 |
Sat Jul 04 2009 | |||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
Departments Election Issues Letter to Hillary: remember when John McCain slimed your daughter by Paul Rogat Loeb April 17, 2008 Dear Hillary, Reasons abound why you should do all you can to defeat John McCain—but for you, it should be personal. Maybe you've forgotten in the heat of the Democratic contest. But remember McCain's cruel joke about your daughter, when Chelsea was 18 and vulnerable. This alone should give you every reason to stand against McCain—and nothing to boost his chances. McCain made the joke at a 1998 Republican Senate fundraiser. "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?" he asked. "Because her father is Janet Reno." Chelsea was a lovely young woman then, and is even lovelier now. But when you're 18, an attack like that can be deeply wounding. It's outrageous for McCain to slime an innocent young woman who'd done nothing to offend him—just to throw red meat to a Republican crowd. It would be bad enough had McCain's joke targeted only Janet Reno and you, feeding the misogynist myth that any assertive woman must be gay. But as adults, both you and Reno could recognize the nasty joke as reflecting solely on the man who made it. Sliming teenage Chelsea like that, however, crossed a fundamental line—a line that I’m sure matters for you and Bill as parents. Sure, McCain apologized after a flurry of media coverage, but talk of that sort is cheap. It's like his using the excuse that he'd had a long day, after telling his own wife at a 1992 campaign event: "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." That was his public response to her teasing him about his thinning hair. But the Chelsea “joke” was from a prepared text, not accidental. It's a window into McCain's cruel side. Your lovely daughter was the target of his abuse. You should want to defeat McCain for other reasons too. He pushed strongly for the 1998 bill supporting Iraqi "regime change," said the country's people would greet us as liberators and has no problem with our staying as occupiers for a hundred years. He thinks it's fine to do little or nothing about people whose homes are being foreclosed on, fine for Bush to have vetoed a bill banning waterboarding, and fine to joke about bombing Iran. The Children's Defense Fund rated him the worst senator in Congress for children last year, and he got a zero rating from the League of Conservation Voters. He voted against a Martin Luther King holiday and gave the commencement address at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University after Falwell claimed the 9/11 attacks happened because God was angered by the gays, lesbians, feminists, abortionists, the ACLU, and People for the American Way. Any of these should be reasons enough for voters to reject him. But you should also have an intensely personal reason: McCain can be decent and charming, but he also has a mean streak—one he exercised at the expense of your beloved only child. Please remember McCain's ugly actions and words between now and November. Don't let their import dissipate in the passion of the Democratic contest. It must be difficult to have envisioned your making history as America's first women president, with the chance to lead the country toward your most passionate heart-felt goals—and then to see the nomination steadily slip away. I'm sure you're frustrated and angry that after withstanding all the right-wing assaults, you may miss the electoral prize. But think of your daughter and dedicate yourself from this point forward to defeating McCain. It's your right to keep running; but stop attacking Obama in your speeches, your ads, and your surrogates’ statements (including those of Bill). A few weeks ago, you whipped up a crowd to boo Obama in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. You stood by and said nothing while Machinist Union head Tom Buffenbarger used recycled lies to dismiss his supporters as "latte-drinking, Prius-driving, Birkenstock-wearing, trust fund babies." You said you and McCain had enough experience, while Obama had nothing but "a speech he made in 2002." You and your surrogates are taking an accurate point Obama raised about anger in economically devastated communities, and caricaturing it with classic Republican talking points tarring him as an out-of-touch "elitist." You may feel these attacks are just politics (“the fun part,” in your words), and that Obama's gone after you just as harshly. But remember, your words have an impact. At my Washington State caucus, Obama supporters listened respectfully while your spokesperson made her pitch. Then your supporters heckled and booed the Obama person, and several even turned their backs. You've seen the recent Gallup poll, taken mostly before Obama's Philadelphia race speech, where 28% of your supporters say they'd vote for McCain in November if Obama is the nominee (as would 19% of Obama's, were the situation reversed). As the pollsters pointed out, people often give similar responses during intensely fought primaries, and then shift back in November. But I've gotten far too many emails from your supporters that dismiss Obama's strengths using the very words and themes your campaign has stressed, like saying they mistrust a candidate "who's done nothing in his life." These responses may be just a way to vent for those who see their own dreams of America's first female president at least temporarily snatched away. I trust most will come around by November, whoever is the Democratic nominee. But not all will. And the more you conduct a scorched-earth campaign, the more the likely defections. If past campaigns are any guide, you won't be able to turn on a dime and erase the rancor at the last minute. So keep on through the final primary if you think it makes sense. But remember what John McCain did to your daughter. And make clear in every public statement that you'd give Obama your full and enthusiastic support if he ends up the nominee. Keep your ads focused on your own strengths, and tell your surrogates to do the same. You can certainly ask this as well of Obama, who's said repeatedly that he'd back you energetically if he lost. Then let the delegates make their choice. If you aren't the winner, take a well-deserved vacation, then come back and campaign as hard (well nearly as hard) for an overall Democratic victory as you did for the presidential nomination. After all, the broader the Democratic victory, the more you can accomplish in the Senate. That would be the best response to McCain's cruel and capricious assault on Chelsea. It would also be the best possible way to move toward a future you'd be proud to have your daughter inherit. --- Paul Rogat Loeb is the author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, named the #3 political book of 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association. His previous books include Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time. See www.paulloeb.org To receive his articles directly email sympa@lists.onenw.org with the subject line: subscribe paulloeb-articles Email this article to a friend |
Don't forget to check out articles from 2008 and 2009
"Why Al Franken should NOT be riding private planes"
December 23, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"The suspicious, disturbing death of election rigger Michael Connell"
December 20, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Last US House seat filled on grave of stolen 2004 election"
December 9, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"What happened this year in Ohio"
December 1, 2008
Pete Johnson
"Imaginary numbers persist in our presidential elections"
November 22, 2008
Richard Hayes Phillips, Ph.D.
"The GOP attack on democracy continues in Ohio"
November 19, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"The 2008 Presidential election: a preliminary analysis"
November 19, 2008
Richard Hayes Phillips, Ph.D.
"Election protection in Ohio (and America) isn't over"
November 17, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Recount fictions in Virginia's Fifth"
November 9, 2008
David Swanson
"The Pits: Georgia's GOP swipes the Peach State"
November 6, 2008
Greg Palast
"Grant Park on Election Night"
November 5, 2008
Joan Brunwasser
"Can the grassroots Internet-based election protection movement win the White House?"
November 3, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"How and why I just voted"
November 2, 2008
David Swanson
"No time for Nader: A letter to Nader McKinney voters"
November 2, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"'Vote stealing imperils democracy': former Montague resident charges election manipulation"
November 2, 2008
Richie Davis
"Will this Presidential election be stolen? It didn’t happen by chance..."
November 2, 2008
Channing Redditt and Amy Maldonado
"The time has come"
October 30, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Beware the Twin Towers of electronic election theft "
October 30, 2008
Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
"Sarah Palin and the new Apostolic reformation"
October 28, 2008
Russ Bellant
"Antidotes to complacency: four reasons to act"
October 28, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Redesigning democracy"
October 22, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"A McCain "win" will be theft: resistance is planned"
October 21, 2008
David Swanson
"Critical US Supreme Court ruling against Rovian GOP vote meddling may prove temporary"
October 20, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Our national juncture"
October 17, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Suppression"
October 17, 2008
Joe Rothstein
"Cuyahoga's witch hunt"
October 13, 2008
Victoria Lovegren, Ph.D.
"Videos from Ohio Election Protection Conference"
October 12, 2008
Free Press Staff
"The Palin-Biden debate: high time to move beyond clichés"
October 11, 2008
Ramzy Baroud
"Struggle: A Documentary"
October 10, 2008
Roger Hill
"GOP attacks on American voters turn desperate, ugly and dangerous"
October 10, 2008
Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
"Warming to Palin"
October 8, 2008
David Swanson
"Brace yourself"
October 8, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Cindy, Charlotte, and our Constitution"
October 8, 2008
David Swanson
"Rainbow PUSH Coalition registers 2090 new voters this week"
October 6, 2008
Lauren Love
"Big presidential vote count error found and fixed in New Mexico"
October 6, 2008
Steven Rosenfeld
"Ohio 2008 opens with a subpoena, a surge and calls for election protection"
October 1, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"North Carolina: The new Ohio?"
September 30, 2008
Christopher Bifani
"Foreign policy debate all about war"
September 29, 2008
David Swanson
"Be a poll worker and save American democracy"
September 26, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Why hurricane Ike demands paper ballots on November 4"
September 17, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Death becomes her: let's make her our president"
September 15, 2008
Jason Miller
"Ten ways the McCain/Palin GOP is now stealing the Ohio vote"
September 9, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"John McCain: Morally, mentally, and emotionally unfit"
September 8, 2008
Jim Fetzer
"Logical consequences"
September 4, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Rovian politics chose Sarah Palin"
September 3, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Shocking choice by John McCain "
August 31, 2008
Robert Dewey
"Ron Paul endorsement of Don Young "shocking and disappointing""
August 27, 2008
Richard A. Viguerie
"The DNC platform: belief you can change in"
August 10, 2008
David Swanson
"Obama doesn't sweat. He should."
July 29, 2008
Greg Palast
"Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. applauds Sen. Obama’s speech before the NAACP"
July 16, 2008
Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
"Three key ways YOU can help protect the 2008 election"
July 3, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Colleges, voter registration, and a historic opportunity: a more detailed proposal"
June 19, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Obama must learn from Kucinich's election theft impeachment"
June 11, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Clinton only needs 153% of remaining delegates"
June 1, 2008
David Swanson
"The buried Florida story: why campaigning matters"
May 31, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"The myth of Clinton's popular vote lead"
May 29, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Did the Limbaugh effect also flip Michigan?"
May 29, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Edwards just put Obama over the top"
May 15, 2008
David Swanson
"Did the Limbaugh effect also flip Michigan?"
May 14, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Obama-Clinton funny math: Guam update"
May 4, 2008
David Swanson
"Did the US Supreme Court deliver the Indiana Primary to Hillary Clinton?"
May 2, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Did the US Supreme Court just elect John McCain?"
April 30, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"The 2008 election will be stolen"
April 19, 2008
David Swanson
"The done deal"
April 18, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Letter to Hillary: remember when John McCain slimed your daughter"
April 17, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Fire and race"
April 3, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Keep the Republic"
March 27, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"What it's all about..."
March 25, 2008
Sheila Samples
"Can SuperDelegates stop the scorched earth campaigning?"
March 24, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"An election without meaning"
March 23, 2008
Peter Phillips
"We have a dream"
March 23, 2008
Phil Tajitsu Nash
"Hope, change, and pissing in the wind: "Of Obama, Democrats, and the Power Elite""
March 19, 2008
Patrice Greanville and Jason Miller
"Ohio's voting machines are now an official crime scene"
March 17, 2008
Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
"Did Republicans give Hillary her victory in Ohio?"
March 8, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Primary day at the polls in Columbus, Ohio"
March 5, 2008
David S. Lewis, National Affairs Editor
"Obama & Clinton: who's more likely to confront global warming?"
March 4, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"If you think Karl Rove is evil, make phone calls today"
March 4, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Obama's talking points"
March 1, 2008
Gregg Gordon
"Adventures in inaudible audio with Senator Barack Obama"
February 27, 2008
David S. Lewis, National Affairs Editor
"Attention all voters: this is a must-see video"
February 26, 2008
Free Press staff
"On the campaign trail in the Buckeye State stalking the candidates: John McCain"
February 24, 2008
David S. Lewis, National Affairs Editor
"Will Clinton's advisors tell her the hard truths?"
February 22, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"How much damage will Clinton do before she folds?"
February 22, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"The Hillary nutcracker"
February 21, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Behind Obama's wave of victories: the more they know him….."
February 17, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Hillary's hawks -- How Obama's and Clinton's advisors mirror their stands on the war"
February 11, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb, introducing a Stephen Zunes article
"Poll shows John McCain faces tough road in gaining conservative support"
February 11, 2008
Richard A. Viguerie
"The Obama Factors"
February 11, 2008
Todd Huffman
"Vote against Clinton"
February 4, 2008
David Swanson
"Why this Edwards voter Is now backing Obama"
February 2, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Liveblogging Obama v. Clinton v. CNN"
February 1, 2008
David Swanson
"It's all about Hillary, not her party"
January 29, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"The South Carolina you won't see on CNN - South Carolina primary colors: black and white?"
January 26, 2008
Greg Palast
"The South Carolina you won't see on CNN - South Carolina primary colors: black and white?"
January 26, 2008
Greg Palast
"Conspiracy theorist"
January 24, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Hillary Clinton's sleaze parade "
January 20, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Bob & Harvey's 3-Step "Ohio Plan" for fair and reliable voting and vote counts"
January 16, 2008
Bob Fitrakis & Harvey Wasserman
"Media misses story: Obedwards wins New Hampshire"
January 11, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Primary concerns"
January 10, 2008
Robert C. Koehler
"Clear evidence of widespread vote fraud in New Hampshire"
January 10, 2008
Paul Joseph Watson
"The Kudzu Effect: The Voting-Industrial Complex chokes our democracy"
January 6, 2008
Sheri Myers, Bob Fitrakis and Harvey Wasserman
"Still true to ObEdwards: Why I keep donating to both Edwards and Obama"
January 6, 2008
Paul Rogat Loeb
"Clinton campaign office re-occupied by peace activists on day of Iowa voting"
January 4, 2008
Mike Ferner
Read Articles by Year:
2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000
All content © 1970-2009
The Columbus Free Press
Disclaimer