Well, tidings from New Hampshire, at least on the Democratic side, are surprising. (I don’t think anyone is really surprised by the fact that McCain prevailed, as the polls showed he would.) Everyone thought that Dems and Independents were flocking to the polls to crown Obama, but it looks as if many were flocking to the polls to vote for someone who can at least boast more familiarity with the White House floor plan than Obama can. It turns out that reports of Hillary’s political death were greatly exaggerated. It also shows that, at least in New Hampshire, pragmatism wins over some sort of goofy idealism for an empty shirt who mirrors everyone’s secret desires. In any event, the most important lesson was that, in this race, it truly ain’t over until it’s over — or at least until Super Tuesday is over.
I’d like to think that, misty dreams of the magic Obama notwithstanding, your ordinary liberal voters — not your hardcore moonbats — are still somewhat pragmatic, and fell for Hillary’s “I’ve got experience” sell. (And the funny thing is that, compared to the other frontrunners, she does have experience.) I found this outcome rather cheering, because I’m hoping the same pragmatism prevails in November 2008. Southern states notwithstanding, I think Huckapalooza is over. The Paulian surge is also over, or will be as the ugliness in his past begins to catch up with him. This means that whichever Republican becomes the candidate, he will be a man with hard, successful experience in both the political and the real world. Perhaps, when the real elections roll around and voters are faced with the practical experience on the Right, and the impractical experience on the Left, that same pragmatism will kick in and witness a vote for a Romney, McCain, Thompson or Giuliani, each of whom has proven himself in the real world as well as the political world.
Filed under: Presidential elections |
Bookworm Room (ARCHIVES) 
2008.01.09 Politics and National Defense Roundup
Say No To Huckapidity! Thompson ’08! So, Hillary might make a comeback after all. Much as I hate the bitch it might be best for the country if she does. That Obama kid’s startin’ to worry me but enough people hate the Clintons enough that I don’t s…
Book, I sure hope you’re right. All indications are that the independents are going to go Democrat this year, though. God I do hope you’re right, that in the end, they’ll pragmatically choose the Republican.
It looks as though single women and older married women are going to keep Hillary on top on the Democrat side. In any case, both nomination races look to keep going into February 5th, and maybe beyond. That extended “debate” will be good for the country.
I’m interested in how Barack Obama responds to this. Independents will not have a role in every primary. Could he be this year’s McCain from 2000? Able to shake things up a bit early, but not close the deal?
I guess I’m worried about the actual level headedness or pragmatism of the independent woman voter. Clinton’s “experience” is dwarfed by Romney or Gulliani, but that may not trump the appeal of her sex to her sex. My wife Jo maintains a large group of women will vote for Clinton simply because she is one. While I’d like to give more credit to the rational woman voter, an NPR interview with a NH voter last night tends to support Jo’s position. The interviewee was a retired female Episcopal Priest. She stated that she voted for Clinton because there still is inadequate opportunity for women in early 21st American society. Now this is from a member of a church which has quite a number of female Priests and Bishops, and whose national Primate is a woman.
I know I can be clueless about a number of things, but what do the rest of you think about the reality of the current opportunity for women in America today, and the perception of that reality in the various contending groups?
Al
Al, I know a lot of women of all generations who will absolutely NOT vote for Hillary. Some will not because they feel she disgraced so many feminist principles (riding Willy’s coattails, using the “woman” card”, for example), some will not because they disagree with her politically and frankly find her scary, and others will not, sadly, because they themselves are prejudiced against a woman being in the White House (including my very Liberal mother-in-law).
As far as opportunities for women today, here’s an anecdote. I just recently, as a white male, had to go through unbelievable contortions to let go a minority-group woman. There are proportionately significantly more women in college today than men. My wife teaches in an educational system (k-12) that is designed around the needs of girls rather than boys. I will leave it to others to ponder what all this means in terms of opportunities for women versus men.
Hilary is aware the NASCAR south like their women rough and tough. I was lucky to get a hold of her opening statement that she will use in the Carolina’s. She is talking tough after her girls do cry pms moment (SARCASM ALERT: i still have a lump in my throat after watching that). Hilary can be anybody you want her to be(oh yeah she is all for change . . uh huh sista). She may attract the indepenents with this new look.. I don’t know ? Anyway here is what she is going to say !
“I done wrestled with an alligator,I done tussled with a whale,only last week I murdered a rock,injured a stone,hospitalized a brick.I’m so mean I make medicine sick”.
The women’s vote is disappointing and herdlike. I keep thinking that it was the women’s vote, in 1920, that put Harding in the White House. Now that was a smart move…. Not!
Having approx. 75% of your teachers female (K to 12) and of those approx. 85% of them white things are skewed in favor of white girls moving on to college. It’s called role models for girls. But hey men are off fighting wars,building bridges,making REAL money. YOU KNOW ALL THAT IMPORTANT STUFF. It’s called missplaced priorities and the temptations that go with it ! It will be a long time before this changes but smart people know it must but will it ?
Obambi is in trouble rumour has it that James Carville is back in the Clinton camp. This is the former actor who was the duelling bango kid in the scene from Deliverance. Scary !
The allure of the femme fatale Hilary in NH irrationalized people (imagine the ladies falling for that … hmm . . not that there is anything wrong with that . . when I think about all the love I gave you, I cry like a baby ) not with her charm,beauty,brains,causes or oratorical skills but good ole plain sexism.II is an old and tried brew that Carville reintroduced. Watch it this guy can play the banjo !
I don’t know, Al, I’m afraid history has established that level-headedness and pragmatism don’t much figure into the independent (or any other kind of) woman voter. Their history is not reassuring: Harding (as Book mentions), also FDR two of the four times, Kennedy, and Clinton – smart moves all.
And if you go listen to archived interviews of women who voted for JFK for reasons ranging from Jackie’s hats and shoes, her couture and hairdo, to his highly virile hairdo – you come away from the experience wanting to kill someone. (Or at the very least take the vote back away from them until they can prove they’re grown-ups.)
I’m afraid your wife is right: it’ll take them no more thought than that. That the woman knows nothing, has accomplished nothing, and her “experience” is non-existent (I love Morris’ line: “she was in the White House for eight years? So was the pastry chef”) isn’t going to matter to a lot of these people. She’s managed – quite artfully, Bill still knows how to do some things – to regain the sympathy vote for herself, and we’re all going to regret it for the next nine months, which promise to be an endless soap opera as she works to squeeze out a tear every time the going gets interesting. Her world famous “softer side” is going to be full time down our throats and up our… well, you get the idea.
And the women? All too many of them will eat it up.
Undoubtedly the same women who signed the petition to end women’s suffrage, also perceive their opportunities are limited by their sex.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uPcthZL2RE
Danny-That is a shame that a woman would not consider having a woman in the White House. The fact that it is a liberal woman makes it a “three pipe problem”.
But I’ll bet fewer women voted to WJC’s hair than JFK’s. Our mother’s and mother’s-in-law had fewer opportunities, our wives have more, and look out for our daughters’.If you’re given opportunity and responsibility, you make more responsible decisions. (God, what a bromide) I guess Hillary’s strongest female demographic is the 60 plus crowd.
(eg.the retired priest)
JJ- We have to keep repeating Morris’ line about the pastry chef. It’s going to be a long ten months.
Al