Note: This is not a gratuitous "Hillary-bashing" diary, but I am sure many Clinton supporters will disagree. I genuinely cannot understand how she thinks deriding those who vote for Obama in the primaries will come to her should she be the nominee in the general. Oh well. Slings and arrows away.
Dear Senator Clinton,
I am writing because I am a bit confused about your responses to Senator Barack Obama’s recent victories in the last week or so. You have said that certain states don’t matter, and now are saying certain voters do not matter in this nomination process.
Now, you may not read this post at all since this is posted on this blog, but I am going to go ahead anyway. You see, I am a member of this netroots community, which, I understand, you do not believe matters. I am also a woman, (which is a part of your core constituency, so I believe I matter), but an African-American (in which case, I guess I don’t matter), who lives in California (in which case, I do matter), but unfortunately for you, I voted for Senator Obama on February 5, (so I guess I don’t matter again.) You can imagine why I would be confused.
I am also concerned about reports in yesterday's New York Times about your campaign taking potentially "incendiary measures" to secure the Democratic nomination. Two scenarios have been discussed on this and other boards. One, is you will do whatever to secure the most "superdelegates," and have even taken to calling them something other than "superdelegates" so as to, I suspect, make this more palatable to Democrats in general, should Senator Obama win more pledged delegates, which I believe, reflects the will of the people. The second scenario that has been discussed at great length is your recent comments about seating the delegates in Michigan and Florida, two primaries that were stripped of delegates because they violated DNC rules.
Senator, as a citizen of this democracy, a Democrat (that had been a long-time supporter of your husband), and a person who has volunteered for a number of political campaigns, I find this deplorable. Not only does it fly in the face of the democracy we all hold so dear, but it is patently dishonest. I certainly understand your need for more delegates, but to subvert the will of the American people is something we Democrats agree that Republicans do, and have done, but not Democrats. Further, the DNC laid down the rules last year, and you as the presumptive frontrunner, agreed to those rules. I believe doing anything that violates those rules that results in an unfair advantage to yours or any other campaign would split our party in two on the scale of Gore v. Bush. Many of us ordinary folk feel that rules are rules and the rules as laid down by the DNC should be followed.
While some of us who are your supporters believe that awarding those Michigan and Florida delegates to you would be fair, there are many of us who believe it would not. We believe it would disenfranchise those citizens who did not vote because they knew the election would not matter, as no delegates would be awarded. As a matter of fact, I have a number friends, colleagues and family on both sides of the country, who would not only object to this, but would not support you in the general election should you become the Democratic nominee.
Now, I know some of your supporters will absolutely balk at this idea, because as we all know, a lot is at stake in this election. However, the very soul of our party would be torn apart. After seven years of a de facto dictatorship from an administration that never should have been (and probably did not win legitimately), I do not want the experience of another president whom I feel "stole the election." We as Democrats believe in winning elections fairly and squarely.
I know I will be derided and called a number of names on this board for expressing my concerns. Just the other day, a female colleague of mine (and a supporter of yours) accused me of sexism for not voting for you. I am many things; but as a woman of color, who has worked in a male-dominated profession for almost 18 years, a sexist is certainly not one of them.
I told my colleague that my reasons for voting for Senator Obama was due to your comments such as, "Iowa is for Iowans," the lawsuit in the Nevada caucuses (which I understand you did not file, but supporters of yours did and you did not object to), the comments of President Clinton before and after Senator Obama’s victory in South Carolina, and your comments about the states and elections you did not win. You have also recently said that caucuses are made up of "activists," who do not represent the general electorate.
Senator, as someone who has volunteered for many campaigns, I certainly do proudly consider myself an activist – and a member of the general electorate. Please correct me if I am wrong, but I, and many others on this board and elsewhere, are getting the distinct impression that if we do not vote for you, we do not matter.
I am supporting Senator Obama because he, like many Democrats, believe that every voice, every person who casts a vote, and every vote – no matter for whom the vote is cast – matters. He has not derided those who have not supported him – he has only worked harder to earn the support of a cross-section of voters, since this country is made up of all types of people – not one or two core constituencies.
I just wanted to let you know Senator that your comments about voters who do not support you are being perceived as insulting, divisive and demoralizing. Should you win the Democratic nomination, I fear your calls for "unity" of the Democratic party to elect you in November may ring hollow, and go unanswered. And unfortunately, you will have no one to blame for the consequences thereof but yourself.
Signed,
A Democratic, African-American, California Woman Who Matters (or not)