Mark Penn Is Still an Ass

Funny:

Hillary Clinton was going to be president. She knew it. So did her chief strategist, Mark Penn, the man who had once delivered victory for her husband Bill. Barack Obama was “unelectable”, Penn declared early in her campaign, “except perhaps against Attila the Hun”. How wrong can you be?

Not much more wrong. The Democrats have screwed themselves way too often on the “electibility” argument for way too long. Kerry and his “electibility” is what gave us another four years of Bush.

Snip.

This is a man whose friend once described him as having “the IQ of Bill Gates and the emotional intelligence of an eggplant”. Now Penn says, in his surprisingly high-pitched voice: “Hillary ran on a theme of ready for change, ready to lead. Change was always a central and important part of her message.” That’s strange. I could have sworn it was more like, “Don’t trust the new guy, vote for someone with experience”. But anyway. “Look, at the end of the day, they both got about 18 million votes. It was the hardest-fought primary in the history of America. And it turned out that some small groups switched and became critical players.” Which is a pitch for his theory, obviously. “At the end of the day, they are separated by only 85 delegates out of close to 4,000.”

None of which answers the question. Let’s try again, being more specific about one of his biggest mistakes. People wanted a break with the past, Hillary could not provide that, and emphasising her experience only made it all the more obvious, surely? “The only thing I can tell you is that they [the Obama people] ran an excellent campaign,” he says. “We regarded him as a strong challenger throughout the entire period. There was no question that he had the personal abilities, the resources, all of the things necessary to win.”

Really? So why did Penn say in a memo of March 2007 that Obama was unelectable? “Huh. No. It doesn’t say that at all.” Yes it does, if the facsimile published by Atlantic Monthly magazine is correct. The great communicator appears thrown. “Those memos, right, that came out, were really … er, were really, I think, show you, you know, just a piece, because … a small part, a piece of how we were looking to, I think, set up or solve the fact that he was a very strong candidate.”

Just go check out the article and enjoy.

Penn had a chance to put Hillary Clinton in the White House, and he blew it. But of course, her defeat is not Penn’s fault. And he never said Obama was unelectible. And Hillary ran on change.  And Penn never said that Obama was “fundamentally American in his thinking and values.”

I might not have a problem with Democrats and the Obama campaign helping to eliminate Clinton’s campaign debt if $5 million of it wasn’t slated to go to Penn.

He really is an ass.

Campaign Nostalgia

There are ten days left in this campaign, and things are looking really positive for Obama supporters. I’m excited that it appears that finally we are going to take our country back.

But at the same time, I’m a little bit sad, as I’ve really had a lot of fun obsessing about the campaign. What will I blog about once it’s over? I have no idea.

But as the campaign winds down, it seems appropriate to count down and rank my favorite YouTube videos from this campaign. Doing so will help us all gain a little bit of closure.

To that end, beginning tonight, I’ll be posting my top 10 campaign videos from 2008.

We Have a Nominee

I watched this clip and got a little bit teary:

Barack Obama is now the 2008 Democratic nominee for President of the United States of America.

Though our hard work has paid off, the real work is just begining.

But let’s take the next 24 hours to enjoy this historic moment and be proud to be Americans and Democrats. It may take a little bit of time for this reality to sink in.

Larry Johnson on Clinton’s Speech

Heh:

She is right about the issues. But we now know we cannot trust Obama on the issues. He has no core. He has no foundation. He has no fundamental principle. He is a man of convenience and opportunity. He is an ideological chameleon and will glom on to people he thinks can help him get ahead. This does not make him a bad person. He’s just a typical Chicago pol.

Uh, isn’t that what people have said about the Clintons since the early 90s? This Clinton adoration cracks me up. As if the Clintons were ever people of principle.

Remember, Hillary Clinton voted for the war and is still unrepentant. Bill Clinton gave us DOMA, “welfare reform,” and NAFTA, among many other policy atrocities.

Sorry. I should be gracious about Clinton’s speech tonight, but these PUMA types drive me nuts.

The Clinton Convention? BS.

Geez, Dick Morris is an asshole:

Hillary and Bill have hijacked the Denver convention, making it into a carbon copy of what it would have looked like had she won until the last possible moment. By the time Obama gets up to speak and put his stamp on the convention, Hillary will have had one prime time night all to herself. Bill will have pre-empted a second night. Hillary will have had all the nominating and seconding speeches she wants. And the roll call of the states would record, in graphic detail, how the voters of state after state rejected Obama’s candidacy in the primaries. Only then, after three and a half days of all Clinton all the time will the convention then, finally, turn to its nominee and allow him to have an hour in the sun!

Dick, have you ever been right about anything?

The Clintons will have a prominent role at the DNC. As an Obama supporter who lives in the real world, I’m OK with it. Hillary deserves her own night simply because she almost beat Obama. Let her supporters enjoy her while she sings the praises of Barack Obama. Her speech will help the Democratic nominee.

Bill also deserves a prominent speaking role as the most successful and popular Democratic president since JFK. It makes sense, and I believe it’s tradition to let ex-presidents to speak at conventions.

On the roll call vote, who cares? I think the superdelegates will go for Obama in large numbers to give the appearance that the primary race was not as close as it really was. The Clinton people have asked for the roll call vote and they deserve it. It’s OK.

Snip

This Clintonian tour de force raises a key question about Barack Obama: Is he strong enough to be president or can he be pushed around? His failure to stand up to the Clintons makes one wonder how effective he will be against bin Laden, Iran, Chavez, or Putin.

Well, Obama is using strategy and diplomacy to deal with the Clintons. I think it would be great for our next president to use strategy and diplomacy as tools to deal with the rest of the world.

Perspective

Harper’s Index (subcription required):

Portion of Barack Obama supporters who said in April that they would not vote for Hillary Clinton if she became the nominee: 1/5

Portion of Clinton supporters who said this about Obama: 1/4

Percentage of John McCain supporters in March 2000 who said they would not vote for George W. Bush: 51

Percentage who said this in October 2000: 39

Number of the last four general elections in which the nominee who served in an overseas war lost to the one who didn’t: 4

Number of these election in which the loser was  a decorated war hero: 3

PUMAs: GOP Shills

From Pandagon:

I believe that the Republicans are cheerful rat-fuckers and therefore would not hesitate to set up a secretive operation of people running around claiming to be Clinton voters who are voting for McCain to keep the legend of the PUMAs alive.  If you can convince people that there are PUMAs, then you accomplish two giant goals for the McCain campaign:

1) Creating the illusion that McCain is moderate enough to attract the votes of feminist Clinton supporters and
2) Reinforcing the narrative about how feminists are just hysterical bitches with no common sense who subsist on outrage, can’t act in their own self-interest because of their feminine-addled brains, and can safely be ignored.

Snip

I want to draw your attention to the first one, which implies that the PAC was formed to support Clinton during the primary run.  But if you look at the date on the PAC form, the PAC was registered on 6/3/08.  Clinton officially dropped out on 6/7/08, but for days before, it was basically known she was out.

I would like to argue that this PAC was not formed to support Clinton, but to support the media narrative about hysterical feminists, and to help the McCain campaign with goals #1 and #2.

I bet similar digging would show that a lot of PUMAs aren’t exactly what they’re claiming to be.

I’ve blogged about the issue here, here, and here.

It’s about time that those behind PUMA,  Hillaryis44, and No Quarter, and others be exposed for what they are: GOP operatives trying to lead some real Democrats astray by playing on their anger and rage directed at Obama.

Thanks for your work, Amanda.

Reasons for the Anger of Some Clinton Supporters

If you read this blog, you know that I’ve been mostly baffled by much of the anger directed at Obama’s nomination by some Clinton supporters who say that there is no way they will ever support Barack Obama. I just don’t get it, but I’m fascinated by their anger, which can be seen in all of its glory here and here.

In my entire voting life (which goes back to the 80s), this is the first time I have ever backed someone in the primaries who actually won the Democratic nomination. Winning feels good, but when I lost, even after some hard-fought and bitter contests (Jerry Brown and Howard Dean come to mind), I was able lick my wounds and go forward to support the Democratic nominee.

Losing sucks, but it’s part of politics.

So I was pleased to read this piece on Salon.com that helps explain the anger of some Clinton supporters.

1. They are angry because their candidate lost a close contest.

This is just simple human math, and it happens after every primary showdown. Remember that it took some Deaniacs months to come around to John Kerry in 2004. It’s just that most years, the contests haven’t also been identity-politics duels between two underrepresented social groups vying for a chance at a political position that has always been denied them.

And that is a part of politics, sadly.

Snip

2. They are angry because their historic opportunity is over.

Snip

3. They are angry about rumors that Obama may choose a woman other than Hillary Clinton as his running mate.

This is a tricky one. Maybe some Clinton supporters remain so besotted by the idea of their woman as the history maker that they won’t be satisfied unless Clinton or someone from her direct bloodline is the first female to breach the executive branch of government.

I don’t ‘get’ this one. Sebelius or Napalitano would be great VP candidates as they are strong governors and great politicians.And they happen to be women.

But if Obama picks a woman other than Hillary for VP, that would be bad?

4. They are angry that we started to talk about sexism only once Clinton stopped being a threat.

Snip

5. They are angry at the media’s repeated denial of sexism, and they are angry at Keith Olbermann.

Snip

6. They are mad at Howard Dean.

Not simply for allowing the massive befouling of the Democratic process that was Michigan and Florida but for addressing issues of sexism only once Clinton was out of the race. Seriously, the anger at Dean may be some of the most unexpected and intense. At the recent EMILY’s List conference, during a panel on gender and the election, Dean’s name was the only one that got booed.

7. They are mad at Barack Obama.

Snip

But for some, there is lingering sting — about the paucity of women in Obama’s top advisory team during the campaign, about the way they feel the Obama campaign stained Clinton’s supporters — and Clinton and her husband too — as racists, about the patronizing “You’re likable enough” comment during a January debate.

As for the racism charge, well, maybe it’s not PC to say this, but I did see some racist attitudes coming out of the mouths of some Clinton supporters. Remember Ferraro saying, “They’re only attacking me because I’m white?” Or Harriett Christian’s comments about an “inadequate black man?”

I always took the “likable enough” comment in that debate to be a throw-away attempt at humor on Obama’s part. It wasn’t all that funny, but I never saw it as the terrible jab that many Clinton supporters thought it to be.

8. They are mad at Bill Clinton. Um, obviously.

9. They are mad at Mark Penn.

Snip

10. They are mad at Hillary Clinton for conceding and not taking their fight on to Denver.

11. They are mad that everyone believes them to be old, white and racist. They are mad at the people they thought were supposed to be progressives for treating them badly.

They are mad at their party and its leaders because they feel this race has opened up a door, allowing people to rag on white women — as irrelevant and buffoonish, as ambitious and preening, as old school and boring and nagging and hectoring — in a way that demonstrates that women have a questionable place in liberalism and progressivism.

No. Women have a vital place in liberalism and progressivism. Women and liberalism should go hand-in-hand.

But at the same time, some of those angry Clinton people need to understand that many progressives could not support Clinton in the primaries given her vote on the Iraq war. Nor do we think 28 years of two-family rule in the United States would be good for Democracy. Others mistrust the Clintons because of Bill’s time in office during which he sold out many progressive ideas. And yes, I understand that Hillary and Bill are not the same person, but if she was running on Bill’s record as president, she should have also been held accountable for some of the Clinton administration’s failings.

12. And finally, they are angry because they feel they are held hostage by the party by their reproductive organs.

Conclusion?

Yes, they’re going to vote for Obama. Of course they’ll vote for him. The truth is, they’ll probably love voting for him. But after what they feel has been done to them — the way in which they were written off, marginalized and resented, their hopes mocked and their history-making ambitions dismissed as retrograde identity politicking — damned if they’re going to be nice girls about it.

I hope they come around to Obama. We need them.

Hillary Clinton Supporters for John McCain – Wow

Sorry to pick on these people again, but they are reminding me why I thought they might be GOPers trying to sow dissent.

Read about their plans:

I think what we need to do is run a 1/2 or full page ad in the Chicago Sun Time letting the whole dam world know that we are full of the BS that Obama and the DNP is feeding us.

If we do this in Chicago, then the Obama camp will shit a brick. We will go into his own backyard and mess with him. That would be fun because the shoe would be on the other foot.

Let our ad show that there is over a 2 million of us who are unhappy and will vote for John McCain if Hillary is not the nominee. Also we will vote a straight Republican Ticket if Hillary is not the nominee.

First, WTF is the DNP? I have a hard time believing any Clinton supporters are that illiterate.

We would use a open letter to Howard Dean, Superdelegats, delegates to the DNP convention. We will simple state that if Hillary is not the nominee, then we are going to vote a straight Republican Ticket and throw all of them out of office.

The Clinton people I know who want to screw the party understand that even if they hate Obama, it’s still in their interest to vote for Democrats in down-ticket races.

I had also thought about hitting some of the cities with ads in the Thrifty Nickel. Less expensive and common folks read them cause they are free.

Give me your feed back. Ed

Does the Thrifty Nickel accept political advertising? I thought they mostly advertised for pit bull puppies and old El Caminos.

And if you have any doubts that these people are GOPers, check out their store. It’s full of shit like t-shirts that read DemoRats, Anyone but a Democrat, Anti-war = Pro-terrorism, and other stupid GOP slogans.

Hillary is 44 – Vile Beyond Words

Thanks to some readers of this blog for pointing out some of the vile comments from the Hillaryis44.com people:

rjk1957 starts the party with this gem:

Admin, I will not be polite… Karma baby that is all I will say, first Kennedy and his brain tumor, then the flooding in Iowa and now Russert… Obamatrons beware the wrath of God, you could be next

Nice. Iowa is flooding because God willed it upon them because Iowa Democrats chose Obama? Then why is Indiana flooded?

Dot48 chimes in:

David Gregory talking about Tim making Pillows for his kids.

MSNBC talking heads need to get off the air .. go black and mourn.

“mourning” .. how ironic.

Sucks that he got to dance on Hill’s grave though but he won’t get to brown nose Bambi into the oval office.

Sorry folks but I’m “extremely bitter and clinging to my memories of how he treated Hillary”

rjk1957 retorts:

Now if only Barack and Michelle would both choke on turkey sandwiches….

Nice Mama Cass reference.

Filbertsf chimes in:

I’m beginning to think Obama is a curse. Notice what happens to the states that BO wins and the people who pimped for him.

Norma Desmond tells us:

Well well well…

condolences to the Russert family and his colleagues. I believe he used to be quite good, but unfortunately, he became part of the Big Media Machine. He sold out. Period.

Now, back to the wars….

They go on and on and on in their hatred of Russert and Obama.

It’s quite sad to read their hate.