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You might remember I mentioned I managed to get my dh a ticket to go. Here are his thoughts about it. I'm posting b/c he doesn't belong to C-D.
Quote:
I had a blast. I actually got to meet Marcy Wheeler, a blogger who also wrote the book Anatomy of Deceit. A book I liked so much that I pre-ordered before it was even finished writing. I also got to meet Jane Hamsher from Firedoglake which was a huge kick.
Overall, I had an interesting time.
The high-points:
It was run pretty well. Despite things out of their control, the committee knows their stuff and were confident in their decisions. It was refreshing to see that because it shows that we really do have some good Democratic leadership in the DNC. Seriously, I clapped for everybody whether they were a Clinton supporter or Obama supporter.
Representative Joyner.... I liked her for awhile, and then I just wanted her to shut the f up and get to the point. Which she really didn't seem to have (to me) other than: F the rules, we've been punished enough, pretend like it never happened, and oh yeah, F the people who didn't vote because they were told that it wouldn't count.
Hillary did have one woman on the committee who was infuriatingly on her A-game. Alice Huffman. She was brutal, but pretty on-point with her assessments. I was truly impressed with her. I did not agree with her conclusions, but I did agree with her assessments. But through it all, she stuck with Hillary and that was what I liked to see. I believe she's the one that got Wexler riled up. Hoo, I'm glad she's on the winning side.
Wexler was impressive also. He knew his stuff and he also recognized that it was up to the committee to make a decision on whether to let the penalty stay as the committee had previously ruled, or whether to see the logic in coming to a compromise. That's the nature of politics, and it's really the nature of life. The one thing that bothered me about him getting angry was not really that he got angry, but the perception some may have gotten for WHY he got so angry. When Bill Nelson was asked questions by Obama supporters, and even neutral committee members, he dipped and dodged. He never once answered a question. We sat there in the audience, and by we I mean the Obama supporters and just shook our heads or quietly whispered to each other "What's the answer?" Now Wexler did a little dipping and dodging, and I think he was doing EXACTLY like everyone else in that he tried to answer the question but wanted to make sure he got his point across first. Hell, each question only came about after 3 minutes of rhetoric. Anyway, when Wexler swayed, the Hillary supporters were loudly yelling "ANSWER THE QUESTION!" so much that you couldn't hear anything that he was saying. At all. And so he got pissed. But, I think ultimately he handled himself well in the face of just rudeness. I really appreciated his response to Ickes continued references to Fair Reflection. He said something along the lines of, "I have no idea what you're talking about, Why don't you tell me WHAT Fair Reflection is?" Laughter, then silence. Priceless.
I only stayed around for the questioning part because I mean, DAMN. I'd only had a croissant and that was around 8:30 in the morning. It was 3:00 and I nobody had eaten. To hell with that. That, plus the the bad points are what clinched my deciding to bring it on back to the house.
The bad points:
I didn't have any issues with protesters or Clinton supporters on the way in. But once I sat down, it became apparent very quickly who where HRC and who where BHO. Quickly. I was surrounded by HRC, but in front and to my side were about 7-8 BHO. We were PACKED in. Tight, literally thigh to thigh. The woman to my right was a 60-70 year old White woman with about 8 Hillary buttons and stickers on her shirt. We introduced ourselves and she seemed nice enough, until she opened her mouth. She made the talking points writers very proud. Luckily, she chose to talk to the woman to her right who was also a 60-70 year old White woman. Unfortunately for the HRC lady, this woman was a BHO and she knew her *****. Oh, that was entertaining for about 30 minutes while I waited for the meeting to start. At one point the HRC lady (who kept referring to him as Barack Hussein ) actually used the words "young negroid man". To be fair, I wasn't listening to what she said before that so I don't know what the context was. So I left it alone. But the BHO lady just kept shooting her points down and really made me proud. Finally, the woman shut up and started stage whispering to the HRC folks behind her about "being in enemy territory". Huh?
The Clinton supporters around me, booed, hissed, and yelled things constantly. It's one thing to be gaveled because you're clapping and just aren't ready to stop clapping. It's another thing to be gaveled because you're doing the former actions when a committee member or speaker is speaking. It was impossible to hear at times, a matter that the HRC folks didn't care about until BHO supporters would comment on things to each other. Literally, these two women in front of me kept a loud ongoing conversation throughout the whole meeting about why what was being said was incorrect; but shushed the two BHO supporters next to them whenever they were trying to clarify to each other what was being said. When everybody started getting hungry around the Michigan part of the day, it just got much much worse. The HRC lady next to me kept repeating over and over in my ear that the committee members didn't want the delegates to be seated. Finally I just turned to her asked her why she kept saying that when it wasn't true. Every single person on the committee and every single speaker or presenter was adamant that they wanted to seat the delegates. She said something about unity to me and then started up on her neighbor.
The yelling when they were voting, which I thankfully wasn't there for, was just embarrassing. The attitudes of some of the Clinton supporters was just horrible, ESPECIALLY since their whole premise was that they wanted the delegates to be seated. That is what happened. Once again, the Clinton supporters moved the goal posts and showed their true feelings that I and many others have said from the beginning. It was BULLSHT what they were saying. It was nothing about the Florida and Michigan people and ALL about Clinton getting the maximum delegates and the terms that she wanted. That's it. Nothing more, and the evidence of that showed in the reactions of the Clinton supporters when the votes were held.
These people, BOOED and HISSED Alice Huffman, their strongest supporter on the Committee simply because she supported (as well as Harold Ickes) the Florida compromise. That's just petty, rude, and something I think does not belong in the Democratic party. It's going to take some real healing to get over this, and Hillary needs to lead the way.
My thoughts.
Last edited by NicoleJ; 06-01-2008 at 03:41 PM..
Reason: title
You might remember I mentioned I managed to get my dh a ticket to go. Here are his thoughts about it. I'm posting b/c he doesn't belong to C-D.
Good stuff, thanks. You know even I, a die hard Obama supporter, was surprised at the disgraceful actions of adult Clinton backers, they ought to be ashamed.
Why were they like that? They act the same way on any Hillary only message board as well and they are talking amongst themselves!
Answer...WOMEN! And more often then not, older women!
There you go...I said it! I am shameful I said it, but gosh darn it...it certainly seems true! These people are looking threw some very closed minded glasses! They say Obama supporters are drinking the Kool Aid...well what the heck are they drinking???
Sounds like a lot of fun. A friend of mine is a super delegate in the state of Washington and the story he told of the chaotic causeses where many of the people ended up being counted wrong was interesting as well.
I can only wonder - these who were there, don't they know their children and grandchildren are watching? Is this behavior REALLY what they want them to see and emulate? I do understand that millions of women want Hillary to go until the end, and show that women are strong and proud and able. Obviously, I get that. But do it with dignity. Many millions of her followers do so with grace and frankly, even as an Obama supporter, I admire that. But the crazed ones? Not so much.
I can only wonder - these who were there, don't they know their children and grandchildren are watching? Is this behavior REALLY what they want them to see and emulate? I do understand that millions of women want Hillary to go until the end, and show that women are strong and proud and able. Obviously, I get that. But do it with dignity. Many millions of her followers do so with grace and frankly, even as an Obama supporter, I admire that. But the crazed ones? Not so much.
But it's understandable that when Hillary was getting railroaded that her supporters became agitated as it was theier one and only last chance at the nomination. The DNC did to her what Bill did to female staffers. Of course, a little more dignity would have been better.
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) actually used the words "young negroid man". To be fair, I wasn't listening to what she said before that so I don't know what the context was. So I left it alone. But the BHO lady just kept shooting her points down and really made me proud. Finally, the woman shut up and started stage whispering to the HRC folks behind her about "being in enemy territory". Huh? 
