5 thoughts on “Make It Stop, II”

  1. Also: if you look at the polls, there aren’t really all that many ‘PUMAs’; the overwhelming majority of Clinton’s supporters are now saying they’ll vote for Obama, including about half of the ones who were saying a month ago that they wouldn’t. The bitter-enders are too few to be a significant force in the election. Articles like this are just stirring up shit for the sake of stirring up shit.

  2. Well…here’s one perspective from a 40 something white woman who first supported Edwards, then Obama. I never supported Clinton’s candidacy as much as I *wanted* too because every time I looked at the issues, how she voted, what she said, there were too many elements I was uncomfortable. Still, had she won the nomination, I would be voting for her, just as I am with Obama.

    That said.

    Looking at Rachel’s post, point numbers 4, 5 and to a certain extent, 11 I would say are very important points without one bit detracting from the reponse you also quoted. We have an immense need for discussion of both racism and sexism. Neither trumps the other, and that’s really the very important point being overlooked in both links, really.

    We had an amazing historic race in that *both* contestants were not white males. As a result there are very pertinent issues raised by the presence of *both* of them in the race and I for one am very troubled by the sexism and vitriol directed at Clinton (and by extension to many of her supports), *just* as I am by the racism and vitriol directed at Obama. And by the way, anyone notice *both* the sexism AND racism directed at Michelle Obama?

    In the end this isn’t so easy to tell either side to STFU. Although, *anyone* threatening to vote for McCain as a result is just going too far.

    Oh, and one last point. Remember how I said I supported Edwards and then Obama? On another forum that I frequent very regularly, where the participants were aware of whom I supported, it was quite amazing for me to see, anytime I pointed out examples of sexism toward Clinton, how *immediately* I’d be bashed as a “clintonista.” I mean, it was just amazing. I could practically preface each post with “I support Obama; however – ” and I’d still be so bashed. An eye opener, indeed.

  3. An eye opener, indeed.

    There was craziness and bad behavior on both the Clinton and Obama sides. But I kept running into the phenomenon of prominent blogger – Clinton supporters who continually complained about the bad behavior coming from the Obama side but would not own up to bad behavior on their own side. And, of course, if you looked at the candidates themselves the smears and meanness were mostly coming from just one side.

  4. Yes, which is why I ultimately went with Obama. (Remember that old Clinton — Bill — quote which went something like if one candidate is talking about your hopes and the other about your fears, you should vote for the former??) But I was talking about all of it, the media included, which isn’t and shouldn’t be forgotten, or glibly dismissed.

  5. There’s no doubt that these effects can be documented but in this day of sensationalized infotainment my radar goes up whenever stories are predominantly anecdotal. Is it just that this phenomenon is so interestingly irritating that we excuse the absence of any attempt, or perhaps obligation, to assess the extent.

    Untl that’s done aren’t we just talking hot air?

    Any small group of women with Puma T-Shirts will get national attention, plain and simple. But the cited article seems to have moved on to more entertaining questions such as “will they come around?” without regard to their numbers

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