Good Ole Boys: Throwing Away Our Next Sixteen Years?

[susankh4]

I am an unwavering Hillary supporter. I won't ever deny that. Nor will I give up on a woman who has spent her entire life working for just the causes I care about.

I have also supported Barack Obama. After reading his books, I talked him up to my friends. It's been many months since I started calling for a Clinton/Obama ticket in 2008. I have actually been wearing a Clinton/Obama button since the beginning of this year.

To be honest, I was not happy when I saw the Democratic Party elders endorsing Mr. Obama *over* Ms. Clinton. Seeking to place a junior statesman in the highest profile position in the land seemed, at the very least, political folly. It rubbed me the wrong way. Called up my worst suspicions ... that my own "progressive" party was as mired in sexism and misogyny as is the rest of the country. At it's worst it spelled, to me, a willingness to commit political homicide. The readiness to risk the career of one of our great "up and comings" in order to keep an "uppity woman" down.

Still, I held fast to my belief that *someone* knew what s/he was doing! Surely, Howard Dean and the DNC knew that these two candidates, together, would energize our party? Certainly Mr. Kennedy was only trying to boost Mr. Obama's chances of staying in the race long enough to be considered a viable VP? Of course, everyone could see the power of change, begotten of *experience* and infused with *hope*?

Now I find myself, months into the campaigns of our two party hopefuls... simply scratching my head in disbelief. How could our party elders could be so irresponsible as to:

1) disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters in FLA & MI without looking ahead to the consequences?
2) pit two strong minority Senators against one another in the nominating process for an election that should have been ours for the taking?
3) subject one of our future hopefuls, Mr. Obama, to the kind of political scrutiny that invariably haunts (and aims to destroy) those who attempt transformation of a system mired in fear and apathy?

Did not one of the elders who endorsed Sen. Obama, over Sen. Clinton, see what they were doing? Did they not realize how high the stakes would be for the first woman president vs. the first African American president? Did they not know a long, drawn out primary would split the party into factions? Turn Dem against Dem? Could they not see... as could the average Dem on the street... that we had sixteen years of presidential material in front of us. Ours for the asking? I'll admit... I am rapidly losing faith in the good ole boys in Washington. They seem only too willing to throw away our next 16 years.... as it suits their own agenda.

Just what *is* that agenda? Beyond pitting Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama against one another so that they (the WASPMs of the party) can wisk in and, patronizingly tell us: "See, women and blacks CAN'T be president. We knew it all along. Now we'll have to install a white guy to keep the peace."

OK. Now I get it. It's all coming clear.

And I don't like it one bit.

[robbedvoter]

1. It maybe so. It is idiotic. it's also rooted in many prior fights, wars, fault lines

For dean, as it was noted on DU times and times again - it's his job on the line. If Hillary gets it, he's out. he doesn't want to - so he'll throw every roadblock her way. he'll even show his preferences outright in interviews by saying: "It won't take until June : delegates are shifting"
For the Kennedys - same thing - which family gets to lead the party?
And the RW just wants to get read of the Clintons.
"Why do they hate you so much?" Bill was asked in 2001. "Because I won, and they felt entitled to it"

[susankh4]

2. I also posted in GD:P

Call me crazy!

But come over and kick it!!!

We ALL need to talk about what's happening to our chances of EVER having another female or black nominee.....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4965099&mesg_id=4965099

Thanks.

[theHandpuppet]

3. Excellent post!

Gave it a well-deserved K&R.

:thumbsup:

[anamandujano]

6. Why would Dean be out if Hillary won? I haven't really been following news on him lately.

Has he been doing and saying things against her for a long time?

He would surely have a shot at many other political jobs, wouldn't he?

[zabet]

4. Well thought out post!

I have said many times that
the 'good ol' boy' network is
the only reason Obama was taken
seriously as a candidate to
begin with. A male, any male,
is better than the best woman
out there.

:puke:

I also have to lay the blame
on the greediness of Obama to
run with just 2 years of experience
under his belt on the Hill.
Washington politics are a far
different ball-game than the
Illinois senate when he had his
'king-maker' feeding him every
thing. He still has that air of
'self righteous entitlement' about
him, he believes he 'deserves' the
nomination. I believe he would have
been better off to wait until the next
election.

[flordehinojos]

5. stepping up the easy way seems to be BO's thing ...

From the Todd Spivak column titled Obama and Me:

"Republicans controlled the Illinois General Assembly for six of Obama's seven year tenure. Each session Obama backed legislation that went nowhere; bill after bill died in committee. ..."

then, in 2002 ... Illinois Democrats controlled the governor's office as well as both legislative chambers. .../snip/

"The white race baiting, hard-hitting Republican Illinois Senate Majority Leader James "Pate" Phillip was replaced by Emil JOnes Jr., a gravel-voiced, dark-skinned black senator known for chain-smoking cigarettes on the Senate floor. /snip/

"JONES APPOINTED OBAMA SPONSOR OF VIRTUALLY EVERY HIGH-PROFILE PIECE OF LEGISLATION, ANGERING MANY RANK AND FILE STATE LEGISLATORS WHO HAD MORE SENIORITY THAN OBAMA AND HAD SPENT YEARS CHAMPIONING THE BILLS." /snip/

Now your post seems to have hit on something that seems to be a repeat of Obama's political career.

and as far as senior democrats not thinking through what they were doing, i think that edward kennedy was had by senator's obama's camp manufacturing and trumpeting charges the the Clintons were playing the race card.

Obama is a smooth operator . he knows darn well what he is doing and he knows how to play the game.
the fact that it has not been as easy for him to smear clinton out of the race may have been the trigger that pushed his foreign policy advisor to call clinton, "a monster".

And, as far as that 3AM call--whether it comes at 3AM, 5PM or 12 Midnight ... I give my vote of confidence to Hillary Clinton to face whatever situation head-on.

[anamandujano]

7. Quite an excellent thread. Eventually they will all show themselves

although it might be too late for our country and those hurting so badly.

Do you really think Kennedy was just angling for the Veep spot for BO? I have finally given up on him after thinking of him as my favorite Kennedy.

He and Caroline seem to only care to have their names bolstered vicariously through JFK. Throw in Ethel. Can't believe they could be so petty. Obama is not worth the suit he can't even fill.

[susankh4]

8. I don't think Ted Kennedy

would want a VP spot.

But I do believe he may have a vendetta against Superdelegates.... based in history.

I don't know what all the motives are here. I am just sad to see it going the way it is. And I know SOMETHING is just not right about it.