McCain has nothing to go on but the politics of fear, resentment, and nativism.

Oh my god.

As the McCain Campaign quickly pointed out, Joe Biden *also* said critical things about Obama.

So this doesn't make any sense.

How can the Hillsterics look at John McCain's record on women's issues and still say they're going to vote for him? Especially since so many of them profess that it's a woman's turn to lead this nation? I mean, honestly. If they do, then they must be clinically insane or are so blinded by Hillary's cult of personality that they can't even think straight any more. Here's an interesting list I grabbed from a Daily Kos diary. The info is largely from the AFL-CIO and Planned Parenthood.

McCain Opposed Equal Pay Bill for Women

McCain Voted to Gut the Family and Medical Leave Act.

McCain opposed spending $100 million to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies.

McCain opposed legislation requiring that abstinence-only programs be medically accurate and scientifically based.

McCain opposed Title X, the nation's family planning program.

McCain opposed requiring insurance coverage of prescription birth control.

McCain opposes comprehensive sex education.

McCain unsure where he stands on government funding for contraception.

McCain opposed repealing the "global gag rule." The gag rule bars foreign nongovernmental organizations from receiving U.S. family planning assistance if the organization (using its own, non-U.S. funds) provides abortion services or information or advocates for pro-choice laws and policies in its own country.

McCain supports overturning Roe v. Wade.

Obama didn't pick Clinton despite the clear electoral advantages because she's too strong and he's afraid of her.

Why if he picked her and they won -- she's even more powerful than today.

If he then fucked up as president -- not hard to imagine given that the expectations are so high and it's structurally impossible to enact change in our undemocratic senate, as previously discussed -- she'd have a great platform from which to challenge him in 2012.

He doesn't want to give her that platform.

Obama's not yet strong enough to have such a rival so close.

This is politics. It's kind of like how Temudgin dealt with his brothers....how royals deal with rivals throughout history.
Including many siblings and relatives with claims to the throne....

Oh the ruling dude usually gets his faction to hate, deride and objectify the rival as the evil Other too; that's normally part of the process, too.

Plus ca change.....

God. I'm going to have to vote for McCain out of sheer pity.

But then, if pity could win you an election we'd have Hillary now, wouldn't we?

How would being VP make her more "powerful", and how much power does she really even have? The agenda of the VP is set by the President. If Obama wanted to, he could send her off to do a 4 year tour of Siberia. And really, are we still arguing about all of her vast electoral advantages? one more time:

* She does not own 17 million voters
* 17 million voters are not waiting to do her bidding
* 80% of that 17 million is already voting for Obama
* Let me know what my lotto numbers are for next week since you seem to know exactly what would have happened if Hillary became VP.
* Finally: she hates him, he doesn't like her, they don't like each other. Voters would have seen right through the act and would have been turned off to it. If you spend the entirety of your campaign talking shit about the other guy in your own party like he was the republican opponent in the general election, don't fucking expect to get picked VP. Period. Hillary ran a scorched earth campaign and it failed.

Poor, deluded, hillsteric Susan. You really should put on your reality glasses. Your deification of Clinton is tragic.

@1--indeed they do, and if they those things work and they DO win (as they have in the past)...

As for the Republicans "going there" are you really surprised, Paul? Have they shown any scruples at all in recent years?

And to every Hillary-Hold-Out, I ask:

If Hillary were the Presidential Nominee, and didn't pick Obama as her running mate, how would you reply to disaffected Obamatons who angrily vow: "I'll never vote for her," or worse, "I'm voting for McCain"?

Would that not seem entirely counter-productive to what BOTH Hillary and Obama (and nearly all of the Democrats) want to accomplish? Would it not seem completely irrational and emotional? Would it not imply they vote only on personal celebrity rather than what the candidate actually wants to accomplish?

And how quickly would you label THEM sexist?

Please, PUMAs, stop reinforcing (and demonstrating) the very stereotypes that your cherished leader is fighting against; stop making the case against her and all women in leadership.

I watched the ad and just laughed to myself. Americans are stupid; so many will watch that ad AND AGREE WITH IT!!!

And with that in mind ever think to yourself: Maybe Hitler and Japan should have won WWII? I am kidding naturally. The fascists in control of America now are so much more subtle than the National Socialists were in Germany.

One more thing, two days ago Obama picked "one of his biggest critics" according to McCain, and now he can't stand to hear the truth? Huh? Make up your mind Sydney.

Well, thankfully Matt, MOST Clinton supporters don't appear to be as rabidly obtuse as some of their more intransigent comrades, but there do seem to be a disturbingly large enough number of these to warrant concern.

And I agree, the idea that ANY Democrat would deliberately throw away the opportunity to put a progressive slate in the White House (and while I have some concerns with Biden, overall I think he's a good choice, if for no other reason than he represents the embodiment of the GOP's worst nightmare this election cycle) out of pure, puerile spite, just indicates to me the glaring immaturity, naivete, and ideological inflexibility of these individuals; they aren't rational, they aren't cognizant of the realities of the American political system (any more than many, albeit not ALL, Naderites), and IMO, they are no better than those on the far right, who put ideological purity above all other considerations.

Nobody ever said change would come instantaneously, and all those currently berating Obama for "renigging" on his "promises" for such exhibit what I can only describe as a childish self-centeredness; they insist that everything go their way RIGHT NOW, and if it doesn't, if there is even the tiniest deviation from their agenda, then the malefactor is to be punished for daring to compromise - in an arena where compromise - giving a little to get a lot - is the literal name of the game.

Let's face it: these Clintonistas don't want a leader, they want someone who will follow their ideological pathology 100%.

I doubt even Hillary could satisfy them in the end, because NO politician, even one with experience, wisdom, compassion, intelligence and foresight, is THAT pure.

If they WERE, they probably wouldn't have become politicians in the first place.

Balt-o-Matt:
Use your brain dude. They're pissed she was passed over.

Flip the situation:

If Obama had 49% and 18 million votes and was passed over for VP half the people on Slog would be talking about taking to the streets.

________
Chris Mathews one minute ago was working the crowd in Denver; he finds someone with a Hillary tee shirt.

He tries dramatically points at her and waves his arms and tries to lead the crowd by chanting "burn her at the stake! burn her at the stake!"

On national TV.

WTF?

Can you possibly glimmer how some ofthe Hillary people might see this shit and feel like saying fuck it, this is too much to take?

Previously you complained about this factor of Obama not getting the normal percentage of his rival's supporters and I said you know what, calling them insance won't win them over.

It still won't.

If Obama loses by narrow margins, you have only Obama to blame by not picking HRC.

I hope Obama wins but it's pretty obvious he didn't pick HRC because he's afraid of her and she was too powerful. He isn't confident enough to have her get that VP platform even though this wouldn've said unity and helped create the strongest ticket and best chance for a sweeping victory.

She gets about half the primary vote and isn't on the ticket made up by the guy who was talking unity, unity unity.

I have to say, while you are free and easy with calling folks insane, it's pretty dunderheaded of you to not get why there is this percentage of a minority of the folks who voted for her, who feel pissed.

@13, I think he'd didn't pick her cuz she's a fucking asshole.

@13--Oh, Susan. People feel disappointed? Of *course* they do. I understand that. Everyone probably understands that. But it's the lunatic ravings of those who have deified Clinton and think she's OWED something that baffle me. Obama's scared of her? Where on god's green earth did you dig that one up from? Are you a fly on the wall in Obama's house? It's simply crazy rantings. C.R.A.Z.Y. talk, yo. Lunacy. You're just spouting nonsense.

The Democratic primary and caucus goers made their decision months ago. Hillary bowed out months ago. And yet, and yet, there are some hillsterical people who just. can't. let. go. They're still wild-eyed with misdirected rage and this sense that they've been wronged. No. Hillary Clinton lost. It's simple. Barack Obama gets to choose his VP. He doesn't owe anyone anything and to suggest that he does is just....I don't know. Odd.

"If Obama had 49% and 18 million votes and was passed over for VP half the people on Slog would be talking about taking to the streets."

actually, most Obama supporters said they would vote for Clinton. The issue during the primaries was in the exact reverse; Clinton supporters threatening to take their toys and go home if didn't get there way, which was Clinton being the candidate, and then switched to her having to be named VP.

If you chose not to vote O'biden and they lose in part by that lack of support, then you have a hand in that. Don't bitch and moan over McCain as President. Oh, and Chris Matthews is not Obama. Stop feigning shock over every ridiculous thing he says.

Republicans are too nice to criticize each other, but Huckabee was the number two Reep vote-getter by far. Therefore McCain must pick Huckabee for VP by his scintillating HRC for VP logic.

Once you subtract the Operation Chaos people, and the normal people who would have liked Hillary, but are fine with Obama, you are left with this:

Harriet Christian
The four remaining members of her Upper west side Radical Women's consciousness raising group.
Her hairdresser
Her hairdresser's lover

and that's about it.

Oh, and the hairdresser and his lover are only agreeing with Harriett because they are hoping to be left something when she dies.

our voices have been silenced and the cultists false messiah have brought done our one chance for a better world hillary clinton is not finished she wiill return and take back what she rightfully deserves slick barry hasnt fooled all of us we will resist we will triumph history will prove us right they may be content to casually associate with terrorists and infidels but we are not the media will not touch their favorite son they will not report on the bodies the murders the money that has been taken but others have and the truth will be known god prevails even over your false one justice may be slow but one day slick barry will face teh justice system for his sins how will you like it when your chosen one is in jail even if he asks for a change in venue we can believe in rezko wright carlson price all of them will come back to haunt him in the end we will be victorious hillary prevails

And that's why we need to come together and support Barack Obama as the choice of progressives for President.

Unity y'all.

^^^ Please up your lithium dose

@18,

Ha! Exactly.

Election 2000 and everything that's happened since then have made the consequences of a protest vote very clear.

Thanks, everyone for dancing to McCain's tune! And Paul, you're surprised at how "bold faced" this is? For the life of me, I can not figure out why the first George Bush, facing persistent criticism over the deficit in 1992 did not simply proclaim, "There is no deficit." A certain mumber of people would have believed it, the "liberal media" would have bought into the lame hocus-pocus-look-over-there economic justification for the statement and good ol' GHW Bush would have coasted to victory. The R's did not make that mistake again.

Denial is not a winning strategy - and try as you might to deny it - the Clinton faction is strong, determined, and LOYAL. And in politics LOYAL is all.

40 per cent of her people are men. 25 per cent are now undecided - and 27 percent say at this point they might vote for Mc Cain. Data offered on the TEE VEE this am, Face the Nation.

Obama and his hacks must deal. As his first major political test - he is sucking big time.The world is watching and taking measure and on this one he gets an F.

As someone said - all glam and no slam.

OF COURSE YOU CAN BLAME Hillary right into the tank. And what a great strategy that is when victory is in his grasp.

Stay tuned for her speech - THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT of this convention. She has power because of events, she went on the trail and hustled those votes, pulled those voter to her corner.

And she still is a force today and tomorrow and into the next twenty years.

Hillary haters, better get just a bit informed and past the emotion.

AND BY THE WAY - WOMEN ARE THE BEST DEMOCRAT VOTERS - BY FAR. WHY WOULD A LARGE NUMBER OF THEM NOT FOLLOW A STRONG WOMAN LEADER?

Maybe by sheer bellowing and braying the Hillary haters can turn the clock back to 1950, so that women do as they are told by ... you guessed it, very stupid and swearing and hissing and booing sexist males.

An unprecedented seminal political change has happened and American politics will NEVER be the same.

History was made by the Clinton run, and history does not devolve back in time.

Now tell us it was not historic and toss it off... your moms know better, ask them and open your ears and shut your mouths for once.

It's much easier to be a racist when you have feminism to hide behind.

# # -- about Biden - he is an attack dog - no voting base

fat old guys in the East - hey, Mc Cain has those wrapped and in the cart already

very little of what Biden says will mean shit to non Democrats - history sys VP candidates are ignored.

Name the last five for me. See, you can't - that is their relative importance.

Biden is the anti Hillary choice, nothing more.

He robs Obama of the age backlash which was a simmering factor for many voters - 30 per cent are worried about Johnnie's age. Jokes abound about him dead in office.

WOMEN ARE THE BEST DEMOCRAT VOTERS - BY FAR.

No. Many white suburban women vote Republican. Many elderly white women vote Republican. The percentage of women who are loyal to the Democrats is outweighed by the percentage of African Americans who are loyal to the Democrats.

Oh, and by the way, Hillary did win women overall, but tied or lost women younger than middle age.

Not that I expect the facts to shut you up.

Clinton’s team have immediately dubbed McCain's deeply retarded ad misleading...

"Hillary Clinton's support of Barack Obama is pretty clear,” said Clinton spokeswoman Kathleen Strand. “She has said repeatedly that Barack Obama and she share a commitment to changing the direction of the country, getting us out of Iraq, and expanding access to health care. John McCain doesn't. It's interesting how those remarks didn't make it into his ad."

[via CNN]

forgot the link:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/24/mccain-ad-says-clinton-got-vp-snub-for-speaking-the-truth/

#27

post is correct - you are dealing in a fixed value system, percents of a given bloc.

Total voters, women elect Democrats. Most Dem. campaigns target a woman between 35 and 55.... perhaps abortion rights? And the economy?

The DNC should respond with an ad that just collects January quotes from the various right wing radio talk show hosts (Hannity, Limbaugh, Levin, Savage) expounding on why GOP primary voters must not be allowed to select "that socialist traitor" McCain...

Linda @26:

Losing VP nominees off the top of my head.
2004 - John Edwards
2000 - Joe Lieberman
1996 - Jack Kemp
1992 - Dan Quayle (i)
1988 - Lloyd Bentsen
1984 - Geraldine Ferraro
1980 - Walter Mondale (i)

Is there really more than a handful of people left who don't know that Hillary Clinton is a self-serving liar?

I get that her belonging to a right-wing cult in DC (!!!) never got traction and that nobody cares that her new best friend is the man who financed the witch hunt on her and her husband and that a million other facts were buried by the corporate media, but the average person at least knows that she has no principles. And everybody knows that only bitchy old women and racists (sometimes in the same person) were voting for her in the last several primaries, at the very least.

The country knows why she's not the VP. She blew that chance about eight months ago. When you're turning to Hillary Clinton as a source of "truth", the world knows you've got absolutely nothing real to work with.

But, seriously, why aren't we hearing "Keating" five times for every one mention of "Rezko"? John McCain is an ACTUAL crook -- why aren't we being reminded of this?

It's interesting that the right wing thinks this "divide and conquer" wedge strategy is worth putting so much effort into; I sincerely hope they waste a fortune and enormous amounts of their time trying to whip up "the disenfranchised Hillary voters" to mutiny.

How sad and desperate they must be.

McCain-Clinton would be a dream ticket.

Golly jeepers, I forgot--I voted for Obama rather than Hillary back in the caucus last February because I HATE WOMEN! Thanks, 24, for reminding me!

@35 Please explain how that would be a dream ticket, because right now I think you're just full of shit.

Republicans loathe her. McCain is against most everything she stands for. How is this a good ticket?

@30,

Dem. campaigns target women between 35-50 because those women aren't loyal Democratic voters. Or should the Democrats waste their resources courting voters who are definitely going to vote for them? As I said, middle aged and elderly white women (Hillary's primary constituencies) are not "the best Democratic voters by far" as #24 claims.

COMMENT DELETED: Sock Puppetry

We'd rather not moderate your comments, but off-topic, gratuitously inflammatory, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate remarks may be removed, and repeat offenders may be banned from commenting. We never censor comments based on ideology. Thanks to all who add to the conversation on Slog.

"AND BY THE WAY - WOMEN ARE THE BEST DEMOCRAT VOTERS - BY FAR."

Clueless. African Americans are far and away the most loyal Democratic voters out there. Every Dem knows they can reply on the African American vote. As for White Women, the younger ones are voting Obama. The older ones are the ones Hillary would have helped with, but don't underestimate Biden's ability to appeal in lew of HRC.

"the Clinton faction is strong, determined, and LOYAL. And in politics LOYAL is all."

Only loyal to Clinton. You can't win an election nationally on that kind of loyalty.

"History was made by the Clinton run, and history does not devolve back in time."

That's right, and meanwhile, Obama is one of a long line of African American Presidential candidates. Nothing historic there, but I guess that doesn't count against Queen Hillary.

#37 writes: @35 Please explain

Hillary grew up Republican in a Republican family. She is a former "Goldwater Girl". To me, she is the typical normal person who is led stray by Liberals because they seemed cool.

Her votes in the Senate were very Bushian. Her programs and stance are moderate compared to Obama who was practically bred by the Weather Underground to seize control.

That aside, what America needs is a continuation of Bush -- a slightly right of center, pro-Defense, pro-business government with an emphasis on continued prosperity and sprawl using high technology.

If we threw in a health care plan, Hillary might tag along and help out.

COMMENT DELETED: Sock Puppetry

We'd rather not moderate your comments, but off-topic, gratuitously inflammatory, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate remarks may be removed, and repeat offenders may be banned from commenting. We never censor comments based on ideology. Thanks to all who add to the conversation on Slog.

If I were to put my foot in my mouth, which sometimes is the only way to explain just how and wherefore others are doing the same, i'd say:

hilltards aren't even really all that politically engaged. maybe they work phones when they get worked up, but they're not the people who think about the messy realities of these things day in&out. ie, they're drama queens. surprise, you already knew that.

drama queens are not reliable voters. they stay home and watch drama.

@24:

oy. politely: I am a feminist. but i also realize that the century-long superpower status of the US was built on the backs of the previous century's slave economy. so i think that an African American president trumps the importance of a female in America, if you want to go that route.

@26

edwards, leiberman, gore, gore, bentsen.

really, promise, didn't have to look that up.
neither did most of the others who care about the direction of the country. wolf blitzer is on line 2 for you.

24, you are an insufferable windbag. and wrong. bite me. if i hear another soapbox diatribe about how hrc lost because of misogyny i think i will have to start shooting some kind of drug into my veins to block out all the painful stupidity.

I hope McCain picks Hillary. Obama is a media creation the guy has no experience, he was pumped up with media steroids and is transparently dishonest. Hillary was treated very badly by the main stream media. Obama is corrupt, and extremely Anti-American he has no substance. The lack of character that Obama has demonstrated over & over again is proof positive that he is unfit to be commander & chief. The fact that all his associates from Rev. Wright to Rezco. Bill Airs, are so extreme, one wonders if he is a plant from an Islam extremist group. To me Obama is a Joke. The same media that pimped out the Iraq war is behind pushing this little nobody into the White House.

@48, Isn't it great that we can use Feminism and the threat of islamofascism to hide our racism? It used to be so uncomfortable to bring up how subhuman black folks are, but now we can just say that Oblacka is unfair to women, and it gives us an in with the hippies and middle-aged faded liberals!

Not that women deserve to be president either, but one thing at a time, right?

McCain won't pick Hillary. But Sarah Palin? Rumors are swirling

the over-40 female vote is a swing demographic this year. A female VEEP for the GOP could steal a big chunk of thunder from the Dems. I can't say that Palin impresses any women I know, but I don't know many women over 40.

Why didn't the democrats just wait out the GOP on a VP pick?

Well, Obama made a huge mistake; alot of democrats will vote for McCain now, because Biden is just all talk!!!