Blue Mass Group

Reality-based commentary on politics.

Who Can’t Vote for Obama?

By

Cross-posting note: This also appears at Marry in Massachusetts.

Americans have a long, emotional history of voting against their interests. Poor southern whites would keep corrupt politicians in office to spite their Black neighbors. It did not make the difference that the underclass of both races had much more to gain by installing populist or progressive governors, legislators and Presidents. Likewise, here in Massachusetts, we'll vote for any ineffective schlemiel who promises never to raise taxes.

This time around, we see and hear from many with reasons or excuses not to vote for Barack Obama. Many more have voted for him in primaries and caucuses than any other candidate of either party. He has attracted and inspired unprecedented number of young and first-time voters. Also, an amazing number of independent voters have chosen him in state races.

Yet, there is a surprising reluctance to concentrate on throwing out the failed bums. Obama is about to get the nomination and there should be euphoria in the surge to rid the nation of the GOP leadership and policies that have produced thousands of American deaths (far more than from 9/11), a world that is less safe, a stunned and staggered economy, and no end in sight for the myriad horrors visited on us.

Instead, many report they are not ready to smear the oval or click the switch for Obama. I figured to muse on it after Saturday dinner we had for nine. Over the noshes and meal, it became clear that the eight who spoke were for Obama. That included the recently retired heart surgeon, who lamented that Americans were likely not ready for real change and would elect John McCain.

As people were getting ready to leave, the middle-aged minister, a Black woman, who had been silent, announced that she hoped Hillary Clinton held on until the bitter end. She said gender was far more important to her than the politics or Obama's race.

So just who is it who might sit out, write in Clinton or even vote for McCain? I surmise:

  • Disappointed Hillary supporters. Particularly those embittered and convinced that she got a raw deal, not through her flaws, but for her gender.
  • Disappointed John Edwards supporters. Those who cannot believe that the relative populist in a tepidly leftist candidate pool didn't run away with the nomination.
  • Fringe lefties and libertarians.  The group who would make a statement by not voting or doing the same by going for Ron Paul.
  • Self-defined fundamentalists. Who look for any excuse, including the baseless claims that Obama was and remains a Koran toting radical Islam/terrorism follower.
  • Kraft bag watchers. Like the infamous West Virginia voters interviewed by TV reporters, some people can't get beyond Black, or light brown in this case. We know some Americans just can't vote for non-white candidates.
  • Machine Democrats. Those who are willing to believe that the privileged Clinton, who grew up wealthy with management/owner dad, represents working-class interests.

That's what I've read and seen. Whom did I leave off the list? More important, by September or October, will they face that another Republican administration will continue the bloodshed and economic ruin?

Interestingly enough, among the many I know who share my deep disappointment that neither Obama nor Clinton nor Edwards supports marriage equality, none said they'd do anything but work for Obama and a Democratic victory.

Amusingly, I somehow got on a McCain mailing list for campaign contribution requests. I received the unappealing appeal dated April 28. It is full of disingenuous howlers like:

It is no secret that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have raised enormous, historic sums of money in their battle for the nomination. And national liberal Democratic groups like MoveOn.org, the Democratic National Committee, and others are plotting to spend and do whatever it takes to bring my campaign down.

As we're already witnessed, when the Democrats' and their liberal special interest allies turn their sights on us with vicious attacks — we must be ready.

We can ignore the grammar and syntax errors. However, their admitting that, for the first time in many decades, the Dems are getting a lot more campaign money, and from individuals not from Republican-style business and other interest groups, that does say a lot. American want change, enough to pay for it, enough to reverse the traditional Republican advantage.

Then, who is it who slings the mud, who lies shamelessly, who is associated with Willie Horton ads and Swift Boat Veterans? Which is the party of dirty tricks and outright dishonor and dishonesty? Whose candidate is the one saying his campaign is fighting to win and speak the truth, while the Dems doing the same are "plotting to spend and do whatever it takes to bring my campaign down" ?

At least I got to take a pile of paper out of my office recycling bin, fold it so it fit in the return envelope with the first-class permit. It's a small statement, but one easy to make.

The November call has been settled for me for a long time. I endorsed Obama in early February after the marriage-equality candidates quit. I was disappointed, but not about to take my ball and hide in my basement.

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Comments

  1. We can ignore the grammar and syntax errors. However, their admitting that, for the first time in many decades, the Dems are getting a lot more campaign money, and from individuals not from Republican-style business and other interest groups, that does say a lot.

    <

    p>I just like irony.  

      • I would also say this is a run-on sentence.  I think it should probably be broken up a bit.  

      • I’m huge on gerunds. I’m old enough that my English teachers were precise and often pedantic. Gerunds act as nouns; treat them as such!

        <

        p>I came from the era when “loan” was only a noun and one would “lend” something, too. Treating gerunds as regular nouns is still more correct than not, but loan has returned to its use as a verb as it was a century or two ago.

        <

        p>I make myself end sentences in prepositions too now, instead of torturing the word order to avoid it. In fact, I’ll end this comment that way.

        <

        p>We don’t have an American English language body like L’Académie française. I am pretty sure that we never shall. I bet we muddle through.

      • We can ignore the grammar and syntax errors. However, their admitting that, for the first time in many decades, the Dems are getting a lot more campaign money, and from individuals not from Republican-style business and other interest groups, that does say a lot.

        <

        p>As used, ‘admitting’ is not a gerund.  It appears to be a verb which correctly should be ‘they’re admitting that…’

        <

        p>And ending in “…,that does say a lot.” the finale of a run-on sentence, dripping in commas.

        <

        p>It’s easy to think it’s a gerund, but simplify the sentence to: “However, their admitting that snow is white, that does say a lot.”  You can see why he warned us to ignore grammar and syntax.

        <

        p>A classic grammar flame: one filled with grammar errors.

  2. Massmarrier – you may feel very strongly about your candidate, but why broadbrush people?  

    <

    p>

    Americans have a long, emotional history of voting against their interests. Poor southern whites would keep corrupt politicians in office to spite their Black neighbors. It did not make the difference that the underclass of both races had much more to gain by installing populist or progressive governors, legislators and Presidents. Likewise, here in Massachusetts, we’ll vote for any ineffective schlemiel who promises never to raise taxes.  

    <

    p>Who says it’s to spite their black neighbors?  Why would you make that assumption?  I have seen the power of incumbency rule the day more often than not- but it was the incumbency, rather than spite that drove the train.  And why just the South?  This crap is just so damned irritating.  

    <

    p>  

  4. Something all HRC supporters should understand:  The relationship between how a particular Democratic candidate polls in a given state’s primary and how that candidate subsequently performs versus the Republican nominee in the general election is anything but linear.

    <

    p>For instance, you know how in basketball they sometimes foul on purpose, to achieve a strategic goal?  Well, remember that when you read the polls about West Virginia and Kentucky “Democrats” who say they won’t vote for Obama in the general election.  Here’s how it works:  some of them weren’t going to vote Democratic in the general election anyway!  That’s right.  Some Republicans register as independents and vote in the Democratic primary for strategic purposes.  And they tend to want their nominee to run against HRC, not Obama.

    <

    p>Others, true HRC supporters, may say they won’t support Obama because they’re frustrated over how things have turned out, or because they want to maximize HRC’s leverage at the convention.  All quite understandable, to a point.  But think about what it means to be a Democrat and ask yourself, how many of them will actually stand by and let John “Insane” McCain win?  What will you say to them if McCain wins and they confide in you that they stayed home, or that they actually voted for him?

    <

    p>And consider:  you don’t have to have voted in the primary to vote in the general election.  Many, many potential new Democratic voters – people who lean left and/or are very unhappy about the last 8 years and would vote Democratic if they voted – are out there, waiting for a well organized, well funded campaign to bring them aboard.  Many of these potential new voters are young and more open-minded about radical concepts like voting for a person of color.  

    <

    p>So please keep in mind, Obama certainly can win.  Whose side are you on, his?  Or McCain’s?

  5. This appears to have quickly devolved into the foolish-consistency set.

    <

    p>Is anyone here interested in ideas and politics? Do folk have thoughts on whether Obama has a serious problem? Is there validity to Hillary’s campaign implication that folks who voted for her over him will not go for the one Democrat in November?

  6. Have you ever considered that the folks not voting for him aren’t vindictive bigots but people who don’t think a first term junior senator with almost no national or budget experience, who talked big during his election but then squandered the opportunities of his first term by running for yet another office (rather than doing the work he was sent to Washington to do) isn’t the best person to hold the position of President of the United States?  

    <

    p>You may think that he’s the second coming, but not everyone agrees with you and that doesn’t make them bad people.  I for one don’t buy his “change” line, I think he’ll just be more of the same based on the fact that he’s way out of his league.  I think voting for him would be against my best interests but everyone’s entitled to their own opinions.

    • If you replace “he” with “she” in the passage above, you could pretty much be talking about a well-known New York senator.

      <

      p>Neither has a lot of experience.  Obama has better judgemnent.  

    • That’s not the point here.  I would fully expect genuine HRC supporters to feel their candidate was better.

      <

      p>The point is, now that Obama has the nomination wrapped up, are you ready to help your party take back the White House or  what?  

  7. It is a little amusing that the press and Hillary keep talking about her strong showing among “less educated whites”.  Kinda makes me want to put a Cracker for Clinton sticker on my car. 😉

  8. Obama has sold us pretty well down the line with his Christian talk.  That’s where lost my vote.

    <

    p>One other thing to remember — a lot of the “never gonna vote Obama” are in Massachusetts, California, Texas…who care what we think?  If our state is in play, then the race is decided one way or the other.

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