The REAL Value of a Long Primary Season

Everyone has weighed in on the "damage" the Democratic Party is doing to it's brand by prolonging the Primary for months.  Everyone has pointed out why this is a horrible and futile exercise.  Everyone cackles, and chortles, at those "wacky Dems" who can't decide, can't make up their minds, and threaten to bolt the party if their beloved candidate is not the nominee.

There have been some sane voices, such as Frank Rich this morning, who have tried to inject some contrarian wisdom, but they are generally being shouted down by the Cable Twits.

There is one element of this discussion that no one (to my knowledge) has pointed out, though.

When was the last time you paused, in amazement, as you realized that we have a woman and an African American fighting it out to lead the ticket?

Consider the remarkable desensitization which has occurred to this astonishing event in our history.

A Woman!

A Black Man!

And these remarkable people are being paraded before American's everyday as candidates for the PRESIDENCY?

How can anyone deny that we have made mind-blowing progress in my life time?

I know that women still fight for wage equity, and a fair shake, down in the trenches.  I know that it is still a crime in some part of the United States to "drive while Black".  I know that there are still sexist, and racist idiots, lurking in the bushes, spewing their stupidity and hate.

But this election season is making them irrelevant.  They comprise a shrinking minority, clinging to an immoral and antiquated code of social justice, that places white men at the top of the totem.

So.  Keep it up guys.  Keep strutting your stuff.  Keep making your arguments.  Keep desensitizing Americans to the idea that we are going to have a woman, or a Black Man, as our next President.

Nothing could be any better for America in the 21st Century.

•  ...and in my lifetime!!

  I still get chills when I realize how far we have come.  Even when I hear of people in West Virginia and Kentucky claim they are afraid of what a Black Man will do if he is elected.  I suppose they are afraid of "pay back".  

  by Granny Doc on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:17:41 AM PDT

  •  I know

    these wonderful little septagenarians who come into work.  One couple is from New York, another man is from Chicago.  There are more, but these folks support Obama! of all people.  Things they probably wouldn't have thought of as children.  Not a bigoted bone in their bodies, but there are many out there who've spent more years than even the middle-aged kossacks have been alive assuming this sort of scenario not only would never happen, but that also that they would never be agents in its unfolding.

    Our country is becoming better at least in this way, and that's encouraging despite the conservative claim that our country's morals are constantly in decline.

    by Nulwee on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:23:16 AM PDT

    •  I cringe every time

      some TV idiot points out that Obama has the support of the "young", and "Older White Women" vote Hillary.  This "older white woman" is not being counted by anyone, and there are a lot of us out here.

      by Granny Doc on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:25:47 AM PDT

      •  Cringing

        seems to have become my favorite indoor sport lately.  Lots to cringe about.  Hope my face doesn't stick this way :-)

        by luckylizard on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 01:39:44 PM PDT

  •  Me too, Granny Doc

    I've been alive 57 years, cognizant of politics since I was 7 since issues were always discussed.  I have never, ever been so excited about the possibilites of the future.  I am no Clinton fan by a long shot -- but now, a credible woman can run in the future without eyebrows raised.  As much as folks would like to divert attention to sexism -- which will always exist -- Clinton is being attacked on issues and character, just like every other white male candidate.  

    Obama has done the same thing.  People can frame him as a black candidate, but most people who support him are doing so because he is the right candidate -- and that includes most of the AA community.

    by gchaucer2 on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:25:19 AM PDT

•  Frank Rich's column

  is spot on.  I didn't even bother to open the WaPo article on Campaign Fatigue.  Probably for the TM stenographers who prefer to yuck it up with the war criminal-in-chief at the WH Press dinner last night.

  As Rich said -- once this is over, the complacent McCain won't know what hit him.

  by gchaucer2 on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:20:13 AM PDT

•  While there must be a lot of pain

  for the more politically literate feminists supporting Clinton because she essentially can't win, it's also not because she's a woman that Clinton is losing.  Even if some of this wave of feminists won't make it, we almost surely will have a female President, not too many down the line.  That's something worthwhile to glean from the loss of Clinton if you support her.

  by Nulwee on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:20:21 AM PDT

  •  I wish we could move past

    the whole "support her because she's a woman" thing.  A person's gender, race, or religion isn't any reason to support them; it's about the policies and how the campaign is run.

    In Clinton's case, the latter is the reason she's losing.  You get back what you give in.

    by Soundpolitic on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:23:30 AM PDT

    •  Well what's encouraging is that

      while Millenial women largely seem to be supportive or positive about Clinton's candidacy, there's no automatic support as a group.  Even though Silent, Boomer, Xer and Millenial women still face discrimination or unprivileged workplaces and economics, younger women don't seem to show the sort of high stakes reaction to the Clinton-Obama dynamic.  Maybe as a whole there's less worry about women being able to succeed, and more belief that they too will be able to run for President and treated with open ears and consideration when the time comes.

      by Nulwee on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:29:33 AM PDT

    •  As you suggested, Hillary is losing because

      her campaign isn't effective for a variey of reasons.  

      I too, wish we could move past the "woman thing".  However, poll after poll after poll shows women voting more for Hillary than Obama.  

      So there is no doubt in my mind that many women are voting for Hillary simply because she is of the female gender.  Simple minded, but that seems to be the way it is.

      by doc superdog on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 10:44:17 AM PDT

•  It's worth remembering

  the fact that our two choices for the nomination are so ground-breaking.  Reminding us of this might also remind us that "Yes We Can" means Hillary and her supporters, too.

  by Soundpolitic on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:21:47 AM PDT

  •  We're the party of the future.

    The trendlines for our population, the Millenial Generation, hispanics and latinos and blacks are all giving most of their support to Democrats.  We have to keep engaging them. As a side effect of their support, we can finally run not only progressive candidates but also people who represent America as a whole, whether they're John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Al Gore, Wes Clark, Donna Edwards, Jared Polis or Jim Neal.

    by Nulwee on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:26:29 AM PDT

    •  I'm a member of the Millenial Generation

      I find that we tend to be more inclusive than other generations.  The inclusiveness and opitmism of the Obama campaign is really the number one example of how that is happening.  Another reason he's the right man to run.

      I hate to pimp it out, but if you'd like to read more about what "yes we can" means to me, do check out my diary this morning.

      by Soundpolitic on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:32:12 AM PDT

•  i am with you

  Granny Doc!!!!!!!
  The real deal is that everybody is tuned right in to that Dem dial!
  I went to a big dinner a couple of days ago at a progressive conservative event. What was the conversation at the table, and later at the hotel bar? The green peace protesters dangling from a catwalk???
  No! It was ......... Obama and Hillary!!!!!!!
  ad that was in freaking conservative Alberta, Canada

  by TexMex on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:21:48 AM PDT

  •  OT but I have

    to say, it always makes me smile when I know you are TexMex in Alberta Canada.  Something very lovely in that thought.

    by gchaucer2 on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 08:29:12 AM PDT

    •  yeah I get to say

      hey, que pasa, eh?

      by TexMex on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:50:02 AM PDT

      •  How do you work

        Moulson into that?  <g>

        by Granny Doc on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:50:51 AM PDT

        •  I am in personal aquaintance with

          Ed McNally of Big Rock Brewery, and drink grasshopper beer!

          http://www.ratebeer.com/...

          by TexMex on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 01:56:03 PM PDT

•  Granny, you made the Des Moines Register

  this morning.

  They took a few paragraphs from your diary on Rush and quoted you "from the blogosphere" and credited dailykos.

  Sorry to hijack your thread, but I thought it was pretty cool.

  by Kab ibn al Ashraf on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:05:10 AM PDT

  •  WOW!!

    I think that is pretty cool, too!  

    by Granny Doc on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:32:26 AM PDT

    •  It was about 3 paragraphs from your

      diary.

      Ended with the "civic responsibility" line and started with an account of what Rush said.

      To be honest I didn't read your diary, as Rush is an asshat and I have a pre-formed opinion!....but the section was probably from...the beginning?

      The bad news is that Malkin was above you and Ben Smith below!

      by Kab ibn al Ashraf on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:35:40 AM PDT

      •  Do you have a link?

        I went out to the site and couldn't find it.

        by Granny Doc on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:49:49 AM PDT

        •  It was in the opinion section of the Sunday

          edition, and I couldn't find it online either, as I too wanted to link to it.

          Sorry.  I'm sure DesMoinesDem and others from IA can confirm...

          by Kab ibn al Ashraf on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 12:46:28 PM PDT

          •  Oh, I wasn't seeking confirmation!

            I just wanted to fondle the article on my screen.  <g>

            by Granny Doc on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 01:42:19 PM PDT

•  I'm constantly amazed

  that the democratic candidates are a woman and a black man.
   As a party, we've broken new ground; we've charged ahead in to the future! My face lights-up every time I think about it. The republicans can be as hidebound as they like-the future is in front-not behind. Upward and onward!

  by lyvwyr101 on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 09:10:21 AM PDT