Is it me? Am I just a cranky dame? Ready for Hillary sent a link to the photo gallery of their rallies so far. In the sidebar, I see this.
“I dedicated nearly two years of my life working for President Obama and we achieved victory. Now, it’s time for Hillary. All her life, she has fought for opportunities for all Americans and now it is our time to fight for her. I’m ready.”
Kouri Marshall, State Director for Obama for America, 4/27/13
It makes me wonder how people who have dedicated more than five years working for and supporting Hillary Clinton feel when they see this.
First of all, for me, there is something fundamentally wrong. “We achieved victory.” Really? Where is the victory in a health care bill with no single payer option? That was the first thing Obama dropped without a fight. The extension of the “Bush” tax cuts for millionaires could properly be called Obama tax cuts now. Pyrrhic victory.
Next on the agenda are cuts to the FDR and LBJ social safety nets. It was Obama who put the chained CPI on the table. This will reduce cost of living adjustments for recipients of social security who have, in good faith, paid into this program all of their working lives. This is part of his plan for a “grand bargain.”
What is the definition of “now?” Now we have to go through four more years of Obama.
There is a core group here at this blog also connected via Facebook and Twitter who have been together since 2008. We worked for Hillary. We are part of the popular vote that she won in 2008. We are her 18 million and have been for her ever since. We did not need to get ready. We have always been here.
So “now” is finally Hillary’s time? They do not really mean now. They mean 2016. That is not now. They mean after the next four years of Obama.
It rubs me the wrong way to go to a pro-Hillary website and see a picture of Obama and David Pflouffe celebrating one of Obama’s 2008 victories – very likely a caucus win since Hillary took so many primaries.
It rubs me the wrong way when those who were so exasperated that Hillary would not drop out of the 2008 primaries now push her to run – not last year – no. Not until 2016. That, they have decided, is her time.
When I hear Howard Fineman tell Chris Matthews that his tactic to get her to run would be to lay “the guilt trip” on her – remind her of the history she must make and all of the women who want to see her do this, I feel like he is using me against Hillary. It is a women’s coalition he has constructed in his mind, and I am not in it. It is a low blow. I would never lay a guilt trip on Hillary.
Who are all of these people who are finally ready for our Hillary? I wonder. When I look at their CVs, they were all Obama people, some so vocally. The grand majority of them were not only not ready for Hillary when we were but were vehemently against her.
Hillary has not changed. She has matured. We all have. She has gained additional experience, but her principles and issues have remained intact and in some cases perhaps deepened. We saw all of that in her when she was First Lady, when she was Senator, and when she was on the trail in 2008.
Some of us have to wonder why it took so long for these others to be, finally, ready, and then, in pushing her cause, the qualification is that they got Obama elected. “Now” it is Hillary’s turn? Her time? This from people who missed the boat in 2008 and saddled us with Obama. smh
On one hand, we have Obama supporters who were anti-Hillary in 2008, but want her to be POTUS in 2016. At the same time, so many people who claimed to be for Hillary in 2008 are now right wing Teapublicans. I just can’t wrap my brain around it all. I am also dealing with some major trust issues here.
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Her time was 2008, when all these people aligned with Obama.We will never forget! Today I saw an article which said over 60% of Dems are demanding HRC to run in 2016. Demand really? Really?
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I am with you both, Jen and SFH. The horrid, disrespectful treatment in 08 will never be forgotten, yet this is not about being bitter. As I think you are both inferring, when you have lived on the planet for a while, you learn that someone’s character does not alter with time. Anyone who denigratede you with filthy names a few years ago in order to get their way is going to rear up and treat you just as badly at the first sign of an ill wind. Character is as character does.
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Thank you, Ani. I was worried that I was just being bitter, but you are right. A snake may change its skin, but it is still a snake.
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This is totally – well not really totally – o/t, but I wanted to say “Congratulations, Ani, on the anniversary of your publication!” I am always honored that you come here and comment so thoughtfully.
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Here is the article, http://www.politicususa.com/poll-finds-democrats-demanding-hillary-clinton-run-2016.html
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Democrats – Americans for that matter – have no right to demand another minute of service from Hillary Clinton. She has given more service than most Americans making this demand many times over. They want her to come in and fix what amounts to 16 years of mess. They chose Obama over the person who could have salvaged things in 2008. The nerve of them to demand!
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Hi Rumana,
I fervently hope that Hillary runs, but because she wants to, not because she’s forced to do it. On the other hand, no one forces Hillary to do anything she doesn’t want to do.
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Further to this, there are people already saying they are getting sick of hearing all this Hillary-mania. So I am not sure why people are so busy drowning us with her name and 2016 so soon — is it possible that is meant to backfire?
Or, to put a positive spin on it, enough people are already so discontent w/Prez Obama that they just couldn’t wait any longer to look ahead to who they think will be better…
what say you?
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I think there are individuals within both camps. The problem is sorting out who has a sincere interest in Hillary 2016 vs. who might be trying to bring down her campaign before it even gets started.
I agree that the “demand” language goes too far. This is Hillary’s life; nobody has the right to demand anything from her.
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Ani, I have also thought that all of this is on schedule to peak too early, crash, and burn. I think some of the players do have this in mind and will pull out a bright, shiny, new candidate later. I saw a post at Hillary is 44 that agreed with this idea, and I have no illusions that this could be the agenda of some.
If people in this camp were really so discontent with Obama, why was this effort not begun in 2010 for 2012?
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I don’t trust the Democratic Party; I’m suspicious that all this Hillary mania is to get her supporters excited and ready to vote for the democrats in 2014 with the hope that she will be the nominee and then President and she would have the majority in Congress.I think as always , is about them and not about Hillary and her supporters. They’re using her name for their plans, and in 2016 is very much possible they would support someone else but her.The good thing is that she knows better and in the mean time, it will help her book, her speech circuit, her movie RODHAM ,and is great that she could feel all the love and admiration that she inspires!!!!
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Interesting post and comments. I agree with much of what has been said here. I too am leary of the peak too early, crash, and burn…pull out a bright, shiny, new candidate later.
Jen, this is priceless: On one hand, we have Obama supporters who were anti-Hillary in 2008, but want her to be POTUS in 2016. At the same time, so many people who claimed to be for Hillary in 2008 are now right wing Teapublicans.
No one’s going to demand or guilt anything out of Hillary. She will do what she wants to do. I know what I want, but am reconciled to the fact that she might not want the same thing.
We are here. We have her back, whatever it is she wants to do.
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Absolutely, Sophie. “We have her back, whatever she wants to do.” We are and will be here.
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Amen, everybody! The “demand” thing really bugs the crap out of me. In 2008, they “demanded” she get out. When are people going to get that every woman is not your mommy from whom you can “demand” your laundry or a sandwich. Hillary is not here to be used for their purposes.
This is also indicative of the fact that Obama is so narcissistic, he has not even bothered developing a bench. Remember his comment before the 2010 midterms when the DNC was worry about getting shellacked…he said, But no, you’ve got ME.”
In re 2016, Hillary is not only the best they have, she is ALL they have. Damn — I think I feel a post coming on.
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I know how that feels. If that post spills out, please link it here.
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stll4hill,
I’m glad you brought this up and agree with you and the others here. I do NOT like seeing all those pictures and quotes of Obama, Pflouffe (ugh!) and all whenever I visit the site. I’m wondering why the person in charge of running the site feels this approach is necessary. It’s a turn off. Do they feel they have to “convince” the Obama people that it’s now cool to support Hillary, because “these” people do? Or, is it that whoever is in charge of running the site is just a big Obama supporter who needed a job…Whatever the reason, it definitely rubs me the wrong way, and is not what I expected to see from the two Hillary supporting women who started the PAC…(or was it one woman and one man)? Whatever..
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I think they have left communications in the hands of kids who were 14 in 2008 and have no clue. Maybe they know how to code and were brought on for that? Nah! You haven’t really needed to know how to code since 2004 when they were 10. There is no supervision over there.
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True. Unfortunate.
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Will do, SFH (to your suggestion above). Just trying to scrape together a few hours to write it!
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When you get a chance….
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Looking forward to it.
Happy Book Anniversary!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
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YES!!! 😀 😀 😀
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I vote for going forward. I’m not crazy about some of the people mentioned in the initial post as well. However, we are who WE are because of one of the finest and smartest woman who we would love to have as our next President. So I vote we move F O R W A R D.
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I must say I agree with you but very much disagree with you. I voted for Hillary as Senator in New York (twice) and I voted for Hillary in the 2008 primary and I would have voted for her in 2012 had she run against Obama or against anybody and I will vote for her in 2016 if she so chooses to run. I was ready for Hillary and I still am ready for Hillary and I will stand with everybody else who is still ready for Hillary. As Hillary said I supported Obama in 2008 and I supported him in 2012 and I am very comfortable with that and the job President and Hillary have done around the world while she was SOS. I enjoy your website but please don’t get it confused because I have not left Hillary’s side since the day she became my Senator in New York in 2001…… I will support your website as I always have but do not put me with them you and with the others. There is no we or us or you and them because we are one and we will all stand behind Hillary and support her in anything she does. We are all READY for Hillary everyday and that is what matters. Don’t draw the lines because you won’t accomplish anything by doing that.
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Well, Hillary does not own my vote. I do, so I vote my conscience which means I have just kept on voting for her.
Obama’s policies have been a disaster. There is an us and them, and he has been the best alternative to McCain and Romney that the Republicans could have hoped for. Perhaps better than they might have been.
Successes the Obama administration had in foreign policy in the first term I am going to lay at Hillary’s feet. She worked hard to get New START (that was huge). I can’t even begin to enumerate. It’s all here on this blog – every treaty, MOU, strategic dialogue and agreement. It is all here. It is all hers.
But the party does not play a clean game, and we saw that in 2008. Some of us have good reason not to trust them.
We love Hillary, her policies, ideas, plans. We do not want to see her set up as a bait dog to be savaged another time. Judging from the behavior the party has displayed in the past, some of us foresee another time.
She has done all that she owes and more.
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There are loyal Hillary supporters involved with the SuperPAC. I do trust them because they have earned my trust. Harold Ickes in particular was on our side in 08.
Like others here, I don’t trust the Democratic Party itself. So far, I’m not seeing any potential hip, new candidate that they could successfully place on a pedestal while throwing Hillary under the bus. But who knows? They could elect some cool dude (and yes, it would have to be a dude) in 2014 and pronounce this inexperienced Senator, Congressman, or Governor ready to run for POTUS in 2016. We’ve all seen this show before.
The ones I REALLY don’t trust are the mainstream media. They abused Hillary in 2008. They pretty much ignored her from 2009-2012. Then all of a sudden, they decided that Hillary is cool and 2016 is her year. They’re also giving positive press to her supporters at the rallies. In 2008, anyone showing up at a pro-Hillary rally was a racist, a bitter clinger, an angry feminist, a low-information voter, or simply unhip. And we’re supposed to forget about all that?
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Yes, Jen, we are supposed to. We are supposed to follow the herd. The problem is that, although we are not Republicans, we are a herd of elephants, and we never forget. Interesting that in that cable miniseries the supposed Hillary figure (Sigourney Weaver) loved the elephant exhibit so much. We do not forget.
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Also meant to mention that we are not necessarily about accomplishing anything. Here it is about Hillary and what she has accomplished. She has and will accomplish a great deal. All we are about is keeping a record of her accomplishments and defending her as necessary.
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And you do a stellar job at it too. 🙂
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Thank you! 😀
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i will support whatever hillary does, and she owes us nothing at this point. however, my feeling is she is leaning toward running, if for no other reason than she’d probably be sending out signals to her supporters if she weren’t. i also agree with everyone here that she was clearly a better candidate than obama in 2008. where were these obama-turned-hillary “supporters” then?
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I agree, I can’t stand those people you mentioned. But, I think that the point they were trying to make is that in 2016 the party will be united. Since we don’t even know whether Hillary wants to run, I’ll hold judgment until she makes her decision.
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