Will Hillary Democrats Really Vote McCain?
16 June 2008 8:02 am by Taylor Marsh
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| via email by TM reader “pmichael” Artist unidentified. |
Hillary Clinton made an historic speech when she unequivocally
endorsed Barack Obama, then asked her supporters to follow
her lead to make sure he is elected. She was unflinching. She was unambiguous.
Many others did not.
So there’s been a lot of stirring about Clinton
supporters jumping to McCain, with this site’s “Democratic Storm Warnings”
series covered by TNR. Frank Rich doesn’t believe it will amount to
anything. The polls recently prove that contrary to the online rumblings, the
bulk of Clinton’s supporters are going to support Obama, because the alternative
is a nightmare.
Now that the Democratic marathon is over, Clinton supporters like Authenreith
are siding heavily with Obama over McCain, polls show. And Obama has taken
a wide lead among female voters, belying months of political chatter and polls
of primary voters suggesting that disappointment over Clinton’s defeat might
block the Illinois senator from enjoying his party’s historic edge among women….An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found a wide gap last week: Women favored
Obama over McCain, 52% to 33%. The survey also found that voters who cast
ballots for Clinton in the Democratic primaries preferred Obama over McCain,
61% to 19%.Women
voters lining up behind Obama
McCain hopes to lure Clinton loyalists. But polls show they are staying Democratic.
So where is the buzz about the anti Obama defections coming from and will it
amount to anything? Maybe the beginnings are just an online occurrence that
won’t jump to the ground and take hold. But it is real. How big it is we just
don’t know yet.
In an interview I did with The
New Republic, anti Obama Clinton supporters were referred to as “dead-enders.”
What an insult to Clinton’s supporters, now anti Obama, who no one should believe
are going away. The incoming I’m getting comes in screams. Right after Clinton
conceded I received things like this:
Since I will never visit your site again, I shall speak frankly. You make
me sick. (I would rather say this to you: @#@#&%*, but I’d rather not.)
Nice headline Taylor. It’s been discounted by the campaign. And yet you have
it up there saying she’ll take VP if offered. *#!@ you. – SN
I had Clinton’s back earlier than most. Stood up when others did not. Was
vilified across the web for it. People are fickle. Frankly, I don’t care what
people who once supported my efforts for Hillary say, do, write or believe.
It’s their choice to turn a deaf ear to her, but I
will have no part in it. They’re being tied to Senator Clinton and their
unwillingness to accept what we cannot change at this point does little to help
her, regardless of their righteousness, which is not in doubt.
…given your recent born-again attitude about obama and your inane reasoning
for supporting hillary, every time i see your email – your name – in my inbox
i about blow a gasket. for the sake of my health, please remove me immediately.
i hope you come to your senses, but given the fact that you were a reagan
democrat (which i just recently found out, otherwise i would never have signed
up for your blog), it’s not likely. i guess it’s all about money first, then
party, then country. too bad. i kind of liked what you had to say – when THAT
was getting you traffic. karma’s a bitch, m’dear, hope you’re ready. – J.
Traitor!
….are you giving up on Senator Clinton? And if so why and you willing to
through in the towel so easily? The media and the Democratic party need to
answer for the way they have treated her. – anon.you are a traitor and a slime sucking person, hope god saves a special place
in hell for you. obama sucks like you. – A.L.
I’ve got hundreds of emails like these. They capture the heart of where many
Hillary Democrats are today. Then there are others who say it’s likely only
emails from Rush Limbaugh’s primary PR gambit, “Operation Chaos,”
which as far as I’ve witnessed is just an attempt by El Rushbo to stay in the
game after his own party’s nominee made him irrelevant.
One Hillary Clinton supporter who fought along side me during the primaries
has a renewed mission: A
Donation to Retire the Debt = A Slap in the Face to the D.N.C. The
best way to put fury into positive action I’ve seen yet.
There’s another effort called the Million
Woman March that has the possibility of making the biggest statement if
they can pull it off. Their mission is clear, focused and positive, which is
a real breath of fresh air in a anti Obama atmosphere.
The Purpose of this blog is to organize Hillary Clinton supporters and anyone
else who wishes to march at the Democratic Convention in August in support
of Senator Clinton and Women’s Rights worldwide.
But will Hillary Democrats actually vote for John McCain?
Online Hillary supporters aren’t playing nice so far, but it’s early. How many
are there? Nobody knows, but an action they all have in common that is beginning
to take hold that is something that should get team Obama’s attention. These
anti Obama zealots are choosing to ignore McCain’s record in their
fight against Barack. McCain’s votes, including on Iraq, his zero
rating on women’s rights, the Supreme Court, all of it, are being ignored.
What will women do when they read this story: The
wife U.S. Republican John McCain callously left behind?
According to a new poll from Planned Parenthood that was commissioned through
Peter Hart, 50% of of American women in key battleground states don’t know John
McCain’s record on women’s reproductive rights. By the time the general election
rolls around they will. Hillary Democrats may be mad now, but I’m betting they
won’t scuttle their daughter’s and granddaughter’s civil rights on the alter
of anger. McCain has voted against
affordable family planning, cancer
screening for low income women, sex
education, and a host of other women’s issues, including
ignoring the importance of equal pay.
Wow, just left hillaryis44 and they’ve already started to trash you big time!!
… .. – Thomas
These die hard anti Obama voters are now spanning out across the internet,
with Sean Hannity happy to play up the divisions on “Hannity & Colmes.”
He featured a woman from “Just say no deal” that has sprung up where
anti Obama zealots
can register. Their pitch is “if you thought you were alone, you’re
wrong.” What they intend to do to change the outcome of the race is
unknown. Getting on Fox is easy if you’re slamming Obama. Making an impact on
the ground is hard.
But again, will these people really vote for John McCain?
I will NEVER vote for BO. I think we don’t know anything about him, as we
do her, and this is just a popularity contest initiated by teenagers who would
vote for 50 cent if given the chance. I was here for the post primary caucus
and was subjected to a terrorizing night of having to guard ballots for three
hours from the militant BO supporters because they did not allow us enough
time to close the polls before the caucus mob pushed their way into the building.
This is a clue of what is to come. I don’t want anything to do with it. There
will not be any McBush signs in my yard, but I will not vote if need be…
– CD…His membership in his church speaks volumes about his real views. 20 years
cannot be washed away. I will vote for Mc Cain. – JG
Or will they not vote?
It’s a long way to November.
Yet I’m also starting to hear a few voices rising, more and more everyday,
who know we’ve got to find a way to heal.
I’d take it one step further. It’s about Hillary being shown respect from Senator
Obama, his team and the entire Democratic Party who stood by silently while
the media sexism boiled over without one peep from the political party who
is supposed to be a champion for women’s rights.
In the end only Hillary can bring her supporters back into the fold and over
to Obama. But Barack’s going to have to reach out to Hillary to make it happen.
The Democratic Party needs Hillary more than they know and her supporters are
going to make sure they don’t forget it.
This article was originally post at Pajamas
Media. It has been modified for posting at TM.com. Additionally, a line was added at the beginning of the post that was not originally
in the piece when it was submitted. That extra line does not appear in this
version.
