Big Disclaimer: I do NOT believe or mean to imply that racism is behind somebody supporting Hillary or McCain instead of Obama; there are several valid reasons to support either one due to political/economic/ideological reasons. (As an Obama supporter obviously I disagree with them, but I don’t believe or mean to imply that I think those who do so are morally or politically or intellectually benighted or whatever, just a difference of opinion.) That said…
Several pundits on both sides of the fence have labeled Obama and Clinton’s political platforms as virtually identical on most issues. I disagree with this- there are differences and some of them aren’t that minor imo- but it is pretty much inarguable that both Obama and Clinton are a lot closer to each other on the issues than either is to McCain. While I’m glad Obama is the nominee, I’ve said all along that if Hillary was chosen I’d have voted for her in November (not enthusiastically, but I would have), her anti-war stance being enough in and of itself before the other positions are added in; as for the economy (the really big issue) there are many things I like and dislike about both the Dem and Rep 2008 platforms, but for that another debate.
Yet many Hillary supporters have stated they will vote for McCain in November. (I’ll cite if anybody needs it, but I think anybody who keeps up at all with the news knows it to be true- a google search links to articles that run from 19% to 28%.) How can they possibly justify this other than by racism when McCain has exactly the opposite views of the candidate they championed and voted for? Do they honestly believe Obama’s going to appoint Jeremiah Wright/Louis Farrakhan/Father Phleger/his Kenyan step-grandmother/Bill Ayers etc. to his cabinet? Or that he really is Muslim or, because he doesn’t wear a @#$ed flag pin that he’s un-American (for we all know it’s impossible to be a good Christian without wearing a cross necklace or WWJD bracelet)? I’m honestly at a loss to understand it.
I’m aware that there are Obama supporters who said they’d vote for McCain over Hillary. I attribute this to a personal distaste for HRC more than sexism, and I still happen to think it’s nuts. (YOU’RE ELECTING 1/3 OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND NOT A FRIEND & NEIGHBOR! I don’t care if McCain’s the grooviest old dude since Fred Sanford and Grandpa Walton and Hillary eats raw liver she pulls out of the sheep herself, it’s ultimately policy.)
Personality-wise I just can’t understand though what Obama has done to have pissed off a supposedly significant number of people enough to jump the fence. He was far “nicer” than she was in general, certainly a lot more gracious, and he showed incredible restraint in the personal attacks when dealing with a woman who’s every move has been documented for more than 20 years. (He himself didn’t even say anything about the sniper incident.)
So, what are the incentives for HRC supporters to vote for McCain rather than Obama? And it’s not a rhetorical question- I’m really curious.
Well the difference between Hillary and McCain is that with McCain it’s actually true. Unfortunately he’s also crossed the 'Too old to be CinC" threshold also. If only he’d been elected in 2000.
Lots of women may feel that Hillary represented them better than either of the male candidates, but agree with McCain’s policies or campaign message.
Also, many of Hillary’s supporters might feel betrayed by the Democratic party for how the campaign turned out. The two states that got their votes penalized were both pretty favorably Hillary, and having their status up in the air for such a long time killed any momentum she might have gained from them early in the campaign. The party leadership has been increasingly calling on her to quit, and I can certainly understand how all of this combined would turn many of her supporters against the Democratic party in protest.
Sampiro: Obama has praised McCain on many occasions, even while trying to sharply define their differences. Hillary’s strategy in the statements you linked to was to point out that she could compete with McCain in areas that Obama can’t, like national security and experience. I don’t agree with her, but I think it’s certainly a valid strategy.
My parents are voting for McCain because they believe he will defend Israel better. They would have otherwise voted for Clinton because they think her husband did a good job when he was president.
Obama still hasn’t convinced them that he will be better for Israel than McCain.
Apparently they have no problem with the way things are in America and think it is more important for Israel to do better.
I think Obama is smart enough to know that he shouldn’t mess with the only democracy, and our strongest ally in the middle east.
Right. But in the reverse context, it can only be racism. No one is allowed to have a personal distaste for Obama without being a racist bigot. Gotcha.
Many people feel that among the most important traits of a president is their ability to deal with unforseen circumstances. They might not care that Obama and Clinton each presented similar plans or had similar stances on certain issues. It is my impression that most of the plans candidates outline as the platform they are running on never come to fruition (many times not their fault).
Take a look at Bush’s platform that he ran on in 2000 and compare it to what was actually accomplished. Also, his response to the WTC bombings including the mishandling of the war in Afganistan and the nation building attempts in Iraq will be his lasting legacy. Let’s compare that to a few of his quotes from his campaign:
And finally:
Bush sounds pretty damn reasonable in all of those quotes. In fact, I believe Gore took a more hawkish tone during the 2000 campaign. The lesson I think we can learn is that, sometimes, what a candidate says is bullshit. Maybe when a person wades through all the bullshit that Clinton, Obama, and McCain said during the campaigns, they find themselves liking Clinton the best and McCain as a better alternative than Obama.
Yes and Yes. How is that a straw man? The question is “How (other than racism) can Hillary supporters justify voting for McCain?”
The quite obvious answer is personal preference, just like it would be for any other candidate.
But for whatever reason, the OP doesn’t seem to acknowledge that option for Hillary supporters. If he did, then the hole point of the OP would be mute. Instead he implies they must be racist.
I have heard something similar from a few of my friends that support her - They like having the bullshit up front and center, and with Obama, they don’t know which is bullshit and which isn’t. And I think Obama does have some bullshit - just a ton less than every other candidate we’ve had for years.
I also think it’s a function of getting to know the candidates better. It’s easy for us to forget, but most of the country is just starting to pay attention now that the candidates from both sides have been decided on - and most of them won’t really pay attention until the conventions (or later).
As a Hillary supporter, who is now an Obama supporter I believe the “original” Obama supporters should do two things.
Stop stop berating Hillary this minute. It’s over. She quit already!
As usual Obama has the perspective, intelligence and class to handle his victory and graciously allow Hillary and her nearly 18 millions supporters a few days to wind down.
**Stop screaming racism every time someone says they’re voting for McCain. ** That is a very counter productive response to “I’m voting for McCain.”
And anything politically distasteful about him should have a similar flavor with Hillary since his policies are a whole lot more similar to her’s than they are to McCain’s.