Category — This Political Mess

As mentioned before, it’s possible that this wild primary season will change the scope of American politics. It has that potential. After all, there are two wildly popular candidates in one of the major political parties. The candidate running in the other party isn’t exactly loved by the party’s base. They’ve already been given another option. There could be a lot of options this November, and, it’s quite possible, someone who isn’t running on a major party ticket could win this election. If the right candidate runs that is. I’m not sayin’, I’m just sayin’. I just have the strangest feeling my political choices, as they are going to fall, are not going to be satisfactory to me, and I’m just not down with that.

How fractured is the Democratic party? Could it be that the showdown between Clinton and Obama has created an unfixable schism? For years I have heard people complain about the fact that we have only two major political parties? Is it possible that this is the year to change that, and that it happened entirely by accident? What would happen if, whether it be Clinton or Obama who gets the nomination, the other were to break off and run as a new political party?

It could happen.

It would be way cool.

So, Hillary went and won herself another big primary last night. This underscores the fact, I think, that neither Democratic candidate can win the general election alone. This great, democratic process has divided the party almost irreparably. When I take a moment to look at message boards about the primary season, the theme I see is this. Hillary supporters think that Obama supporters are naïve. Obama supporters think that Hillary supporters are stuck in the past. I think it doesn’t really matter, because they need each other desperately to win at this point, and there is no getting around it.

During the primary coverage on CNN, though, I was once again struck by the difference in media coverage. Several times they mentioned that Hillary was going negative, running negative ads against Obama, and saying negative things on the campaign trail. This morning when I woke up, one of the headlines was regarding the NY Times article about how they want to smack Hillary on the hand for going negative. Well, that’s all very well, and to some extent I agree that the negativity is wearing thin.

On both sides…

You see, what isn’t being reported are the negative mailings that Obama’s campaign has been doing against Hillary. I guess if it isn’t done in an open forum, it doesn’t count.

So, Air America host Randi Rhodes was suspended for calling both Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton big fucking whores. Obviously the suspension is a suitable reprimand, but I wonder if it’s because she called these two political figures whores or because she threw in the fucking? It’s really kind of hard to tell.

Here is what I find the most disturbing about this tirade. You see, if there is one thing that this history-making election is proving again and again, it is just how quick women are to use the same words to put down each other that men use to put down our entire sex. Not all men, mind you, but some.

The thing that I find second most disturbing about this tirade is the use of the word ‘whore’. I’m confused, because I’m not sure what telling people to “read the fine print” has to do with being a whore. I thought a whore was something else entirely.

I guess we’ve all learned something.

Hillary, seriously, I am still with you. I am. I am with you because I think you stand the best chance of winning against John McCain. I am with you, because many of the ideas that Obama has were your ideas first. I am with you, because you are smart, you are strong, you are formidable, and I believe that you can get things done.

But here is my wish. My wish is that you would calm my down. My wish is that you would remind people of what makes you strongest, smartest, and the most likely to rescue this economy before we hit another depression, which is quickly closing in. I wish you would stop attacking. You don’t need attacks. You are the best candidate. No matter how many people hate you, and no many you have caused to hate you thoughout this campaign, I believe the most in your abilities and your ideas.

Please be nice.