Gen-Irrational Gap
My family, like many families, has split along generational lines during this primary season. My brother and I support Obama. Mom and Dad are in Hillary’s camp. However, to be fair, Mom is staying neutral by saying that she likes both candidates. My brother has the luxury of living in California, and, therefore, has not taken part in our “heated” kitchen table debate.
I should point out that before Super Tuesday I was completely rational. I countered the ’empty suit’ comments with policy discussion. I answered the ‘Your guy has a glass jaw’ jab by explaining that Obama was about a different type of politics, and I delighted in pointing out, to my parents, how they had weaned me on JFK, MLK, and RFK. I was a regular chip off the old block!
So when did I lose it? Was it when Hillary endorsed McCain? Oh yeah, that was a biggie. But I’ve realized it wasn’t one thing that made me lose my mind. It was cumulative. Let’s review…
First, as an Obama supporter, I was called delusional and naive. Okay, no big deal, since, hey, I like Kool-aid! Next came the ‘words are cheap’ comment, followed by the ‘experience’ mantra, which – according to Hillary – only she and John McCain possess. My blood pressure started rising at this point, along with my personal negatives in regards to Hillary. Toss in Florida and Michigan and the claim that Obama was disenfranchising the voters of these states and I saw red. My vision kept blurring when HRC supporters dismissed every primary, caucus, red state, blue state, small state that Obama won along with his delegate lead. Suddenly a delegate race became about the popular vote, or the electoral college map, or if only Dems picked their nominee like republicans…
But the killer for me was when Hillary supporters saw no problem in swift boating one of their own, i.e. The Kitchen Sink Strategy. Rev. Wright, flag pins, Ayers, bitter-gate, etc. All tactics I was prepared for the Republicans to launch, but I never dreamed a Democrat would sink so low. Hillary supporters will claim they are doing Obama a favor by vetting him. Actually what they’ve done is give credence to mud slinging. They’ve also given Republicans cover by legitimizing the politics of personal destruction. Come this fall things are going to get ugly, and Dems won’t be able to complain because we’ve lowered the bar.
So, am I irrational when it comes to Hillary Clinton. Yes, but for rational reasons.
Tags: 2008 Presidential, Hillary Clinton
AHHHHHHHH, we are on the same wavelength, sister. I was just thinking this morning that I had the rational edge as an Obama girl as opposed to mere rationale.
I can’t devine my family since we are as widely spread as (insert fave….).
Nancy, this has been building in me. I’ve danced around these issues on my previous posts, but today I decided to grab a seat on my DL therapist sofa and let it out!
Just remember you are entitled to your opinion as I am mine
The tactics Hillary and Billary are using are more despicable than repukes doing it. They are suppose to be democrats, something that actually means something. Now, do you understand why I left the democratic party. There are factions inside these parties and they control everything. The Congressman from NC has said, he heard “she is doing all the damage she can do so McCain will win, and she has a shot at McCain in 2012. This is putrid politics.
I’m probably older than your parents.
I’m with you.
Hillary Clinton gives me the willies.
pandora
What I wonder is whether or not this is an inherent problem of having two completely committed candidates in a single party; with proportional delegate selection, for example, I can imagine that Mitt Romney & John McCain might have gotten as down and dirty as Hillary has forced Barack to do.
Likewise, even in the Libertarian and Constitutional Parties (whose nominees are not going to be the next president) the contests have become downright fratricidal.
I honestly think the problem is structural: with only two candidates who are relatively closely matched in terms of support, the proportional representation plus the superdelegates denies either the ability to land a true knock-out blow. This actually leaves Hillary only two choices: (A) drop out [which ain’t gonna happen] or (B) throw the same shit at Obama that the Republicans will, in a demented attempt to prove he’s too weak to take it.
Where I really think Democrats are stuck is that Hillary just doesn’t give a shit who wins the election if she doesn’t, because in either an Obama or McCain presidency she acquires tremendous new power in the Senate.
The youth vote in this contest is amazing….my 21 yr old son encouraged me to look hard at Obama when I was hoping that Edwards would gain some traction (I was never happy Hillary was running….sick of Clinton-attack mode from the Repuks….). Thanks to my son’s enthusiasm & my 13 y/o daughter’s opinions (Obama won in her school “primary”)…..I did look hard….reading his books was a great start….well written (by him) & sincere (really)…..
The youth of America have plugged in & that is HUGE!!!!!
Steve,
You make a good point about the candidates. Add the supporters… OMG! Each camp is becoming entrenched and with every day that passes how many Hillary or Obama supporters say: I will never vote for her/him?
Hell, I find myself feeling that way more and more. And with everything going on in the world is that rational?
Where were you during the Clinton years? Yes, these guys play for keeps.