Slog - Comments on Obama on Playing the Gender Card

Comment by Carollani

Carollani — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:16:05 -0800

He absolutely talked about being half black, and uses that when it's convenient to make him sound more sensitive to discrimination and those kinds of issues.

Comment by fnarf

fnarf — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:18:11 -0800

Hey, that's nifty and everything, but is the Slog really going to be 75% campaign stuff for the next year?

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:20:19 -0800

Especially with no Green Giant coverage. The fuck?

Comment by Just Me

Just Me — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:21:02 -0800

Slog has convinced me my vote does not matter. I am not going to vote in the fall of 2008. Thanks Slog!!

Comment by Ryno

Ryno — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:21:47 -0800

The difference is that he doesn't imply that people criticize his policy stances because he's black. It's really not the same thing at all, Carollani.

Comment by inorite

inorite — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:31:53 -0800

THANK YOU, FNARF

didnt chall start some other blog for all this hair splitting splitting splitting splitting nano splitting bullshit?

Comment by Carollani

Carollani — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:32:17 -0800

I don't think that by saying she's playing with the boys doesn't mean that she feels attacked BECAUSE she's a woman. Everyone knows she's being attacked because she's winning�including her.

Comment by Carollani

Carollani — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:33:20 -0800

Blah blah blah, I'm retarded and don't know grammar.

Comment by Boomer in NYC

Boomer in NYC — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:33:33 -0800

I'm happy to see both Clinton and Giuliani called on their dumb shit lately. The choice in 2008 should be more than the politics of fear vs. the politics of passive-aggressive victimhood.

Comment by brandon

brandon — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:55:26 -0800

of course she's being attacked because she's ahead, but for her, her supporters, or anyone in her campaign to say, "6 guys against 1 woman, that's one tough lady", which was echoed over and over and over agian yesterday is total BS. you can't say gender doesn't matter except when it does. it's sexist and demeaning to all women.

you don't hear obama's campaing saying anything about 6 white people against 1 black guy. that's the difference.

Comment by Fact

Fact — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:06:57 -0800

Men are stronger than women.

Comment by also a fact

also a fact — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:10:16 -0800

Only in smell.

Comment by fnarf

fnarf — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:10:25 -0800

I'm not voting for any candidate with nipples. Period.

Comment by mike

mike — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:19:34 -0800

Of course if Obama did bring up the race issue, he might have to explain why Hillary is out-polling him among African Anerican voters.

Comment by COMTE

COMTE — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:30:08 -0800

Well of course the candidates in the middle of the pack are going to attack her for (in their opinion) playing "the victim card"; they certainly don't seem to be very successful in attacking her on, say, oh - THE ISSUES - so, what else have they got left?

It's desperation on their part, pure and simple, and voters can smell desperation from several states away. At least a three of them will be gone shortly after Iowa and New Hampshire anyway, so they're just trying to get in their shots now, while they still can.

Comment by brandon

brandon — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:19:25 -0800

please. they attacked her on the issues in this debate. she floundered. then she played the gender card. if that's not desperation i don't know what is.

Comment by Original Monique

Original Monique — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:21:01 -0800

@everyone who thinks there is too much election coverage....

Wow, sorry that you don't think that the election of our next president is that important. I mean, its not like we are in any kind of war...like, not on 2 fronts...

Its also not like our diplomacy with certain super powers (not China, Russia or the EU by any means ) isnt strained or anything...

Its not like the country isnt torn in half over pretty strong issues, our dollar isnt weakening, environmental issues not pressing, massive consumer debt....

oh sorry to bug you with election news. Its not very relevant.

Comment by fnarf

fnarf — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:39:54 -0800

But what do the canned responses of these robots at these "debates" have to do with any of those issues?

Comment by irl500girl

irl500girl — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:45:15 -0800

She's got to be better then all of the petty men. I bet she learns from the mistake.
The sexism is loud and clear when they are so red hot for the details of her emails/memos that went back and forth when Bill was Prez going thru the Monica and impeachment crap. The pressure for her to okay the release of those archives is just wanting the sordid details. They only want to exploit her and show female weakness/emotions with those. Personal things between husband and wife during a difficult time they want to expose. Bill is right to ask they not be released.

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:49:01 -0800

I want to know how big Bill's penis is, and if his balls have a funk. I want to know if he likes to gently chew on Hillary's miles. I want to know if he likes to squirt in her eyes. I want to know. This. Stuff. Right. Now. For. 2008.

Comment by kim

kim — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:38:32 -0800

i'd like him to make one intelligent, commanding statement without pausing to say "er" and "um."

Comment by kim

kim — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:44:48 -0800

here's the truth: hillary clinton is a woman, and some people will vote for her simply because of that, just as some people will undoubtably vote for barack obama only because he's black. trying to pretend that acknowledging those facts is equivalent to "playing" some sort of "card" is just plain stupid. in hillary and obama's cases, either of them getting elected will mean that a major threshold has been crossed in american history. i think we should be pointing to, and emphasizing and exploting the point that right now, the two most viable, competent presidential candidates are a white woman and a black man. that's huge! that's awesome. why would he try to pretend like that doesn't matter? why try to play it down?

Comment by Nicole

Nicole — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:48:26 -0800

Didn't Obama totally play the race card though when he hooked up with McClurkin and did that whole evangelical thing in South Carolina though? That was strictly to get black votes. So isn't that blatantly playing the race card? How is it any different?

Comment by Original Monique

Original Monique — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 12:50:36 -0800

@fnarf: Fair enough. but the canned answers to me show the candidate and their ability to sell themselves and an idea. The president has to do that all the time with citizens, prime ministers, etc.

They have to be able to handle questions that they don't know a lot about, don't have a position clearly defined on, and/or don't really care about or have an effect on (as in, people asking questions about things the president can't control)

How they handle this preliminary round is very telling to how they can sell ideas during their presidency. I mean, look at Bush's debates. Totally hit or miss, much like his terms in office.

Comment by Graham

Graham — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:06:48 -0800

Obama certainly hasn't *IGNORED* the fact that he is black, but he hasn't attempted to exploit this status to the enormous degree Hillary has. The sad fact of the matter is, as a 'symbolic triumph' for women, a Hillary Clinton presidency is a poor one at best, given she'd never be where she was if her husband wasn't already president.

Comment by brandon

brandon — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 13:08:43 -0800

22 - there's a huge difference between just acknowledging someone's gender and/or race, and using it as a free pass when things don't work your way. this is where the "card" comes into play.

and i think it's dangerous to start tossing around the whole "first ____ president" line. i realize some people see that as an issue, but it shouldn't be, and it can work against a candidate just as easily as it work for them. just stick to the real issues.

Comment by arf arf arf

arf arf arf — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 16:56:08 -0800

I'm not voting for any candidate with nipples. Period.

My beagle bitch will be so disappointed. She was thinking about throwing her collar into the ring.