Hillary backers come to defense of Palin. Tell the press corps to "Back off".

[chill_wind]

Hillary backers come to defense of Palin

Jonathan Martin Tue Sep 9, 11:30 AM ET

The leaders of a women's political organization that launched earlier this year to support Hillary Clinton are speaking out against what they say are examples of media sexism toward Sarah Palin and urging members to tell the press corps "to back off."

WomenCount, a group co-founded by top Hillary fundraiser Susie Tompkins Buell, posted a lengthy item on their blog decrying questions over whether Palin can, as a mother of five, juggle her family responsibilities and still be vice president.

"The very notion that Sarah Palin should not have accepted this nomination because she is a mother with demanding challenges underscores just how far we have to go," wrote Rosemary Camposano, the group's communications director.

She added: "It will be good for America to watch Sarah Palin on the campaign trail – bouncing from parenting to politics. That’s how most women function – multi-tasking, leaning on friends and family, and waking up each morning and doing it all again."

The group notes, however, that they do not approve of Palin's politics. "We cannot pretend that Governor Palin meets any standard of progressive politics or social values," Camposano writes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20080909/pl_politico/20934



Ok, so how about some help ON the vital issues?

Wolfson: Hillary Won't "Take Palin On"

By Greg Sargent - September 8, 2008, 10:24AM

Hillary is set to campaign for Obama today in Florida. Will she aggressively target Palin? Former Hillary spokesperson Howard Wolfson, over at his new blog at The New Republic, says the answer is No:

link: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/wolfson_hillary_wont_take_pali.php

[elocs]

1. Well isn't that special. Maybe not. n/t

[glitch]

64. Not. It was a misprint, what they really said was: everybody, tell us to PISS OFF.

To which we will now happily oblige.

[Epiphany4z]

2. She can't be a vp she is the mother of 5

I really have not heard much of that...and what i have heard has come from the RW .

[iamthebandfanman]

29. exactly!

the only people i ever see talking about it are news networks and right wing pundits...

i wanna know what liberal blogs they supposedly see people making that accusation

NOONE to my knowledge on DU has EVER said anything remotely to the effect of her having 5 kids means she couldnt be VP.

[Zombie2]

68. bing bing bing...

Yet another way to keep from reporting on the real issues.

I still believe it's RW'ers calling in on CSPAN's Democrat/Independent lines and claiming to be Hillary supporters that are now voting for McSame... BS! :spray: Maybe some racist, too... I've been hearing a lot from them as well.

We need CHANGE and Obama's bringin it.... Biden's the best VP choice for America!

"GET UP... GO GET EM!" ~ Joe Biden 09/08/2008

[chill_wind]

3. "Leave poor Sarah Palin alone!!!"

[chill_wind]

4. Smart observer here in the comments section

"A simple thought: realize that if Obama loses, Hillary will almost certainly be facing a ticket in 2012 with Palin on it. At that time Palin will have 4 years of National Executive experience.

Hillary will then be on the losing side of the experience argument vs. any ticket with Palin on it."

[DangerousRhythm]

5. Good point. Perhaps those few stray Hillary supporters should keep that in mind...

...and go with what Hillary says to do this year. :)

[chill_wind]

6. Some bad ju-ju for her then, but some bad ju-ju for us now

I mean, Palin sets the clock back on some vital women's issues-- how can you NOT speak up?

These are the gender identity politics Biden was just trashing the GOP for a day ago.

Some REAL bad ju-ju for her in 2012!

[Solomon]

45. I thought of this too. No incentive for Hillary to hope he loses.

(Not saying that this is what she wants) It Palin gets in, Hillary chances are gone for good.

[Life Long Dem]

12. And we should be in a matrix world by then

[NashVegas]

34. More Like Wishful Thinking

Why assume four years of McCain / Palin won't be another 4 years of disaster?

[Gman]

7. Just Operation Chaos crap

people who never intended to vote for Hillary much less a Democrat.

[chill_wind]

14. Not exactly. Susie was one of 20 names on that infamous letter to Pelosi.

http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/03/democratic-donors-send-24-mill.html

You spend that much money, you're not always going to be a gracious loser.

[rucky]

8. They're not Hillary supporters, dammit!

They're McCain supporters. If they supported Hillary, they'd be supporting Obama/Biden.

[chill_wind]

11. "WomenCount, a group co-founded by top Hillary fundraiser Susie Tompkins Buell"

Not just any supporter, either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susie_Tompkins_Buell

[sufrommich]

9. There is nothing "wrong" with what was said in the

article,it is sexist to demean any woman for aspiring to anything based on how many children she has.Nowhere does it say this Hillary supporter is backing McCain/Palin,in fact,she goes to great lengths to point out that her group does not support Palin at all.They are merely stating what should not have to be stated in this day and age,biology is not destiny,no matter the political persuasion.

[seaglass]

18. There isn't. Nor is there anything wrong with the Obama campaign

deciding they don't want to use Hillary to attack Palin. I think that's smart, it denies the media the spectacle they're looking for.

Why anyone would think that the Obama campaign would prefer to keep the focus on Hillary/Palin rather than Obama/Biden is beyond me.

[sufrommich]

21. It is a smart move.The media would smugly label it

a "cat fight" and cast it with all the gravitas of a "Dallas" episode.

[jbnow]

75. Hillary could be dignified as she just pointed out

the vast differences in her policies and Palin's. That's no attack and that's no cat fight and she has no reason to be afraid of the media saying that.

She would be the perfect one to point it out just as she did with McCain. She knows Palin was going directly for her supporters

[Phx_Dem]

10. Woman are too fragile to be criticized, even if done fairly. n/t

:sarcasm:

For the record. I'm a woman.

[glancingthefuture]

13. Hillary visited the Obama headquarters in FL to cheer on his workers.

good for her.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1569844333?bclid=1425858110&bctid=1782590237

[Midlodemocrat]

15. I don't believe that those former Hillary supporters were

actually ever going to vote for anyone without a vagina. How can they possibly rectify working for and possibly voting for Hillary with voting for the anti-Hillary? The woman who stands for everything Hillary is against?

And, for the record, the fact that this woman is a mother of five is immaterial. It's her LACK of mothering that proves to me what a total POS she is. That baby is going to need significant early intervention and isn't going to get it and don't even get me started on the daughter.

[chill_wind]

16. She's the antithesis to everything they claim to value regarding women's issues

but for the fact that she IS a woman. That strikes me as sexist to the core.

[sufrommich]

17. And they clearly state that in the article:

"The group notes, however, that they do not approve of Palin's politics. "We cannot pretend that Governor Palin meets any standard of progressive politics or social values," Camposano writes.

Unlike other feminist organizations which have taken up against Palin because of her conservative views, however, WomenCount says they'll "work to stamp out sexism when we see it on the campaign trail."

"To paraphrase the words of one blogger who said it best over the weekend: We will defend Sarah Palin against misogynist smears not because we like her or support her, but because that’s how feminism works."


They are simply stating the obvious from a feminist point of view.A woman has a right to be judged on her merits regardless of how many children she has,a woman does not lose that right for holding crappy political views.

[TexasLawyer]

22. good point-- this "defense" of Palin is very targeted

DON'T call her a bad mom or question her ability to run the government while being a wife and mother. I totally agree with that!

But DO call her a lying sack of shit-- wrong on all of the issues that sensible people care about!

[chill_wind]

19. Even Ferraro (who thinks we have a "largely liberal media") feels

it's not such a barn-burning matter (in her mind) that it can't wait another 60 days.

"Issues such as how a largely liberal media dealt with a Republican woman were, said Ms Ferraro, among those that needed to be studied properly once the election was over. "

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4677831.ece

What's the real agenda, here, with this single-issue group? What about the REST of the threats a Palin VP or Presidency would present?
Silence!!

[Zhade]

20. Thanks for the help, you stupid fucking assholes.

Here's a hint: Palin shouldn't have been chosen BECAUSE SHE'S A PRO-BOOK-BANNING ANTI-CHOICE HOMOPHOBE LIAR WHO THINKS THE FOUNDING FATHERS RECITED A PLEDGE WRITTEN A CENTURY LATER!!!

[sufrommich]

24. The article has nothing to do with why she was chosen.Did you

read it?

[Zhade]

31. ...

"The very notion that Sarah Palin should not have accepted this nomination because she is a mother with demanding challenges underscores just how far we have to go," wrote Rosemary Camposano, the group's communications director."

Oh, I said chosen instead of accepted. Huge difference.

My statement stands. This is not helpful, and it's based on a bullshit premise. Fuck them.

[ronnykmarshall]

23. They are NOT Hillary supporters.

My mom is a Hillary supporter and when Palin showed her sorry ass, she and my step dad are 1000% behind Obama.

Fuck 'em!

[sufrommich]

26. They had nothing to say about her political views.

They're speaking about the right of a female politician to run without snide remarks about childcare.It's got nothing to with Palin's politics.

[BlackmanX]

25. The point of the women's movement

was to make sure that women get equal treatment as men. Palin and her gop psudo feminist backers can't have it both ways. If Palin is going to hit Obama/Biden then she should learn to take a hit herself.

[sufrommich]

32. The point of the women's movement was equal treatment for

women.Bobby Kennedy had 11 kids,I don't recall any hand wringing about balancing his role as a father and politician. Regardless of Palin's politics the women's movement fought for all women,not just those who "deserve it".

[BlackmanX]

37. All that is true but

they made this thing personal. How come they want Mrs.Obama to shut up and they painted her as anti-American because she spoke her mind yet when palin says anything negative she's cheered? I don't deny that the Women's movement was about equal treatment for all women but in this campaign this has clearly not been the case.

[Ewellian]

57. Do you have

a link for that? When did the group "WomenCount" attack Mrs Obama?

[BlackmanX]

77. I wasn't talking about women count

I was talking about republicans in general. If you're a liberal or democratic woman no matter how strong or compelling your story is, they want to shut you up. They hated Hillary and Michelle Obama because they dared to step up and speak their minds. They said everything in the book about Hillary Clinton and now if we have anything negative to say about palin no matter how accurate or true it is they'll try to call sexism. The republicans are making a mockery of what feminism is by running palin as a replacement for Hillary Clinton just like they made a mockery of the civil rights movement when they appointed clarence thomas to the SCOTUS to replace Thurgood Marshall.

[theillone]

27. hillary doesn't want barack to win

isn't it quite obvious? what would hillary gain by obama winning the presidency...she couldn't run for another 8 years and she will be too old to win.

Hello! hillary and the clintons are in a tough spot not to look like spoilers and lose the support of your party but not doing enough so that obama can win.

This is what hillary has wanted its her "destiny" no way in hell she wants a barack presidency.

Even Billy clinton wasn't a hardcore lib...in the same vein as carter. He was a moderate who listened to fiscal conservatives like greenspan and a republican congress...

[BlackmanX]

38. Agreed

She has said that she won't attack palin out of fear of becoming tabliod fodder. But my thing is if she's not going to attack the woman who's made a mockery out of everything she stood for or hold rallies with undecided female voters to move them Obama's way then she might as well go home now because otherwise she's just covering her ass the same way they did Kerry in 2004.

[chill_wind]

39. Yes. Lead, follow or get out of the way. And tell your best friend Susie

that sending attack dogs on the press over a single beef-- when the extremist lady is a freaking walking land-mine of women's issues beefs is a pretty shallow kind of "support for Obama", and a pretty shallow brand of "feminism", as well.

[HughLefty1]

59. I don't think Hillary should be attacking Palin...

Palin is not the one running for President. I don't see how a public catfight between Palin and Clinton would be helpful for anyone.

[sandspur]

76. Hello? Who was it that made that great Iceburg sound bite yesterday?

Hillary! Can we please stop with the Hillary attacks, please. Jezus some of the people here play into the chaos crap. Or is Obama winning less important than Attacking a Clinton every chance you get? Important work to be done, stop with the distractions. Just as Obama cannot and should not be held accountable for for everything a supporter does or says, neither should a Clinton, no matter how much you hate them. Two more days until I can donate to Obama again (payday). Please let me do it with hope and not grudgingly.

[Jakes Progress]

28. I guess you were hoping that

no one would really go to the link and read where they talk about how bad palin would be as VP. Did you even read the whole story? Did you understand tht the gist of her argument was that palin should be attacked for political rather than gender reasons? To say that she can't be VP because she has five children is sexist unless you believe that a man with five children is also unfit for the presidency. Please note the number of sexist remarks in the replies here. Hooters must be hurting for business if so many of their regulars are manning the blogs.


Maybe you just see a chance to re-ignite the primary wars? No one can deny that Hillary has done all she can, and will continue doing all she can to put Obama in the White House. No one but those who still want to keep us divided.

The spokeswoman was right. palin is a silly doofus who should never be elected. It is sexist to use gender reasons to argue against her though.

The Obama campaign is right, too. First in not having Hillary go after palin. We are running against mccain. As you keep palin in the news and in the center of the campaign, you help distract the public from the issues. It becomes all personality and no principle.

[chill_wind]

51. Not only did I read the article, I read their blog and some of their links.

And btw, they have not endorsed Obama. They're "holding off."


As a woman, I, too, say theirs is a *bullshit premise.*

[iamthebandfanman]

30. the only place i hear that gabarge of an argument

is on MSM and right wing pundits...

ive NEVER heard a liberal or someone on DU make the accusation that because she had 5 children it meant she wouldnt be able to be VP and a parent...

[bornskeptic]

63. And of course the article says they are criticizing the MEDIA.

Who suggested that a liberal said any such thing?

[iamthebandfanman]

78. the media, and right wing pundits n/t

[BlooInBloo]

33. It's tough having women of a certain sort demanding to play by "girls' rules"...

Women with any pride would speak out against that.

[Beetwasher]

35. Delete

[KansasElector]

36. Female Democrats Crossing Over

This is not a joking matter. I work with several women that have never voted for a Republican. They are outraged over the way Palin has been treated in the last two weeks. Two of them have already indicated they may vote for the McCain/Palin ticket. Another just removed her Obama 08 bumper sticker and replaced it with a Mccain/Palin sticker.

I asked her why and she said if Obama wasn't willing to put a woman on the ticket, she'd support someone that was.

[TorchTheWitch]

40. Then your co-workers are sexist

If they're basing their vote solely on gender regardless if it is for or against, that is the very definition of sexism. Did they not ever vote before because there was no woman on the ticket? Of course not... would never have entered their minds. Puting their support behind a woman who actively fights against equality for women for no other reason than because she is a woman is not only sexist itself but STUPID. She may as well put a bumper sticker on her car that says "Vote for the Vagina!" because that's exactly what her reasoning is. I would hope that you pointed out this blatant sexism and stupidity on their part.

[BlooInBloo]

42. It's funny because they're EXACTLY what Clinton supporters claimed black people were like.

[Cha]

70. Very well said..there's no accounting for some

people's stupidity.

[Kaleva]

41. My mother in law might sit this election out

or, for thhe first time in her life, vote for Palin (what's interesting is that she doesn't mention McCain)even though she's a Republican.

[AllentownJake]

44. Idiots

When birth control is no longer covered by insurance and abortion is illegal and Title IX is revoked you can ask them how sexist Obama was.

[nam78_two]

55. Seriously.nt

[nam78_two]

54. Some people really seem to treat this like it is the vote for the prom king or queen

So that is all it took for them to consider switching from Obama to Palin-McCain.
Yeah I can see how that must have been a simple switch given how similar Obama's and McCain's platforms are :sarcasm:

Have they thought about impact on Roe v Wade if we have McCain-Palin nominate many more arch conservative supreme court justices? Or perhaps, are they enamored of Palin's anti-choice platform? Or maybe they are delighted by the education reform a creationist VP will achieve?

I despise people like this-who treat something this serious as something they will cast a "spite" or "pique" vote for-how fucking stupid is that? "Oh I was so pissed by how mean people were to Sarah Palin, I have given up on my progressive values and am voting for a far-right, fundie nut-job ticket." Do they have any idea how important this election is? For not just this country? I really wonder how stupid people like this are-they really seem to live in a teen movie or something.

The level of maturity-immaturity really- on display -wow :puke:.

[AllentownJake]

43. I'm really getting sick of this

Hillary lost because her advisors were schmucks not because she is a woman.

[nam78_two]

46. Whatever-these people will do anything for some attention

I am not saying they are wrong about the fact that Palin shouldn't be picked on for her parenting or whatever, but frankly there are 20,000 things that I am more worried about/that are important to me, than whatever rhetoric Palin is facing on the campaign trail.

As a feminist, do I think it is sexist to ask a woman if she can juggle being a mom and having a strenuous job? Yes.
Do I think think this is the most important issue (or for that matter issue for women) out there? HELL NO. Having an anti-choice, fundie, anti-woman whack job like Palin as veep concerns me a helluva lot more than the question of whether Palin is facing some sexist rhetoric.

These people need to rewire their priorities :eyes:-my biggest priority is to get these insane, loathesome Repukes out of office come November-these people apparently are still stuck on post primary pique or something (and I am being polite here-having come across 2 of these PUMAs irl recently I have some much stronger language I would like to use to describe exactly what I think of them but I will refrain from doing that).

[AtomicKitten]

47. There are still some pesky high-level Clinton backers acting up.

They aren't helping on a number of levels. They are buying into and advancing this glaringly obvious bogus campaign tactic on the part of the McBush campaign AND are poisoning the well for any future Clinton aspirations in a demented two-fer.

[kwenu]

48. Looks like a vagina lacks a brain just as a penis lacks a brain.

When McCain appoints justices to the supreme court to overturn women's rights they can keep supporting Palin and McCain.

[BlooInBloo]

50. To a lot of people, anything is better than having a negro as President....

It's funny because white folks can't hide behind "benefit of the doubt" any more. :rofl:

[chill_wind]

56. Never mind going back to the coat-hangers. Don't you know The Mysogeny

of Tweety and K.O trumps everything?!!

[bornskeptic]

66. If you could read, you'd know that they are not supporting McCain and Palin.

Reading comprehension seems to be rapidly becoming a lostart on DU, this thread being a prime example.

[chill_wind]

74. Nor are they endorsing Obama. They are "holding off."

They state that at their site. Holding off for who? Hillary didn't get the nomination. Clock's ticking.

[Statistical]

67. How would that happen exactly?

How would that happen exactly?

Would the democratic controlled senate run by Harry Reid confirm anyone who wants to overturn Roe?

Since it takes 60 votes to confirm a justice that would take every single republican (even the few pro life ones) plus about 15 pro life democrats to cross over and confirm someone their party doesn't represent?

So how exactly would McCain overturn Roe again?

[kwenu]

69. How long do you think such a fight would be politically tenable? Seriously.

You may be able to get rid of a Bork but not for long.

[TheKentuckian]

49. Each and every soul that votes Republican

is an America hating piece of shit.

People that are suppose to know better, should be hung as traitors, not to the party but to the country and I am an opponent of Capital Punishment.
Rules are made to be be broken and BushCo. and the traitors should be strung up as the last use of an evil practice.

That's a few I can accept on the national conscience.

[IndianaGreen]

52. Let's go hunt us some PUMAs

They are enablers of GOP just like Lieberman

[madfloridian]

53. I need a "catharsis." Hillary supporters have worn my brain out.

Who will give me a catharis, a respite, a time out from hearing them?

[Ichingcarpenter]

62. I need a sex change after this thread

I'm convinced now, 'she is right!.



I really feel like an amoeba

[chill_wind]

58. "NOTE TO MSNBC - IT'S ABOUT TIME" - They assisted the Gophers.

"NOTE TO MSNBC - IT'S ABOUT TIME

They were two of the biggest perpetrators of sexist comments during this election - MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews - and now they have been dethroned from their anchor posts and returned to commentary roles at the network.

Their displays of extreme gender bias were not cited as even a factor in the reshuffling, but WomenCount heralds the move as a victory in the fight to stamp out sexism on the campaign trail. Our efforts specifically call on party leaders - or corporate chiefs, as the case may be - to “stop the silence” on sexism. Booting those in high-profile media posts is a good step.


(...)

Such a lack of recognition of their role in this year's sexist treatment of candidates proves our work is far from finished. Congratulate MSNBC for dropping Olbermann and Matthews but remind them we are still watching closely! We will forward your message."


read on:

http://womencount.org/blog

Note--- not a fooking word about bigotry/racism. Not a word about guys like paleo sexist/racist Buchanon.

[Ichingcarpenter]

60. bye, bye!!!!!

I love your vagina ......... I need to get a sex change now

[chill_wind]

61. lol-- ???

[Ichingcarpenter]

65. Well, either this is sardonic humor

or puma thread.

I don't get it!

[chill_wind]

71. It's about a pack of bull-shit artists who appeared to have aligned themselves

with the GOPhers with cries of mysogeny at MSNBC.

The bull-shit isn't that there hasn't been any sexism in the MSM this election season-- there is--- the bullshit is their priorities.

[autorank]

72. What a bunch of jack asses.

Is this a satire or something. Or is it the famous 'tipping of the hand?'

[glitch]

73. Thus proving the idea that women can't be assholes too is sexist. nt

[Dawgs]

79. Made up outrage.

Have they given any examples of this happening?