I really didn't want to make this post, but...

[beandelphiki]

Y'know, once upon a time I truly didn't care who won the American election. (And by "once upon a time," I mean a few months ago.) I was fairly mystified by the ENORMOUS issue it has been on my friendslist. I honestly couldn't figure out why people were getting so worked up about it; I suppose that, post-Bush, people only want the best person they can in office. Yet I thought perhaps we ought to be celebrating more Bush's removal, and the strong possibility of ANY Democratic candidate winning. C'mon guys,, I thought, What on earth happened to, "Anyone But Bush?" Who remembers that?

I would have been fine, at that point, with either Obama or Hillary. Hillary in particular, as I prayed for years that she would run when the time came. The Clintons back in office? Seemed like a good idea to me.

At this point though, everything I've heard and read about Hillary's campaign has left SUCH a bitter taste in my mouth that, were I American and Obama was not an option, I don't believe I could bring myself to vote AT ALL. Her campaign thus far has exposed her as entitled, hypocritical, viciously back-stabbing and a sore loser. I'm far from impressed. Her behaviour has been deplorable. I'm deeply, DEEPLY disappointed in her - in a woman who I thought had backbone, who was worth admiring.

The Wright issue is the absolute FINAL STRAW for me. Tell me - tell me! - what the HELL is wrong with what this man is saying?!

I wanted to stand up and CHEER when I watched this, and if you didn't too, then tell me WHY.

And this, what's terribly wrong with this? What's terribly wrong with condemning the systematic racism of the country you live in?

Others besides me have said it all better, so I'm just going to link:

First, a very long article by Tim Wise, but worth the read if you found Wright's comments, well, shocking:

So that's the truth of the matter: Wright made one comment that is highly arguable, but which has also been voiced by white America's favorite black man, another that was horribly misinterpreted and stripped of all context, and then another that was demonstrably accurate. And for this, he is pilloried and made into a virtual enemy of the state[...]

An Open Letter To Senator Clinton From A Diverse Group of Religious Leaders.

There are those among us who support Rev. Wright and believe his comments were deeply misconstrued. There are others among us who reject his words outright, even in context.

But across these lines, we stand together, White and Black, Protestant and Catholic, Christian and Jew.

No candidate should use religion as a tool to divide the American people, as you have done today.


And finally, the thing that inspired this post: a few words from the current pastor of Hillary Clinton's former church (BEST. THING. EVER.):

"The Reverend Jeremiah Wright is an outstanding church leader whom I have heard speak a number of times. He has served for decades as a profound voice for justice and inclusion in our society. He has been a vocal critic of the racism, sexism and homophobia which still tarnish the American dream. To evaluate his dynamic ministry on the basis of two or three sound bites does a grave injustice to Dr. Wright, the members of his congregation, and the African-American church which has been the spiritual refuge of a people that has suffered from discrimination, disadvantage, and violence. Dr. Wright, a member of an integrated denomination, has been an agent of racial reconciliation while proclaiming perceptions and truths uncomfortable for some white people to hear. Those of us who are white Americans would do well to listen carefully to Dr. Wright rather than to use a few of his quotes to polarize. This is a critical time in America's history as we seek to repent of our racism. No matter which candidates prevail, let us use this time to listen again to one another and not to distort one another's truth."

(bolds mine)


Have at it, then. If you agree Wright's sermons are vile, please explain.

(Also, why is "Obama" not in lj's spellcheck at this point? Don't they ever update this thing?)

Comments

[hry2007.livejournal.com]

I 100% agree with you and am about two shits from a scathing post on my journal to basically say that Hilary and other straight women that rely on their husbands' careers for cred are lazy, unfeminist and benefitting from male privilege damn near as much as those with cocks themselves.

[hry2007.livejournal.com]

P.S. "Hillary ain't never been called a nigger" is damn hard to refute.

[beandelphiki.livejournal.com]

LOL yeah. Rather!

[cacahuate.livejournal.com]

iawtp!

[theclamsman.livejournal.com]

Her campaign thus far has exposed her as entitled, hypocritical, viciously back-stabbing and a sore loser. I'm far from impressed. Her behaviour has been deplorable. I'm deeply, DEEPLY disappointed in her - in a woman who I thought had backbone, who was worth admiring.

What the Hell, Bean? Did you ever even read any of my posts? HER behavior has been deplorable? Excuse me? What about Obama's? Using the fucking race card and then turning it around on the Clintons to portray them as racists? Do you even KNOW what you're being fed by the Obama loving media? hry2007's comment is also fucking ignorant bullshit spread by the MSM and has been built upon since the Republican Right Wing since Bill's been in office.

You make me so ANGRY with this post, as does hry2007's comment about Hillary's career based on Bill's. You guys don't know FUCK about Hillary and Bill Clinton, and it's sad that the fucking Obamatrons are parroting right wing Republican talking points in order to discredit her. Hot damn.

Here are some links to start with. If you care a damn about learning the facts, you'd read them.

http://www.freedomsenemies.com/_Obama/ObamaLies.htm (the retardedness of the website's name belies the actual list of things wrong with Obama)
http://lesstalkmoreactivism.blogspot.com/ A black gayboy sounds off on Obama (is a Hillary supporter)
http://justsaynobama.blogspot.com/ Another black man sounding off (a little more harsh) on Obama
http://www.blackagendareport.com/ Glen Ford has some excellent articles about Obama

As for Hillary Clinton, you will have to get your ass to the library like I did and check out the books. So far I've read two negative and and working on two positive books about the Clintons, focusing on Hillary. Even the negatively slanted books written by her foes have a wealth of information about her. But the gist of it is, this is not the fucking "rich white girl/poor black boy" scenario that Obamatrons would like to paint this crap as. Hillary's family was working class. She became politcally active in high school due to HER own spiritual mentor Don Jones. He brought her out of the sheltered mindset that all of her peers grew up as she (which was in a house in a well-to-do neighborhood financed by her step-grandfather because her parents were poor/working class); Jones took her youth group on field trips to "the other side" of Chicago. Jones took her to hear MLK speak and to shake his hand. He inspired her, as a high schooler, to become politically active for equal rights for all people. When she was in Wellesley she raised a stink about how there weren't enough black students or black profs. She challenged the guest speaker at commencement for being out of touch (despite Edward W. Brooke being the first AA to be elected by popular vote to the Senate). By the time Bill met her, she was already a wonk, and a mind that he admired. G-d forbid that a woman actually have something else to do in her husband's life other than sit at home "baking cookies"; the Clintons, from what I am reading, are the epitome of true partners in life.

And no matter what book I read, negatively or positively slanted, all of them say that she worked damned hard to get to where she is today. Fuck the media. Live up to your giftedness and do some reading, for G-d's sake.

[theclamsman.livejournal.com]

Here's another link, from an Obama supporter (yes, Big Tent Dem is an Obama supporter, but he's not an Obamatron) summing up what has been going on in the campaigns so far:

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/3/26/10312/3012

[hry2007.livejournal.com]

Wowy, look at all that piss and vinegar. Yay for personal attacks.

1) What exactly is wrong with Obama's race speech? In fact, what's wrong with Obama "pulling the race card," in general? Being a POC affects one's life greatly. You are a Democrat, right? It's just, I'm so used to hearing "race card" arguments from passively racist white Republicans, it's hard to tell...

Everyone remember the good old days when Democrats were the Big Tent party? That silly minority Obama forgetting his place...

P.S. Is linking black writers the new "I have black friends (to validate me)"?

2) You're right, Hilary was politically active in her early years. FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY! LOLZ, I still get a kick out of her being pissy that Nelson Rockefeller didn't get the nomination and flouncing the GOP.

By your own admission, her marriage is one of political strategy. Sorry that I don't trust that.

3) I agree with Gloria Stenheim that a women is held to a higher standard in political campaigns then men because the stereotypes associated with (white) women imply that we are not leadership material.

I hope you and I can agree that's absolute bullshit. Women can make excellent leaders. I just don't want a women (or man) leadering me that helped lead us into Iraq.

Oh, wah wah wah, I brought up Iraq. Yes I did. Iraq is why Kerry couldn't inspire enough young liberals to go to the polls. Iraq is what has utterly fucked our international reputation. And on a more personal note, Iraq is why my brother joined the Navy three years ago and hasn't spoken to the homo sister that basically raised him since.

4) The Clinton's are fair-weather friends of the queer community that initially benefited from the stereotype that black are more homophobic than whites. (In my experience, white homophobes just get more excuses made for them (All-American, traditional, etc).)

I haven't forgotten Don't Ask Don't Tell. I haven't forgotten the Defense of Marriage Act.

[hry2007.livejournal.com]

P.S. Hillary wouldn't be in the position she's if she hadn't married a straight white male. So yeah, she does benefit from that position of privilege.

[hry2007.livejournal.com]

P.S.S. Obamatron? I left politics after the 2006 cycle to focus on my career goals and personal life.

[beandelphiki.livejournal.com]

To begin with, I spent all of my junior high years reading books on the Clintons. So while I'm sure your readings are much fresher in your mind, I assure you I know the whole romantic (or seedy, depending on who's doing the telling) backstory of Bill & Hillary. I think Hillary has an enormous amount of grit, and it's part of the reason I liked her. I was hoping she'd run this election; if I was rooting for ANYONE, it was her.

I have spent weeks watching my friendslist explode over this, and mostly avoiding getting involved. I was willing to believe - am still willing to believe - that much of what was said about Hillary was spin. (And please don't link me to a bunch of sites on Obama's "lies." You and I know perfectly well I could do the same for the Clintons, and THEIR financial backgrounds, friendly ties, etc. Never MIND Hillary's blatant, easily exposed lies on the campaign trail thus far - when Sinbad (among others) can demonstrate you're full of shit, you don't have any credibility to speak of. Why take him to a country full of "incoming sniper fire?" Dude's not even an action hero!)

In the past few weeks though, she has, in my mind, crossed the line more than once:

-First her comments about Rev. Wright are not okay. Whatever views he's expressed elsewhere and at other times, I've seen nothing to indicate Hillary was addressing anything OTHER than what is contained in the clips above. And a criticism of white America's racism is so far from a description of female basketball players as "nappy-headed hos," that it's hard for me to imagine a greater gulf between the two. The fact that Hillary compared those two things is inexcusable. The fact that she slammed Obama's religious choices for and on top of that is inexcusable. The fact that she held herself up as more morally righteous by making that comparison and attacking him in that way is inexcusable.

...And if she has a major problem with Rev. Wright's comments that I linked above, well...perhaps Obama is in this for personal gain, but Hillary Clinton has, to me, clearly demonstrated a lack of the vision I'd want to see in a world leader. If I had the choice, that is. Which I don't (so this is a bit of a waste of your time). But whatever.

-Secondly, her comment that she and McCain have the experience to be Commander-in-Chief and Obama does not was not okay. First of all, the only experience that I think TRULY prepares you for presidency is presidency, and none of the candidates have that - First Lady is not the same thing. But even if it were completely true, even if she and McCain had both each served a term and Obama had not, you STILL do not throw you fellow party candidate under the bus like that. That was also inexcusable.


Those two actions combined have convinced me she's willing to say anything at all, and I'm not at all okay with that. Mud-flinging is one thing, but I have yet to see anything from Obama's campaign I'd consider on par with these things. And if there is something, then there truly are NO winners in this race, and that's depressing.

[beandelphiki.livejournal.com]

Also, two things:

1) I responded to Hry's comment above because I found it funny; nothing more or less. I have never thought that racism trumps sexism, nor did I intend to imply that I did. I just found her comment funny. (However, for, "Hillary ain't never been called a n****r," I give you Ferraro's idiotic, "I really think they're attacking me because I'm white.")

2) Your links - I read them all, and collectively, they reveal a pretty opportunistic view on your part. One condemns Obama for not challenging white American racism; another condemns him because of his connection to a pastor who dared to suggest the U.S. is racist AT ALL! What the hell, JaCk?! You can't have your cake and eat it, too.

Fact is, Obama is in nothing BUT a lose-lose position if he accommodates any one position too much. He will lose an enormous amount of support if he's harder on white racism in this race; he loses support for appearing to place white racism above eliminating oppression. But if he IS an agent of change re: racism (which I'd doubt because politicians generally aren't, but GOD KNOWS Hillary's not!), he STILL will never have any opportunity to change anything if at least some white people won't put him in office. You can't condemn him for being two-faced; this race REQUIRES HIM TO BE two-faced.

So seriously, if you really want to hate him for his position on racism, pick your position in the first place. Is America racism-free and full of daisies, and Obama is a horrible threat to the nation for associating with a charismatic "Kill Whitey" cult(ish) leader? Or is America racist, and Obama a pussy for not telling it's people like it is, and refusing to back the man who's telling the truth?

[theclamsman.livejournal.com]

P.S. Wright shares his bed with Farrakhan, and Farrakhan is a fucking racist and anti-Semite. That's what I have to say about that part of it.

[beandelphiki.livejournal.com]

That may be, but I have only addressed the comments which have been circulating widely in the media thus far.

I find it silly that it even needs to be addressed. "He's a mentor of mine, but I don't agree with everything he says," is really all Obama should have had to say to put the issue (largely) to rest. (Other than, perhaps, "Well, what parts DID you agree with and why?") The general hypocrisy here is amazing - hell, I know tons of white people go to the same damn church every week whether they agree with their pastors on every point or not.

Interestingly, by following the links you gave me, I discovered that Rev. Wright has publicly disassociated himself from Farrakhan's beliefs. It's Six Degrees of I'm Not With That Guy Separation.

[siegeengine.livejournal.com]

amen. Criticizing your own country's systematic racism... indeed, criticizing your own country *at all* is, I believe, one of the most *patriotic* things a person can do. Going along with the nation or with any leader, when they are going down the wrong road, is just inexcusable, imho.

Clinton seems desperate, and is using any trick in the book she can to call attention back to herself, because Obama's campaign had such incredible momentum and support.