I have a confession to make: I didn't use to like Obama. Dig down my comments history and you will find me calling him "obummer".
I also didn't like Hillary that much, after her cheer leading for the war. Dig down my comments and you will find some saying I'd hate to vote for Hillary.
My favorite was Kuchnick but he had zero chance so I favored Edwards. But I was prepared to vote for Clinton if Edwards dropped out, since , you know, she is a woman like me and wife of an ex-president I liked.
Hillary had me. I'm a white women over 40. Her "base". She had my vote. But she threw it away.
This is how:
- Unapologetic chicken hawk support of the war till months before she started campaigning
- Catering to right wingers on foreign policy
- Overstating her role as first lady. My husband is an engineer, doesn't mean I can build bridges.
I could live with 1, 2 and 3, but then she had to throw in the kitchen sink
- Race baiting - the photoshopping of an Obama picture to make him look more black
- Race baiting - Geraldine Ferraro was allowed to say her racist stuff
- Disingenuous - The "as far as I know" and other thinly veiled attacks
- Swiftboating - Wright, "bittergate", the over the top memos to SD
I suddenly realized I was seeing a democrat using Republican tactics against another dem. That was when she lost my vote. I switched to Obama, not very enthusiastic with him, but disgusted with her. Then she did more:
- Scorched Earth - The infamous attacks and her gloating that "if you can't stand the heat..."
- Moving goalposts - Seeing a democrat use bushspeak was just too disgusting. I live on reality, I expect my candidate to do the same.
I started donating for Obama and actually paying attention to what he was doing or saying. I liked him more and more. And Hillary less and less:
- Playing victim - After months of gloating that she was tough, we hear the most self serving pleas of "ism" ever. Turned my stomach
- RFK remarks - What she said, the way she handled it, the way she did NOT apologize to Obama's family while clearly acknowledging it hurt the feelings of the Kennedy family.. Just too much.
Meanwhile Obama was restrained and classy, declining to get in the gutter and clearly trying to give her a honorable way out. I started admiring the man, and finally got converted into an "Obamabot"
Plain and simple, Hillary had my vote after Edwards but she lost it by playing dirty, taking me for granted and by insulting my intelligence.