hand, implied that Obama's candidacy owed everything to his race when all the evidence is to the contrary. Youth and black voters are the obvious demographics supporting Sen. Obama, but his support is strong across the board (leading to victories in states like IA,WY,WI,CO,VT,and MN).

Sticking to the issues is admirable, but not as useful in a primary where the candidates' positions are so similar. Americans vote for their President based on personal experiences, perceived integrity and character, and their allegiances. As a former community organizer, Obama knows how to get people involved: first, you give them reason to want change, then give them hope, convince them of the urgency of the situation, and make it clear that their involvement is critical. For people concerned about civil rights in the United States, McCain may not be a good choice-- not because he represents slavery, but because he's voted 0% with the ACLU on civil rights issues.

If Obama is the Democratic nominee, he will win the big blue states. This isn't even an issue.

When it comes to the general campaign, Obama's criticisms of McCain have been policy-related. Pres. Bush and Sen. McCain, though at odds eight years ago, have moved closer and closer in recent years. If he wins the presidency, the country can expect a continuation of Bush's aggressive, unpopular foreign policy and far-right domestic programs. Sen. McCain's support of the Iraq war and is going to be noted continuously, and it's not an unfair attack. If Obama can win on the argument that our involvement in the Iraq war needs to be carefully and quickly ended and not continued as McCain and Bush have argued, he needs to keep making that case to the American people. Bringing up McCain's allegiance to the failed policies of the current administration is completely warranted.

Obama's campaign is fighting in a nonviolent sense. His supporters occasionally get riled up, and the media would like to prolong the contest, but the overall goal is to take the high road and make ad hominem and strawman attacks a thing of the past. I hope he succeeds-- and I agree that continuing to make a strong positive case is the best bet of Obama's team, even when Sen. Clinton's negatives are tempting.

Thanks,

Vanessa

Jeff · 1 year ago

People will believe anything. If I tell people that Coca Cola inhibits cancer, and I happen to have a radio show or TV show on which to announce this, some people will believe me, and fervently argue against the Pepsi-heads and cola-bashers everywhere. Keith Olbermann and Rush Limbaugh alike will choose sides and vehemently support or decry my claims.

Most of these people will never take a moment to research what they are arguing about. "I heard" becomes "I read" becomes "I know someone involved, and it is definitely true!" What a country!

Thanks, by the way, for: "Three of these are unsubstantiated, which is my fancy, college-educated way of saying 'bullshit.'" I hope you don't mind if I use that, except I'll need to change it to high school-educated!

This fight ultimately saddens me, because as time wears on, there are increasingly larger numbers of democrats who plug their ears and and shout "nah nah nah nah" whenever faced with actual data rather than opinion on both sides. We will be in jeopardy of losing the election to John McCain if we cannot heal these wounds. I have personally witnessed people stating, "If Obama wins, I'm voting for McCain" within hours of hearing "If Hillary wins, I'm voting for McCain." It sickens me not only as an American, but as a rational, thinking human.

I'm glad, however, to see actual data being used to identify falsehood. Clinton supporters blindly tout that Clinton has the most foreign policy experience. You've debunked 3 out of 4 claims. Being there is not the same as being involved. Look, I've been to a lot of grocery stores, but that doesn't make me fit to run the produce departemnt, or manage the whole store!

I hope this ends before the convention, because we need to move on with a strategy to get this country back on track. I'm tired of being hated by over 5 billion other people.

J II