Campaign's Word War

"Monster" "Claws out" "Kitchen Sink" "The Sky Will Fall" "Muslim" "Bitch"

"Aging"-Rush Limbaugh "Too Young and inexperienced"-Voices for Hillary

Add More Words You have Heard in the Mass Media That Describe Clinton

or Obama.

Then we can have a large word maze re the Democratic candidates and compare notes.

sharon raphael

Word Throwing Contest and More in the Clinton-Obama Race

I have become increasingly uncomfortable with the word throwing contest and mudslinging that has emanated from the Clinton-Obama Presidential Race. The most recent incident involved Hillary Clinton appearing to distance herself from Geraldine Ferraro*, our former first woman Vice-Presidential candidate, for saying "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position." Ferraro, a Clinton supporter, resigned from her postion if it could be called a position on Clinton's volunteer fundraising arm of the campaign. Later Ferraro said if she had not been a woman she would not have been in the Vice-Presidential Candidate position either. Somehow her words caused a firestorm of criticism and her words I believe taken out of context were seen as racist.

A few days earlier one of Obama's high level experts Samantha Power, resigned for calling Hillary a "monster" referring to her counterattacks on Obama. Power later apologized saying she had the utmost respect for Hillary. Power's name had been floated as a possiblel future Secretary of State under Obama. There is also a lot in the media about how white working class Democratic identified men are supporting Clinton and over 90 per cent of African Americans are supporting Obama setting up a kind of mini warfare between the two group. It reminds me of what happened after the outcome of the O.J. Trial.

It is a tricky situation given that we have a white woman and a Black man competing for the same job. Both of them are not supposed to appear as though either race or gender matter that much but the fact is they do matter to the public and the public is very sensitive and many quite ignorant about both issues. The media men in my opinion as I have said before are terribley sexist toward Hillary making every crack one can imagine. Even Obama a while back mentioned something about Hillary bringing out her "claws" whenever she is criticized. Bill Clinton got in trouble for comparing Obama's run for office to Jesse Jackson's campaign in South Carolina the implication being that Obama's campaign for higher office would eventually fizzle out like Jackson's did. There is always the spectre the media and other raise of Bill Clinton lurking somewhere in the White House doing "nasty things" with women.There is also the rumor about Obama being a secret Muslim which I find to be promoted by those with the worst sort of intentions. Hillary should not have hesitated or qualified any of her answers on this score. Her saying something like she had no evidence this was true was plainly wrong. It was a lawyer's answer and had the hint of develish intentions.I wish I could cover for her but I can't on this one.

Mudslinging is normally thought of as just the way campaigns normally go. No one expected the Dems to still be battling it out at this late date. Even the Clintons had not planned on the race lasting this long; whit the reason they had to raise a lot more money and fast. I somehow think Hillary is more in a bind on what she can say or not say than Obama. Sexism is more tolerated in America than racism is. I find Huffington Post's knee jerk reactions to every utterance Hillary says very lopsided. I don't think she should be racist or use the religion card either. Obama also has a weird way of also reacting to every single nuance and utterance on the Clinton side. He repeats everything he has heard like a parrot and then puts his own spin on it which at first was refreshing but is now getting very boring. It makes Obama seem smaller and less of stature than he is. I wonder if anyone else find this irritating. I know it is supposed to irritate those of us on Hillary's side but I think it goes beyond that. Instead of moving ahead on what he wants to do, he get bogged down in the trivia. What do you think about all this?

I will be very happy when the mudslinging is over though I know I have to endure it. I wonder if any Dem or Dems who are higher up will try to tone these wild sentiments down a bit?

Sharon Raphael, Long Beach

*Ferraro claims she sent Hillary an e-mail resigning from the budget/fundraising committee she was serving on for her and saying she initiated the move not Hillary.

Hillary is declared the winner in 3 out of 4 States: Big win in Ohio

Hillary is declared the winner in three out of four states, Ohio, Rhode Island, & Texas. Obama is ahead in the delegate count in Texas. Both Hillary and Obama made speeches tonight. Hillary spoke in Ohio to a very enthusiastic crowd before she won Texas. It was a confetti night (lots of confetti) and she was glowing with pride and exuded confidence saying she would go all the way to the end of the race.

Obama spoke eloquently as usual but there was a element of disappointment in the air. Obama attacked the newly declared Republican nominee for President, John McCain bringing up international issues. It sounded like I can change the way we do business in the world and move us back to being a nation respected by people all over the world.

It is this international face of Barack Obama I really like and admire. I hope Hillary will pick up on this theme of moving the nation in a more peaceful direction and in a way that would help change our image around the world. Too bad that as a woman candidate she has play "I am the more hawkish candidate". I don't think there is really that big a difference between the two on foreign policy when it comes down to the direction either one will take the country.

It is hard to figure out what the future holds for these two candidates. They are and will be clearly breathing down each other necks. Will the Democratic leaders who are not taking sides i.e. Howard Dean, Al Gore, Gov. Richardson (maybe?) intervene and force the two candidates to make some kind of deal or will this race go all the way to the convention. The fear is the Democratic Party will be hurt by more attacks being directed particularly from the Hillary camps toward Barack. MSNBC's Fineman reported that Barack called Hillary tonight probably to congratulate her on her victories in Ohio and Rhode Island at that point but one can't but wonder what else if anything was said. It is hard to picture either one of these candidates in the Vice-President candidate slot. Fineman seemed to think Obama may have said something about how the rest of the race needed to be less muckraking and mudslinging.

It appears now that the super delegates are the key to her victory as well as a strategy that says I have the momentum on my side now, the majority of the big and populous states, and I am a fighter who get things done even under the greatest of pressure. The pressure thing sure is a good argument on her part. The only question I have is that the experts appear to be saying even if Hillary wins every state from now on she still can't win enough delegates to win the race. Obama will not be able to get the magic number either given the scenario as it is now. Can anyone explain this one to me in better detail? How can Hillary win then? How can Obama win then? Will the super delegates put Hillary over the top swayed by the argument that she is the one? Will many of Barack's supporters be so devastated that they will bolt from the Democratic Party? Someone tell me what are the possible real outcomes here? I know Hillary will not drop out if she keeps winning. Who would?

I for one think Hillary had to go on the attack to gain the momentum she picked up tonight. She also was relentless and unceasing in her campaigning in every county in Ohio. She was amazing and I feel this is an indication of the energy she will put into the Presidency if she gets it. Yes, it was not good that she played dirty pool in not answering a reporter's question about Obama's religion saying she had no information about him being a Muslim instead of saying she knew he was a Christian and stop that nonsense. Of course, I haven't heard her side on this one yet. I also feel she has to play hardball because she is a woman, that was clear. The television media and the internet media is against her. The sexism is as thick as the thickest smoke is in a smoking parlor. One can choke on the jabs and jibes. How about that kitchen sink analogy? Hardball Chris Matthews and his buddies on MSNBC are still at it, haven't learned a thing. Thank you Tina Fey from Saturday Night Live, even these horribly sexist pundits gave Fey and her SNL team credit for turning the corner for Hillary in her skit paroding Hillary. Hooray for the women. We all won tonight.

The Final Debate in Cleveland, Ohio

The final Clinton-Obama Debate took place in Cleveland, Ohio, the place I was born and lived in for 29 years. From my point of view, Clinton won the debate on many fronts in spite of the fact that the media and her questioners are biased against her. When Hillary mentioned the fact she is usually asked the first question, I understood instantly what she meant. By answering the first question, Hilary gives Obama factual information about the issue that he may not possess straight away as Hillary seems to do. It is easier to criticize the first answer, then it is to answer the question in all its fullness which Hillary does very well. This is not to say that Obama can't answer any of these questions, but it does make one take pause wondering how well he could answer most of the first questions if he was given the opportunity. The questioners played softball with Obama for most of the debate.

Clinton hammered out her position on health care in understandable terms. From my vantagepoint, she won this debate because I agree with her position that health care should be mandatory for everyone which makes universal health care possible. Giving a person a way out of having health care coverage is risky and not wise policy.

Clinton was stronger when it came to the question about Farrakhan and anti-Semitism. The question was for Obama, although it was a positive that Clinton did add her own take on the issue and forced Obama in a way to take a stronger position than he did at first blush when he said he would denounce Farrakhan's anti-Semitism and his position on Israel. After Clinton spoke, Obama said he would both denounce Farrakhan's anti-Semitism and reject Farrakhan's support.

Clinton made points I felt in her answer about Putin's successor and Putin's continued influence as the real leader of Russia and the Russian people. It was a first question and she did an admirable job on this question. Obama basically repeated what Clinton said and reiterated his agreement on the subject. When talk of Kosovo came up, Obama went as far as to say that the Clinton administration had done an admirable job of putting procedures in place to deal with the various problems that might emerge in that part of the world. Was Obama just being magnanimous? Whatever Obama was doing or feeling, it pointed up the positives of Hillary Clinton's knowledge and history in foreign affairs.

I also feel in some ways the differences between Clinton and Obama were neutralized by this debate when it came to Iraq, NAFTA,and the economy. Clinton was effective when she continued to say she would be a fighter or would fight to make change happen implying she would not just talk about change, she would make it happen and that she knew how to do it. I think Clinton won the effectiveness argument. She will be the one to make things happen and she made me feel that she could do it. Obama made the point that he could persuade the public to believe in his policies. The majority of the public has wanted health care all these years and it hasn't happened. We are already persuaded on this score so I give Clinton more points in presenting herself as someone who can get things done.


Sharon Raphael

Counter

Microsoft Pioneer Employee Bequeaths 65 million to LGBT & AIDS groups

(KATU)

Try this more in depth article in the Seattle Times (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004197961_weiland24.html)

Ric Weiland, an early pioneer employee, high school classmate of Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen recently died and bequeathed 65 million of his 160 million dollar estate to various LGBT organizations which include The Pride Foundation of the Pacific Northwest, HIV/AIDS groups, including Lambda Legal; the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays; the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; and Amfar, and the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Weiland who was Microsoft's first software developer had a history of depression. His death was a suicide at age 53 in 2006. He left behind his partner Mike Schaeffer. Three other close family members members had died previous to his own death. This included his father, mother, and a sister.

"He was a member of the Pride Foundation's board of directors from 1997 to 2002, and helped win the foundation's fight to get General Electric Co. to include sexual orientation in their non-discriminatory policy, Haberman said.

"He really understood ... the range of issues that strengthen the gay community," she said. "He will be tremendously missed, just because of who he was. ... Everyone who met him always liked him." SeattlePi.com

Can Hillary Win Ohio After Obama's Victory in Wisconsin?

Okay. I admit it. Hillary is on the ropes now after Barack Obama's big win in Wisconsin. The news analysts seem to suggest that the reason for Clinton's loss in Wisconsin is that blue collar white men moved into Barack's column in larger numbers than ever before and that these workers abandoned Clinton who seemed their former choice. Will this happen in Ohio? If it does, the only big supporters of Hillary that seem to remain will be white women over sixty or more and Hispanics. I never imagined this strange twist of affairs. There is no question that Barack wows his audiences with his speeches and he has wowed me more than once. I still am hanging in there with Hillary until it is all decided. There still could be some kind of turnaround but I wonder if there is too much of an uphill battle for Hillary, a battle against sexism, a battle against a new generation that doesn't get Hillary like some of us older women just do. I need a boost in the morale department around now. Does anyone have the required amount of morale boosting juice to make us more hopeful. If so, please comment here. Thanks.