In the face of the MObama, I've finally decided on Hillary

[AGirl]

It's a nice read

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/4/145853/7183/890/449651

....But every time someone attacked Hillary for something that was just sexist, I was defending her. Someone said they didn't like dynasties, and I was the first to say that we should not preclude someone from the White House because the votes in Florida weren't counted or because Kerry didn't listen to Edwards and demand that every vote in Ohio be counted. I was there saying that the first woman governor and the first woman senator were only there because their husbands were there first, and that no one minds when a son follows his father into office, that the whole "Just say no to dynasty" mantra was just sexist drivel.

And I got to thinking, why didn't I like Hillary? Why did she just rub me the wrong way? And the more I thought about it, the more it was because, for the past 15 years, the media has been trashing her... ever since she had the audacity to try for health care reform, she was just plain dangerous and they dragged her through the dirt.

So, I watched the 1/31 debate. And you know what? She impressed me. She really did. She won me over. I didn't want to vote against anyone... I wanted to vote for someone. And finally, Hillary won me over. And I realized that I hadn't heard a word she said before that debate... I had only heard people talking about her. Here. Stephanie Miller. The media. But I hadn't heard her on her own. And that made all the difference...

[mrreowwr_kittty]

1. I don't believe women benefitting from dynasties should be viewed more harshly

The diarist is right, men are elevated by their family connections all the time.

However, dynasties are inherently patriarchal. So don't try to sell me a Hillary Clinton presidency as some great moment in feminism.

Where were all these women when Carol Mosely Braun was running?

[ursi]

2. that's funny, I've seen other posts of yours before this pushing Hillary

[newmajority]

4. Maybe someone else programmed the bot that day?

Those DLC IT geeks need to keep their stories straight.

[Levgreee]

3. I always found her talk relatively vague in the debates, nothing making her stand apart

she'll go on about her health care plan every single debate, for about 3-5 minutes each time... last time Obama said "yes, both our plans are basically 95% the same". Obama was more true to the actual debate format, and that was one thing that impressed me about him. Yet, because he didn't elaborate on things not really connected to the question, like Hillary did, he was seen as "low on substance" and didn't get his platform out as well as Hillary did, until the later debates.

Her debates weren't debates. They were more akin to getting press time to plug in her platforms(because that is what mathematically gets you the most votes, as many people might just see one debate, you want to go over a lot each debate), rather than directly answer questions and debate.

[rodeodance]

5. "I wanted to vote for someone."--the FOR is key. yes good read. Thanks.

[DebraK]

6. this thread is sexist. hillary's tactics is holding the womens movement back

i wish a better qualified woman like mcclaire was running

[pnwmom]

10. What is sexist about this thread?

What is sexist about recognizing the rampant misogyny in our society that is warping people's perspectives on Sen. Clinton?

[rodeodance]

15. "holding the women's movement back"??--How so?? Based on what?

[emilyg]

7. Happy for your decision.

[splat]

8. I think she's the best person for the job, too

It ain't easy being a pioneer.

[kerstin]

12. "It ain't easy being a pioneer."

Soon as I read that, I had to think of Jackie Robinson breaking the color line in professional baseball and the sustained abuse he encountered. Thinking of the hatred that is being projected onto HRC in the context of her being a "pioneer" is somehow assuaging.

I, too, think that she is the better candidate.

[pnwmom]

9. They've been trashing her since she decided to use her maiden name --

Hillary Rodham Clinton -- and said she'd rather not stay home baking cookies. Horrors! What kind of First Lady could she be? No, no, give us more Nancy Reagans! Give us Laura Bush!

From Day 1, the Hillary Haters have been conducting the modern version of the Salem Witch Trials. It's disgusting.

[robbedvoter]

11. It's very similar to how I became a supporter. From defending her for fairness sake

to realizing the is the better candidate...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4231971
Some thought it was funny and disingenuous - I even got a thread mocking my personal decision. But then again, supporters of some candidates here presume to know better than us and feel entitled to patronize us.
Thanks for this diary. I wasn't aware they even allowed one to support Hillary at Kos.
I recall some people - advocating for a similar purge here - were citing Kos as a Democratic example.

[Stand and Fight]

13. This is an excellent summary as to why I now STRONGLY SUPPORT HILLARY. n/t

[Sandaasu]

14. So, is there anything negative that can be said about Clinton that ISN'T sexist?

I'm getting really tired of this. You do not see this kind of thing from the Obama camp either. From Hillary supporters, the attitude is to often that if you're a woman and not for Hillary, you're a traitor, and if you're not a woman and not for Hillary, you have to be sexist. Any reason you state for supporting someone else is just sexism is disguise. It's insanity, and you don't see it from Obama's side regarding his race.

[AGirl]

16. You don't get it.

[bidenista]

17. kick. nt