Naomi Wolf: Why Barack Obama Got My Vote

[Syrinx]

Remember: when activists started to push hard to raise awareness of the dangers of torture and indefinite detention, many on the Hill were scared to join the fight because it was then politically unpopular. But to me, if you are not really against torture -- always and under every political change in climate, and let us note that former torture victim and prisoner of war John McCain shamefully dropped his fight against the torture loopholes in the law as well -- then you are not really, in my view, fit to be an American President.

Gender has nothing to do with it. Race has nothing to do with it.

Integrity has something to do with it.

That is why Barack Obama has my vote. Of all the leading candidates, he is the only one on these issues who has consistently acted like a true American.

And if I hear -- as I am likely to -- from legions of US feminists outraged at me for choosing this man over that woman, I will gladly sit down and explain why I am certain that these issues are so urgent that they overshadow absolutely everything else.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/naomi-wolf/why-barack-obama-got-my-v_b_88956.html

[mmonk]

1. I've got to give Naomi a kick,

Got to stay loyal.

[tekisui]

2. A feminist and a great anti-fascist!

Her opinion matters to me.

[JimGinPA]

3. K&R

[scheming daemons]

4. She's a misogynist!

lol...

[ekwhite]

66. Oh god, not again N/T

:banghead:

[bicentennial_baby]

5. w00t!

:bounce:

[debatepro]

6. Solid justification... for supporting Barack

:kick:

[my2sense]

7. K & R

Naomi seems to be a lone voice of reason in this everything goes world we live in.

[Cheeseburger Walrus]

32. She seems to recycle...

Gore Vidal tracts from what I've seen.




However, whomever brings more people on the D-train is marvelous!

[Rene]

8. Wolf is also a fool who doesn't see that clearly bho is a product of the kingmakers

he's all packaged up and sold to the fawning sheeple....literally brain-washed folks from the American Idol generation. Research his actual record for ANYTHING he's accomplished; any decisions made. It's not there. Puff...it's all smoke/mirrors.

[cali]

13. *snicker* YOU are calling Wolf a fool? Too funny. Love it.

So, is:

Bill McKIbben a brainwashed idot? (Do you even know who McKibben is?)
Pat Leahy?
Russ Feingold?
Kate Michaelman?
Gary Hart?


And anyone who claims that he doesn't have a substantive record either has an agenda or is simply full of shit. It's a flat out lie to assert that.

[SteppingRazor]

25. I was gonna post something like this. At what point do people have to acknowledge that...

smart, rational people are voting for Obama, and voting for him in droves?

[saltpoint]

61. Pretty big droves, too.

Agreed.

[ekwhite]

67. She's also calling John Lewis a fool

Not to mention
Maria Shriver,
Ted Kennedy,
etc.

[SoFlaJet]

14. Class

all class baby

[mmonk]

20. He has more more experence at this point

than 4 out of the last 5 presidents. Repeat a lie often enough and it takes hold with people I guess.

[RazBerryBeret]

40. only SOME people.....

[tishaLA]

21. Like Ms Wolf, this feminist has looked into Sen Obama's

record. And like Ms Wolf, I voted for him, too. No brain washing was involved.

[babylonsister]

22. I'm 52 and an Obama supporter. Pleeze, pleeze, am I included in the American

Idol generation? And you are the one that needs to do some research. You must be blinded by hate because you surely haven't educated yourself. Go do some googling. But you won't, and I'll be damned if I do the work for you.

[frog92969]

46. Not worth it

You can hear the echo in the void.

[Shakespeare]

27. Wow. Kate Michelman must be a fool, too!

Because no thoughtful, informed person could possibly vote for Obama, right? :sarcasm:

[gwojtowy]

93. Is It thoughtful to vote for Obama?

Or is it a little too subjective. When I first heard him speak at the last convention, he was still a candidate for Senator. I thought, what a bright rising star! Maybe i was being patronizing, but even so, I thought, he's just the man we need in the Senate! I thought he could bring his message there, and people would slowly come around to his way of thinking. But I guess patience can not be a virtue to Obama!

The first thing that turned me off of Obama was that he began his campaign for President after only 2 years in the Senate. State and local government only gives you the qualifications to run for governor, House or Senator, not President. I thought: "Well he went Hollywood very quickly!" Now I see him using the same campaign tactics as everybody else, distortion, misstatement, omission of crucial facts. A thoughtful person wouldn't have to look far to be disillusioned by Obama.:graybox::eyes:

[Occam Bandage]

44. Naomi Wolf has no idea about kingmakers or brainwashing, yes. Congratulations on

admitting you have no idea who she is.

[AZBlue]

51. He's a senator and he is a presidential candidate and therefore deserves respect - no more "bho"!!

His name is Barack Obama or you can shorten it to Obama. You can refer to his opponent as Hillary Clinton or Clinton, but not hrc or hil.

Names should be capitalized and your deliberate attempt to demean Senator Obama is not a reflection upon him (or me for this post) but says volumes about you.

[donheld]

57. Only a fool would call Naomi Wolf a fool

You've got some nerve, but no brain.

[DUlover2909]

73. OK, be serious. Naomi Wolf a fool? You don't know her.

I voted for Hillary, but calling Naomi Wolf a fool is grounds for calling you a Freeper mole. Get out or straighten up and educate yourself.

[Stuckinthebush]

75. You've got to be joking. Wolf is not a fool

Anything but.

I understand if you disagree with her statement, but to call her fool is...well....foolish.

[spiritual_gunfighter]

76. Research his record???

Um, I have and that is why I voted for him over Hillary. It is all about his record. Sure he is a great speaker and is charismatic. But when it comes down to it, it was his record that sold me. I am from Illinois and have followed Obama from when he was first elected to the Senate. Have you looked at his record? Or are you just parroting pundits who say he is an empty suit. Oh wait Hillary says that too. He has a record a very long one. Look it up sometime.

[Usrename]

79. Name a single president that has lectured on Constituional Law.

Obama has.

This argument that he isn't an accomplished person is laughable.

[elias7]

87. I don't like being savaged by the stench of a rotting mind. Open it please!

[loveangelc]

9. omg! yay I love her!

[BrklynLiberal]

10. I have a lot of respect for her opinion. Certainly makes me think.

[backscatter712]

11. K&R.

Her endorsement is more important than many people think.

[Jackpine Radical]

49. ...like, to ME for example.

It certainly helps confirm me in a decision I reluctantly and hesitantly made earlier this month.

[SKKY]

12. Naomi Wolf is bad-ass!

I dig her.

[rusty quoin]

15. K&R n/t

[gateley]

16. When Naomi Wolf talks, I listen.

I admire her enormously.

If I weren't already in Obama's corner, I would seriously consider him, as a result of her endorsement.

[Ichingcarpenter]

17. How dare her

once again, prove that she is

A great American.

[FrenchieCat]

18. This is another really, really good one!

:thumbsup:

[Apollo11]

19. Naomi Wolf Rocks!

Naomi helped set up the American Freedom Campaign.

Check out their website: www.americanfreedomcampaign.org

[Mezzo]

23. She would also like Obama to start wearing earth tones asap.

The over paid adviser to the Al Gore 2000 campaign... I wouldn't trust her to deliver a pizza let alone an endorsement after that stupid, stupid move.

[K Gardner]

28. You really have no idea who she is, do you? You Wiki'd and found a comment, and threw yet

another liberal fighter under the bus for your bitter, divisive, hate-filled campaign. I cannot wait until you can't post your tripe here anymore. It won't be long.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

31. Then that is another very positive endorsement... as you have no clue in recognizing

what is good for Democrats.

[KLee]

24. Very interesting.....

I admire her for speaking out, thank you so much Naomi!

Thank you Syrinx for posting this, I read it and it really got me to thinking about the state the country is in. I knew it was bad, but this is worse than I thought.

It only reinforces my support of Barack, finally someone who not only gets it, believes in it, but will back it up.

[Sensitivity]

26. Thanks for this thoughtful post from Naomi. Hope we can now forget the flag pin issue

[Darth_Kitten]

29. Be careful of people who define what being a true american really is.

It can at times be scary.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

30. Naomi is THE most respected political analyst, in my book.

This is a great endorsement!

[George_Bonanza]

33. Naomi Wolf doesn't count

[Avalux]

34. George......if you're gonna go there, substantiate please.

Because a whole lot of us admire Naomi quite a bit.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

35. I think it's sarcasm. nt

[Avalux]

36. Ah.......thanks.

:blush: :hi:

[Sensitivity]

37. Doesn't count in good company of John Lewis and State of Wisconsin

[Scurrilous]

38. Thanks for posting this!

:thumbsup:

[apocalypsehow]

39. Why does Naomi Wolf hate women?

:sarcasm:

[psychopomp]

41. DU progressives, she is one of us!

She outlined ten steps to fascism that she warned were evident in present-day USA:


　　1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy.
2. Create secret prisons where torture takes place.
3. Develop a thug caste or paramilitary force not answerable to citizens.
4. Set up an internal surveillance system.
5. Harass citizens' groups.
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release.
7. Target key individuals.
8. Control the press.
9. Treat all political dissents to be traitors.
10. Suspend the rule of law.

[Kermitt Gribble]

42. Another huge endorsement...

Congratulations to Obama and supporters, this one holds alot of weight. Endorsements like this one really ease my mind about Obama winning the Nom.

[ekwhite]

68. Thanks for the congratulations

I appreciate the warm wishes. Whichever Democrat winds up in the White House in November, we will be better off.

[akbacchus_BC]

88. You are wonderful ....

The supporters on both sides should be magnanimous like you in order to unify the party so that a Democrat wins in November. I love to read posts like yours.

[Occam Bandage]

43. Naomi Wolf is clearly a sexist, a homophobe, and a closet Repuke.

[Forrest Greene]

55. I've Heard That She

...has two left ears!

[Eric J in MN]

45. Unfortunately, both Obama and Clinton have expressed...

...a willingness to continue military trials for people who were never in the US military (though with stricter rules of evidence than the current tribunals at Gitmo.)

I'm against military trials for anyone who isn't in the US military.

We have a traditional federal court system for trying suspected terrorists.

[Jackpine Radical]

50. I guess I'll have to vote for McCain then.

I'm sure he wants full civilian trials for Gitmo detainees.

[Eric J in MN]

54. John McCain voted for the Military Commissions Act,

...and so he supports dubious military trials where evidence obtained during torture can be admitted.

(I know you're being sarcastic, but I wanted to post that for anyone unfamiliar with McCain's record on this issue.)

[Maat]

85. That's why we will have continue pressure on the nominee; HOWEVER ..

at least Obama, having lectured Constitutional Law, will fully understand what we are talking about (just this law school graduate's humble opinion).

[saltpoint]

47. Balloons and banners. Good for Ms. Wolf.

[candice]

48. Isn't that ancient history, or do you live in Texas?

[libnnc]

52. I have waited as long as I could

Been perched on the fence, spent sleepless nights being sick of the fighting in this forum. Hillary is a hard worker--brilliant and savvy. She'd make a fantastic president--IN A STABLE DEMOCRACY.

I've been a fan of Naomi Wolf's for a long while. She's an accomplished, seasoned academic who knows what the fuck she's talking about. She's right on the shiny dime with The End of America--if you don't have it yet, run to the nearest indie book store and get it.

Naomi has always spoken for me. I'm a lesbian and the McClurkin thing sticks in my craw like yesterday's cornbread, but I'm an American first and foremost. We're talking political prisoners here, folks. First it was Gov. Siegleman. Who's going to be next?


She's right. Barack Obama in '08. :patriot:






Now I'm going to soak my ass in some witch hazel. Sitting on a fence for a month is no freaking fun.

[polichick]

53. I hope your bum feels better soon! :)

[mmonk]

56. The Australian Justice of the peace being rendered Naomi speaks of

is something any of us can use to get in the minds of people who don't get it yet, that not everyone we snatch away or send to Guantanamo is a terrorist.

[frog92969]

58. Great article - Great woman

So she supports the professor of Constitutional studies, no surprise there.
The more I learn about him, the better I feel about my vote for him. A vote that was originally against the DLC candidate.

Sure hope they let him in though, not much reason for them to give it up at this point. Naomi knows.

[AtomicKitten]

59. That endorsement resonates in a very good way.

:thumbsup:

[Daveenla]

60. HE GOT MY VOTE TOO!

HE HAS A LOT OF LATINO LOVE IN CALI NOW!

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ekwhite]

69. This guy is posting the same thing on several threads

5 posts - all the same thing. You draw your own conclusions.

[AntiFascist]

63. K&R, Hillary would prefer to triangulate...

but on issues like this there is only one path of integrity.

[paulk]

86. her position on the bill in question

was exactly the same as Obama's.

[bhikkhu]

64. Thanks for the post, and thanks Naomi

I have to say that my one big hope for Kerry in 2004 centered around his promise to end secret detentions and torture, when it was hardly even a topic yet. I had not heard of Naomi Wolf at the time, but her work has been beyond anything I could hope for....if she is cool with Obama, that is one more huge plus in my book. The future is looking bright, for the first time in years.

[Gonnuts]

65. You gotta be kidding ...

Because the man takes a stand against torture? How fucking hard is THAT? ... we're talking Barrack Obama, polished, wordsmith, politician. Obama, who doesn't have a progressive record, or much of a record at all. Who has taken more money from the Nuclear Industry than any one else. Who still cowers to the MIC. Who hasn't challenged media conglomeration. The man who says he'll increase military spending and won't commit to saying we won't have troops in Iraq in 2112. Who refuses to even think of taking insurance companies out of health care. Who totes Brezhnev Bersinski as his foreign policy advisor. Who hasn't said one word about impeachment or 9/11.

And just because he takes a stand that any idiot could take, this is why you're voting for the man? Weren't you people heart-broken enough after 06'?

Please people get a grip ...

[ekwhite]

71. Wow -what a well reasoned response to Naomi Wolf

:sarcasm:

The man is a brilliant orator, teaches Constitutional Law, and worked as a community activist when he could have been raking in the bucks at one of any number of top-tier law firms.

And yes, taking a stand against torture seems to be pretty hard these days, when people like John McCain, who were tortured, won't take a stand against it.

I will take her intelligence and her concern for human rights any day over your cynicism any day.

[DWilliamsamh]

83. But what does it say about Hillary and McCain since they are ...

A: Late to that conclusion in the case of Senator Clinton
B: Actually a supported of torture - in the case of the hypocritical Senator McCain?

If any idiot can hold that position - I guess that makes the other two .... well I think you get my point.

[ekwhite]

70. This is an amazing post.

She even covered the plight of Don Siegelman. I am more convinced than ever that a John McCain victory will be the nail in the coffin of American democracy.

[VotesForWomen]

72. WTF is she talking about? nt

[DWilliamsamh]

84. Want to know? Read it again... with your eyes and mind open. (n/t)

[southern_belle]

74. k & r

[redqueen]

77. Open Government is another big one.

[Mass]

78. Another sexist, I am sure.

[KaryninMiami]

80. Naomi is a Wise Woman- here's to her and to Barack Obama! K&R

[doublethink]

81. .......

:kick:

[caseycoon]

82. K&R For Naomi! n/t

[silverweb]

89. Beautifully explained.

K&R

[banjosareunderrated]

90. K&R!

[gwojtowy]

91. Not Buying It!

I just see Hillary as President, not Obama!

[Megahurtz]

92. YES!!!