TPM Cafe reader “57andFemale” has written a powerful rant against the Clinton campaign’s race tactics and tepid ‘regrets’ of Geraldine Ferraro’s well-publicized outpourings. (Original spellings are retained.) HillaryMcCain ‘mindmeld’ composites by Mike Ferry of 2millionth web log, inspired by Driftglass.
• See also ‘Senator Clinton Is Not a Republican, As Far As I Know’ by Bob Cesca @ HuffPo.
You Think It Can’t Get Worse
By 57andFemale
March 12, 2008
And then it does. Big time. Not one interview by Geraldine Ferraro, but cable news shows, Good Morning America, a new interview with the Daily Breeze and the NY Times. Saying the same things. Over and over. Hillary Clinton’s Finance Chair is still standing, to say words that should offend any Democrat.
Obama’s appeal is he is the candidate for everyone. He transcended race. It was the Clintons who squandered the black vote, let’s remember that.
But with several ugly, publicized days, Clinton, through her surrogates, has made it ALL about Obama being black. Any of his accomplishments, his God given intelligence and rhetorical gifts and vision for the country and the world, have been trashed to the ground—because he wouldn’t be where he was if he was black.
We’re not allowed to make it be ALL about her being a woman. Or ALL about her being a Clinton. We’re shut down, called betrayers (I’m a 57 white female). Any criticism of Hillary is because she’s a girl—not because she’s lied with inpunity about Obama’s record or accomplishments. Not because she has belittled any state and any voter who doesn’t fall in line behind her. Not because she says she’s tough, yet garners votes by expecting women to protect her. The utter gaul. [sic] The immense hubris. The cruelty. The mean-spiritness. There really are no words to express how angry I am.
In one fell swoop, Hillary Clinton has made everything good this man has done or stood for, meaningless. She may have ruined him in the general election. She has made this election about race, and only race. The entire soul of the party is to be sacrificed for her personal drama.
I will say what I have been afraid to say aloud since she announced she was running for President. Hillary Clinton is unpatriotic. Knowing the divisiveness she brings, the fact that she is the best rallying cry for Republicans—I couldn’t believe that the Clintons would subject us to all of that again. Bill had a good life, doing good deeds. Why in the world would they need to run for the White House? After they’d already been there for 8 years?
The darkness and narcicissim that is their ambition, I cannot fathom.
I was happy with all of our candidates, way back in January. I became more and more disilusioned with the Clintons (after defending them all these years). After the John McCain endorsement—I began to question if I could vote for her in good conscience. The repeated endorsements of John McCain—I became convinced she was unfit to be president.
But the Geraldine Ferraro assault on everything Democrats stand for—with the wink-wink from the Clintons which amounts to abject support and approval—I am now convinced that John McCain would be the only person of honor in a McCain/Hillary match-up.
I cannot, will not ever vote for her. She has no honor. She has no interest in winning me back, but I don’t expect she would see the need to do so.
If Al Gore, Bill Richardson and John Edwards don’t stand up this week, then they are all sheep, and complicit in the destruction of this party.
I have never been so sad to be a Democrat in my life as I am right now.
But I will channel this anger and disappointment into helping Barack Obama become our next president. It’s an uphill battle against these forces, but I will fight the good fight as best I can.
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The original post can be found here, under “You Think It Can’t Get Worse.”