rebuttal to: clinton with a side of disaffection
by Cameron Contois
Published: March 21, 2008
Ari Holtz’ original article: “clinton with a side of disaffection“
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I figured, sooner or later, the time would come when I, as a Clinton supporter, would be accused of dividing the party that I love. I was president of the Northern Michigan University College Democrats and volunteered hundreds of hours to that cause. In 2004, I spent all my free time at the Marquette County Democratic headquarters volunteering for the John Kerry campaign; some nights we worked ‘til dawn with no sleep. I’ve supported my party through good times and bad. Now, I support a candidate who, I feel, is far superior to Obama and his empty promises. And now, by some in my own party, I stand accused of being a traitor.
Senator Clinton has every right, and an obligation to her supporters, to see her campaign through to the end. Clinton can win with the support of the superdelegates.
If superdelegates are right or wrong is a topic for another article, but both candidates knew, from the beginning, that superdelegates would be a factor in the nomination process. The Obama crowd likes to characterize Clinton’s superdelegate support as earned through forced deals made in dark, smoky rooms through sheer Clinton intimidation. I’m sure these same Obama supporters will advocate for Obama to turn away his superdelegates since this process is so unfair. I think he’s getting his superdelegate support through sheer Obama intimidation.
When it comes to Obama and his supporters, they are uniters… as long as everyone is united under Barack Obama. Only the “new hope,” Barack Skywalker, can destroy the evil empire. Obama said it himself: “I am confident I will get [Clinton’s] votes if I’m the nominee. It’s not clear she would get the votes I got if she were the nominee.” (“Obama Unsure If Hillary Can Get His Votes”) Supposedly, if he’s not the chosen one, voters will become so disenfranchised that their worries about our national problems will fade away with their fallen messiah and they won’t vote.
If Clinton gets nominated, Obama supporters, in rage blackouts, vow to keep wearing their Obama T-shirts and not vote for her. Well then, if Obama gets the nomination, I won’t burn my Hillary T-shirt either, nor will I stop drinking out of my “Hillary for President” water bottle. In fact, I’ll vote for McCain! Yeah, I’ll vote for a guy who’s willing to stay in Iraq for 100 years, make Bush’s tax cuts permanent and continue the Bush administration’s disastrous policies all because my candidate didn’t get nominated!
And I will be a moron.
What if Obama gets nominated and all Clinton supporters do turn their back on the Democratic Party? Let’s see Obama win this election without Clinton supporters’ votes in, say, California, Florida or Ohio. Good luck with that.
I know of one Democratic voter who may not support Clinton if she wins. Her name is Michelle Obama. She stated on “Good Morning America” that she’d “have to think about [supporting Clinton]… her policies, her approach, her tone.” She then claimed that the nominee must take the country in a different direction. “I happen to believe that Barack is the only person who can really do that.”
She’d have to examine Clinton’s tone? Children are dying because they don’t have health care, soldiers are dying in the endless war in Iraq, the economy is tumbling into recession and Michelle Obama is worried about Clinton’s tone?
Who else would Michelle Obama consider voting for? John McCain? Ralph Nader? It sounds to me like Michelle Obama, along with many Obama enthusiasts, care more about her husband winning than about their party. Uniters, indeed.
At the State of the Union, Senator Clinton was willing to sit next to Obama to show party unity. Obama snubbed her and unity, choosing instead to sit next to his new bff, Ted Kennedy. Clinton claimed that Obama would make a good vice president. Obama turned this against her. Sure, a smart campaign move, but it did nothing for unity.
No, my fellow Democrats, I am not a traitor. I’m supporting the best candidate to be President of the United States. Furthermore, come next November, I will vote for whoever the Democratic presidential candidate is. I just hope you will do the same.
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Ari Holtz’ original article: “clinton with a side of disaffection“
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