(Image Credit: Tom Toles, Washington Post)Listen to Butch Goddess Rachel Maddow on what we hereby declare the Matthews Effect in the New Hampshire Democratic primary:
Read James Wolcott's fantabulous deconstruction of "the Obama Love Train." Wolcott is not hostile to Obama (and neither is Roxie's World), but he is apoplectic on "the ugly spectacle" of media attacks on Clinton and on "the rah-rah gaga Beatlemania oozing out of the Huffington Post over Obama." To which we say: Amen! As June Star noted in this morning's post-primary phone consultation with Moose, nobody does high dudgeon like Wolcott, and the dude is higher than a kite in this post.
Finally, because my typist has to get out of the red chair and head into the office this afternoon, curl up and watch Clinton's victory speech one more time. You know you want to, and if you get a little choked up when she says, "I listened to you, and in the process I found my own voice," you know that no one here in Roxie's World will judge you for it. In fact, we'll nuzzle up close to your sweet little face and lick the tears right off your cheek. It's what we do here when tough girls cry. Peace out, beloveds. Embrace the day.
Hey, Roxie, your old pal checking in again. Just a quick note on New Hampshire. First, breathe deeply -- this is a long campaign. Am I the only one not surprised by the NH results? An Iowa caucus does not an election make, and there is a lot going on 'out there' around the red and blue, now purpling, states.
ReplyDeleteI disliked Clinton's air of inevitability all along, and I didn't like Obama's either coming out of Iowa. Just makes me want to say, whoa, now just hold on a minute! Kind of like NH just did, and Iowa before.
Mostly, I don't want to hear anymore about inspiration and tears and movements and hope and who is emoting more honestly than the next and who has the most experience. I want to hear about ISSUES, and that seems to be what a lot of voters are feeling.
Call me crazy, but I am less interested in the gender and race of candidates, and who has the best personal story, than in what candidates propose, specifically, to cool the planet, or start moving us towards living within the carrying capacity of the earth, or what to do about those little Iranian boats provoking our big Navy gunship, or whether or not they intend truly to remove troops from Iraq, along with the several military bases already built, and what they intend to do about the concentration of wealth in this country, and health care, and blah, blah, blah.
Mostly, I don't want to see Bill's pink face for a while saying angry things about Obama that will only help divide Dems (not to mention wanting to see Hillary stand on her own without the male prop), and I want to hear Obama say exactly what it is we should have hope about should he become president.
You see, Roxie, I've been around a long time, and I am not moved by politics anymore. Our problems are too dire. Politics should be about how to make government work for its people. So what I want to know specifically and practically from these people is how we are going to move forward in this unwieldy corrupt corporate-owned political system of ours.
Now, all that said, I want to mention the REAL story of this election so far -- the TURNOUTS! Can we talk about these record turnouts, the overflowing crowds at the rallies, the record number of voters and caucus participants? It almost feels like democracy going on out there!!
While Repubs put out the same old, same old, the Dems have two leading contenders that come from the centrist Democratic Leadership Council -- same old if ever there was same old. The Clintons have been leaders, chairs, and ideologues of the DLC right up to recent times.
Now, Roxie, here is what matters to me -- that all these folks participating in record numbers in these elections -- motivated by rage at what George W Shrub has done to this country over 7 years -- get the leadership they so earnestly want and need.
I am glad for this wide open race. It gives us all time to hold these candidates' feet to the fire, to make them address these concerns forthrightly, and tell us exactly how they are going to move us out of the mess that has been made.
That's my tirade for the day, old friend. We'll share more by the fire in a couple of weeks.
Margaret
www.ecologicalhope.org
Omigod! Roxie, did you read what Chris Matthews said this morning in the wake of Clinton's victory in New Hampshire? Here's the most egregious part:
ReplyDelete"I think the Hillary appeal has always been about the mix of toughness and sympathy. Let's not forget, and I'll be brutal, the reason she's a U.S. Senator, the reason she's a candidate for President, the reason she may be a front runner, is that her husband messed around...That's how she got to be a Senator from New York. We keep forgetting it. She didn't win it on her merit, she won because everybody felt, 'My God, this woman stood up under humiliation,' right? That's what happened. That's how it happened. In 1998, she went to NY and campaigned for Chuck Schumer as almost like the grieving widow of absurdity, and she did it so well and courageously. But it was about the humiliation of Bill Clinton."
Clinton didn't win her Senate seat because of her vast experience and drive to improve this nation. No. It was because Bill had the foresight to let Monica blow him! You see, he had planned it all along. It was the only way she could ever be a viable candidate! Here's the link: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/horsesmouth/2008/01/one_day_after_s.php
Then there's this piece from Daily Kos on Chris Matthews's Greatest Sexist Hits going back to 2005:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/9/15149/90400/455/433806
It comes complete with information for contacting MSNBC to tell them to dump this fatuous fat-head. Arise, loyal denizens of Roxie's World, and rid the mediascape of one more toxic waste dumper!