A Rake’s Progress

During the past week my email folder has been inundated with messages pleading for me and other Hillary supporters to join with them IN HILLARY’S NAME to protest her treatment by the media, the DNC, Obama, the state party chairs, the bloggers, the influx of black flies that have come and gone in New Hampshire.

All of you know that I have been an ardent friend and supporter of Hillary for decades. Like many of you, I cried when she gave her concession speech. Over the course of this election I have been filled with rage, anger, disappointment, disgust — and most of that got vented in my blogs and on my web sites.

But through it all, I have been proud of Hillary. Even until the very moment she endorsed Obama, she stood as an example to all of us — men and women — about how to fight the good fight, stand up for principles, and try as hard as you can to reach your goal. None of that suprised us, did it? We who know her always saw those leadership traits in HRC.

I think that Hillary has made it clear what her intentions are now. I have no doubt that in her mind she has made what she feels are the right choices for her, the Democratic Party, and the country. We, her supporters, are not “ditto-heads.” Each of us can choose where we go from here, who we support, what we protest, what we embrace as our own. I am still making up my own mind about what I will do in the months ahead and who will get my support.

But it is WRONG and HURTFUL to Hillary to stage protests, disruptive acts, and civil disobedience IN HER NAME. Such behavior is not what she wants. If she wanted to personally continue this fight, she would. If she is working behind the scenes in some way to right the wrongs she suffered, I would not be surprised. But she has not asked for and has made it clear that she does not want her supporters IN HER NAME to act like sore losers, no matter how justified we feel we are. To do so is to disrespect Hillary and what she stands for.

Whatever we feel we must do in our OWN NAMES is our right and our obligation. Create your own action groups or protest plans, but do it not in Hillary’s name but one of your own making. Do not let anyone infer or believe that this is what Hillary wants. She doesn’t.  If she did, she would be leading us.

I only ask people to be careful not to drag Hillary’s name through the smoke and fire because it feels right for us to do so. It can hurt her and our cause in the long run. It isn’t right and I will not support it.

Thank you.

- Rake

Now that the coronation ceremonies are beginning for Barack Obama, many of Hillary’s supporters are looking for a way to tell the world that they are not to blame for this political mutation.

Some are in the streets protesting, others are making home made signs. But everywhere the message is the same: “Don’t blame me, I voted for Hillary!”

By the time the Denver Democratic Convention comes around, there will be a Democratic stampede over to John McCain’s side. It is starting already.

No one since white segregationist George Wallace has done more to stir up racial hatred in this country than Barack Obama and his “posse.” The fact that Obama has been reluctant to disown these racial fear-mongers goes beyond disturbing. It is an indication of his complicity in their strategy of mobilizing black voters by attacking “whitey.”

In just a few short months, we’ve had videos of Michelle Obama attacking whites and admitting her shame about being an American, and Rev. Wright with his now infamous black supremacist comments.

The latest anti-white video making the rounds shows Father Pfleger, a long-time Obama contributor, ranting against Hillary Clinton and white people. Like the other comments, this took place in Obama’s church, Trinity United Church of Christ.

The Clinton campaign has called on Obama to repudiate Father Pfleger’s “divisive, despicable comments.”

This from CNN –

“Barack Obama has personally apologized to a Michigan television reporter for referring to her as “sweetie” as she tried to ask a question.

The comment came earlier Wednesday when WXYZ reporter Peggy Agar asked Obama at a campaign stop, “How are you going to help the American auto workers?”

Obama told Agar to “hold on, sweetie,” and said he would address that issue with her later. Agar said she never got an answer to her question.”

Let’s see.

So far he has insulted working class Americans, the poor, the uninsured, patriotic Americans, women, Christians, Jews, and many whites who worry about his ties to the black supremacist, Rev. Wright.

Is there any group of Americans other than his elitist supporters that Obama has not insulted or showed his inability to relate to on a professional level?

His insults to women, this reporter in particular, explains why a womanizer like Ted Kennedy is working so hard for Obama.

Some of the reaction I have gotten about this suggests that some folks think it’s OK for Obama to call a female reporter, “sweetie.” I’ll bet there would be a lot more outrage if she had replied by calling him, “boy.” But she was too professional — unlike Obama — to use a slur in response to one. I probably wouldn’t be.

Personally, the most enjoyable aspect about making these posts is reading the pathetic, illogical contortions that Obama supporters will go through to justify their continued support for a flawed — morally, ethically, socially, and politically flawed — candidate.

Let’s hear it!

Nineteen delegates? That’s all?

Before people get too worked up over John Edwards’ endorsement yesterday of Barack Obama, let’s remember that this “working class hero”  — i.e. Edwards — was run out of the Democratic campaign as a miserable failure and phony.

He managed just 19 delegates before he dropped out. The reason?

The man with the $400 haircuts had no credibility with working class Americans back then, and he doesn’t now. In fact, he joins another candidate, Barack Obama, whose main appeal is with wealthy Americans. The notion that his endorsement of Obama helps the Illinois Senator to connect with people who actually work for a living is outrageous.

Let’s remember a few things about Edwards:

As reported in an article called Estate of Denial, the New York Post had this to say about Edwards’ humble background –

The megarich Edwards, worth upwards of $30 million, is slated to use the very symbol of American blight as a political prop to announce his candidacy tomorrow: the Lower Ninth Ward of Hurricane Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.

It’s a far cry from his new Shangri-La nestled amid soaring Carolina pines on a 100-acre estate outside of Chapel Hill.

“It’s one thing to be a millionaire, but it’s totally tone-deaf to be using Katrina victims while you’re putting the finishing touches on your multimillion-dollar mansion,” said one Democratic operative.

Edwards’ posh estate is a work in progress, with a recently completed 10,700-square-foot main mansion as its centerpiece.

The $3.1 million ritzy pad sports 10 rooms, 61/2 baths, two garages, a huge country kitchen with hardwood floors, and sweeping verandas to soak in the view of the verdant pasture.

Two other residences - one for 22-year-old daughter Cate and one for visiting friends and family - are already under way, according to Orange County, N.C., property records. A two-story, 6,366-square-foot mini-mansion is about 70 percent complete.

On the day that he dropped out of the race, the LA Times  pulled data from exit polls showing that Edwards, like Obama, did best among the wealthiest voters:

In New Hampshire, he finished third among lower-income voters, taking 16% of those earning less than $50,000 a year, according to media exit polls. He won 17% of those voters making more than $50,000. He won 11% of voters without high school diplomas and 18% of college graduates.

In the Iowa caucuses, he lost handily to both Obama and Clinton among voters with annual household incomes of less than $50,000 but took a quarter of those in households earning more than $50,000, beating Clinton in that category (and placing second in the state overall, his best showing in the campaign).

And a new Los Angeles Times/CNN survey of California Democrats, taken before Edwards dropped out, showed him performing far better among upper-income voters than lower-income voters.

Let’s also remember that this “man of the people” was one of the few who did not protest when ABC News and WMUR-TV decided to toss the “second tier” candidates out of the debate. Edwards generously told the Union Leader: “I’m staying out of that. I don’t get to set the rules for the debates. I’ll let the people who are in charge of the debates set the rules. And I’ll be there.” I bet the Biden, Dodd, and Kucinich supporters out there remember Edwards’ solidarity with “the people.”

On the campaign trail, Edwards’ campaign themes went nowhere with most Democratic voters. In calling for Edwards to quit the campaign, my local newspaper, the Citizen, had this to say:

Edwards was humiliated in the Nevada caucuses Saturday, attracting only 4 percent of the vote.

Edwards was jubilant when he finished second in the first test of the candidates in Iowa, but it was euphoria soon lost. He ended far behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in New Hampshire, sliding to attract only 17 percent of the Democrats and the unenrolled in the record turnout of Granite State voters.

Edwards tilts so far to the left it’s a wonder he doesn’t tip over. It’s been more evident in this campaign than previous ones. His has been liberal rhetoric like that right out of the early 1920s.

As Hillary Clinton demonstrated in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, that far left rhetoric of Edwards and Obama is not cutting it with middle class America. So, if Barack and his supporters want to believe that Edwards is an asset that will throw up a smoke screen to hide their elitist attitudes and policies, they are deluding themselves.

Edwards himself had this to say to NPR on May 9th about the value of his endorsement:

“I would not inflate the value of my supporting or endorsing any candidate. That’s blown way, way out of proportion.” He contends endorsements carry more weight with the media than with voters: “I don’t think they make a huge difference.”

And there’s no guarantee those 19 delegates Edwards won will switch to Obama. In the final analysis, Edwards reached out to Obama with an empty hand. No doubt he is hoping Obama will help fill it with a cabinet or VP offer.