If it's pandering for McCain to have picked Palin, then wouldn't it also be pandering to send women since it's felt that you as a male can't "handle it"?
This creates the impression that women aren't intelligent enough to avoid being pandered to, by either side...McCurry is right, not to mention, sending out other women, especially Clinton will just remind former Clinton supporters of why it's not her who is the presidential or vice presidential candidate.
"What McCain has done with Governor Palin's nomination is aim right at a demographic that Obama needs to address quickly — non-college educated women," said Mike McCurry, a former spokesman in the Clinton White House. "They need to maximize Biden's ability to reach out to them, but at the end of the day it is Obama who has to get that very, very critical group."
8 comments:
Uhm, respectfully . . . Bullshit!
We wouldn't even be having this conversation if McCain hadn't pandered to the anti-abortionist zealots and decided to get cute with Hillary supporters who by and large are (or should be) insulted that McCain thinks he can substitute the throwback Palin in the hearts and minds of Clinton supporters when she stands for everything Hillary has worked against her whole life.
Hillary would be hitting the trail, in Florida where she did very well in the primaries, whether Palin had been picked or not. Sebelius was on the short list for Obama for a reason, and Napolitano has been very effective in the Southwest already as a surrogate for Obama since she is so well acquainted with McCain's game.
You've been taken in by a headline writer and two reporters looking for an angle to hook their story on.
Note that Michigan's governor isn't mentioned, but Granholm endorsed Obama in June and was with him in Monroe, MI this week. Was that "using" or "pandering" to women too?
The fact is there are more, way more prominent women in and out of government who are effective and vocal Obama supporters than can be mustered to stump for McCain. We shouldn't play into this gender game even if the media tries to frame it that way. Is is pandering to women when Oprah and Gloria Steinem speak out for Obama? Is it pandering when Ann and Nancy Wilson get a cease and desist order against McCain for playing "Barracuda?" Of course not.
The facts are simply on our side. Besides being more responsible when it comes to a vision for everyone's future, women in particular are better off under Obama's economic policies which are included in the most female friendly platform any party has ever offered, even Bill Clinton's. And that's saying a lot.
Pay equity, family and medical leave, day care, head start, educational grants, better access to student loans and new initiatives in job training programs specifically geared for advancing women in the workplace and the halls of government are all part of what Obama is about.
If it wasn't, neither Hillary nor Bill would have come out so strongly for him -- and they were awesome at the Convention. And if anyone so in love with the Clintons think that they were just playing a part and not speaking out on Obama's behalf with true conviction, then I can't understand how you could support someone you think so shallow. I think a lot better of the Clintons than that.
And don't forget about Supreme Court appointments, especially since 7 of the 9 justices there and 60% of the entire federal judiciary have been appointed by Repubicans -- and only one in four judges is a woman. The only woman on the current SCOTUS was put there by Clinton.
Bush had two chances to put any other woman on SCOTUS besides Harriet Meirs, and failed. Do you really think McCain will tap another woman when he promises more Scalias and Alitos? Crazy ladies like Palin who are also qualified for the High Courts are hard to find, and the couple Bush managed to get past the filibusters aren't going to get promoted under the next Senate.
So no. I reject your thesis. Obama shouldn't be going after Palin at all and should leave that to surrogates and Biden. Obama should concentrate on McCain and his own message, and he is.
Don't look for controversy where there isn't any just because the media needs to talk about Palin and she won't talk to them. This thing will taper off as the novelty dies down. Right now, I'm just laughing at the fact that at K-Mart today I saw Caribou Barbie on the cover of four of the "celebrity" tabloids. The lady is a joke and should be treated that way.
Ahh ... that feels better. It's been a while since I ranted at you. See ya soon. ;-)
And since I'm on a roll, I forgot to mention increased funding for pre-natal care and sex education programs that actually work.
Lest I be sanctioned as an ignorant sexist pig (Hey, I'm male. We're stupid by definition.) or a purveyor of ageism -- whatever that is: I don't apologize for calling McSame and Caribou Barbie things like Yukon and Yoda, or for belittling Johnny "Ace" for downing five planes and SaraCudda for losing money on the one she didn't sell on eBay.
Grampy McFartPants and his Trophy Veep are worthy of scorn and mocking and little else, thus the Codger and the Ice Queen, or if you prefer, McNasty and Ms. Nasty will get little of my respect. They are a cruel joke being played on the American people, so I get to laugh at them and you should too.
On the other hand, I have tremendous respect and admiration for Hillary Clinton and don't believe I have ever used such derogatory terminology to address her. It ain't about gender. It's about whether or not I think they are assholes or not.
Mark, you know the only reason he is reaching out to women now is because McCain picked Palin. Before then? We were told to get over it, it's not just one article, there are many.
Even in Toledo - Obama sharpens focus on women
It doesn't matter what Democratic woman they send out. That doesn't change the ticket or how the ticket even ended up that way.
We are having this conversation because Obama didn't get it. It was more than just about Hillary...
Hillary's role in this campaign would have been less of a focus and quite a few Dem bloggers started complaining about "why wasn't Hillary sent out to attack Palin" immediately after the pick. Why? Because Biden can't handle it? If he can't? Then why have him....
Every single time they send out Hillary, it will remind her core supporters that she lost, and they believe unfairly...That's not smart. That's not bullshit or even mooseshit.
". . . it will remind her core supporters that she lost, and they believe unfairly . . ."
And their beliefs are wrong . . . and a significant number of people believe in little green men too.
I think there is a bit more evidence related to caucus fraud than the existence of little green men. That said, having recently been to Roswell? Some believe in them too.
Ya know, if Hillary didn't wanna work for Obama, she wouldn't.
And that too would be a story.
I'm just sayin'
It would, but she's clearly a better Democrat than some of us, she's able to put being a Democrat over being a woman. Or...she realizes that it's to her benefit to play the game.
Either way, her appearance is not going to mollify everyone and will do the opposite in some. It already has...
Looks like I'm not the only one who felt that way.
:-)
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