Barack Obama trouncing Hillary Clinton in Wyoming is not what matters. His most likely thrashing of her in Mississippi is not the issue either. What is actually relevant in this demicratic primary is that liberals are discovering what conservatives have known for a long time about places like Wyoming and Mississippi. Liberals are figuring out that these places actually exist.
As much as it pains me to say it, one of the biggest lunatics in the democratic party, and boy does that say a lot, was right about an issue. Howard Screaming Dean wants the democratic party to run a 50 state strategy. Democrats are right now an 18 to 20 state party. Even on the rare occasions when they eke out Presidential election victories, they can’t govern because too much of America is put off by them.
Yes, liberals are seen as a bunch of effete snobs that attend wine and cheese parties and worship Pre-Sarkozy France. Outside of big cities containing many minorities, nobody likes these people.
This can be seen in Hillary Clinton trying to basically steal the democratic nomination by any illegal means necessary. Her main strategy is to invalidate the states that vote for Barack Obama.
The logic goes something like this: Hillary Clinton won Massachussetts. Massachussetts is liberal. Therefore, she is the best representative for the democrats. Obama won Idaho. Idaho is conservative. Therefore, since the republicans will win Idaho anyway, his victory is meaningless.
Hillary, her arrogance towards red state America neverending, wants to run a 20 state election. Obama talks about uniting people. Hillary talks about defeating the evil republicans.
One cannot govern effectively when they write off a large segment of America and tell those people, “We don’t need you. You don’t count. You don’t matter.” It is this misguided thinking that keeps many republicans from going into black neighborhoods looking for votes. For awhile, republicans ignored Jews. An amazing thing then happened. Somebody in the republican party actually decided to talk to them and listen to them, and more Jews are voting republican than a few years ago.
Hillary cannot understand that people who shop at Walmart, go hunting, watch football and Nascar, and enjoy staying home and baking cookies, are actually people worthy of her association. She is married to one of these people, but make no mistake about it. She has contempt for Middle America. It is not about liberal vs conservative. It is about elitism vs the dignity of ordinary people that are extraordinary in their own way.
Hillary won by small margins in large states, while Obama won by large margins in small states. Obama is generating enthusiasm in places where republicans normally dominate. Hillary argues that those states are unwinnable in a general election anyway. How does she know this? Has she tried?
Changes do not happen overnight. Let’s say Idaho votes for republicans by a 30 point margin. If Idaho only goes for the republicans by 15 or 20 points this time, that is still making inroads. It will not be enough time to help Hillary, but it would be good for the party overall in the long run.
That is the crux of the issue. Hillary does not care about the party. She never has. If she loses this primary race, she will do everything but publicly endorse John McCain, the same way she could barely hide her glee when John Kerry was defeated.
Yet for a woman who says she is ready to lead on day one, she might want to do less talking and more listening. There are 30 states that she does not want to bother with. When she loses them, she dismisses them as unimportant. It is not that they are lost causes for democrats. It is they do not like her. This is in keeping with her attitude that a vote against her is a vote against all women.
I will not be voting for Barack Obama in the general election. I am backing John McCain. Yet at least Obama will go into states that have not been friendly to democrats and talk to people. Red state voters are not the enemy. They are Americans, and no bad ever came out of offering a sincere hearty handshake to good people, regardless of affiliation.
Hillary will dismiss the results from Wyoming and Mississippi. Others know the truth. It is they who rejected her first.
Obama is far from perfect on issues that most voters in Wyoming and Mississippi care about, but I give him credit. At least he recognizes that these people exist.
eric
Well Eric, its like you said a while back.
Obama is not qualified to run the country but hes a likeable guy that you could sit down and have a cup of coffee with.
People think this country is divided now. I believe a Hillary in office would certainly create a division like we’ve never seen.
Am pleasantly amused by “Yes, liberals are seen as a bunch of effete snobs that attend wine and cheese parties and worship Pre-Sarkozy France. Outside of big cities containing many minorities, nobody likes these people.” Will drive my oversized pickup to the polls, vote Dem, and stop for cheap fastfood on the way
back up the mountain. Regarding Sarkozy, see http://www.eurotopics.net/en/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE24910-Sarkozy-s-popularity-plummets-as-his-image-explodes-on-the-Net?EUTOPICS=427d01a561a086e6573d0e5a6e1fab51 where we note that conservatives, while they make an excellent minority, simply cannot run a government. Am in agreement with Micky2: conservatives will not support a liberal administration any more than libs support a con one. Most unfortunate as both types are great well-meaning folk, IMO.
There is no “pre-Sarkozy France.” He hasn’t been able to do much of anything, and his time may not be long. IMHO, that’s probably a good thing. France needs some fresh thinking, not stereotypical, laizzez-faire technocracy – from the right or the left. I wish we Americnas could one day learn that lesson.
Neither Clinton nor Obama are or would be all that “liberal,” unless you mean in the European sense of the word. They would both continue to project hegemonic, military power, they would both be continually stuck in the same quagmire in the Middle East, and the military industrial complex will remain at the top of our spending priorities. Big Oil, Insurance, Big Pharma, and the big-import/big-box retailers will continue to occupy the top of the corporate Hill.
McCain is tougher to figure out. Ironically against popular opinion, I think he’s the least predictable of the three. We kinda know where Hillary’s coming from. We should know where Obama is coming from. Hillary’s a Clinton and Obama is another Clinton. Chicago – worked their way up – political scrappers – policy wonks/good speakers… Obama only differs in his upbringing, which again ironically, only makes him all the palatable to the white voters (unless the most sleazy of the sleazy get their dirty fingernails on him).
McCain could change overnight in the White House. He could be our next Ike. There was something to like about Ike for everyone alike. (Sorry. Had to do that.) McCain could just ignore all the “issue” people and do some good. On the other hand, so would Hillary and Obama. I think the Senate is the key to this election. I’d like to see more talk about that.
JMJ
Both Hillary and Obama are socialists at heart, but at least Obama is a ‘uniter’ and not a divider like sHillary is.
If the PIAPS manages to steal the nomination from Obama, he should not accept being her VP. He should distance himself from the train wreck her administration is likely to be. He could be tainted forever. Most VPs haven’t become POTUS either.
Letting Powers go was a mistake, Obama has shown himself to be subservient to the PIAPS. Obama’s aide was right. Hillary is a monster. Of course not the same kind of
monster as Hitler, Mao or Stalin, but a monster nonetheless.
.
absurd thought –
God of the Universe says
don’t call monsters monsters
never expose their evil
never upset a monster
.
absurd thought –
God of the Universe says
claim to care for people
call yourself progressive
your policies hurt poor folk
.
absurd thought –
God of the Universe says
elect women presidents
who cover for their husbands
who rape other women
.
if you’re MAD
punish your country
VOTE for Hillary
.
http://www.hillaryproject.com/
Go here and watch ‘The Hillary Show’ with Howard Dean. It’s Hillaryous!
http://www.stophernow.com/
http://absurdthoughtsaboutgod.blogspot.com/
:)
.
Honestly, your blog confuses me. On one hand, you are such an American with traits that I have come to love – open, honest, relatively non-encumbered with history and predispositions.
On the other hand, I sometimes get scared by the simplistic, often unidimensional worldview that can only be dangerous – when the citizens of the most powerful nation in the world indulge in it.
Dont get me wrong – I agree with most of your views – my country has been hurt by “islamofascists” as you call them – maybe even more than America. My cousin died fighting them in Kargil in Kashmir with the Indian Army.
Yet, at another level – I dont subscribe to the Israeli building settlements in the West Bank. I cannot help but thing that every side has something legitimate – if not legitimate ways of fighting for them.
Look, I like you blog. I really like it. But I dont always agree. And I am sometimes scared – about what will happen to the only planet we have – if we keep hardening to our stance – and refuse to see the opposing point of view.
Just my two cents. Keep the blog going buddy. Love to read it!