As a past Hillary Clinton Supporter, I've received troubling emails recently from a top fundraiser in NYC named Ricki Lieberman. No relation to the Republican senator from Connecticut.
She is--how do I say this--enthusiastic about her candidate.
The NY Daily News, which I'm not so apt to side with in matters political, recently referred to her as a fanatic in an article that opened: Some of Hillary Clinton's die-hard supporters are plotting to stop Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention, or more realistically, at the polls in November.
Lieberman's goal is to mobilize her extensive email list to strong-arm undeclared Superdelegates or those in Clinton primary strongholds. She argues to the Daily News that "anybody who thinks...that the 18 million voters for Clinton are automatically just going to fall into line, I think that's clearly not going to happen."
Because...why? Because they haven't learned anything from the Naderites in 2000? Because they want to set back women's rights fifty years with McCain's supreme court appointments? Because war like, toootally rocks? Because they think Obama is the antichrist?
I have been distraught over the past few weeks to receive 19 emails under the subject "Suspending not Ending" that muster every unseemly tactic in a political operative's roster to destroy, denigrate and cast aspersions the other candidate. That other candidate being Obama, not McCain. Which, at this point in the race, truly boggles. The emails are filled with calls for boycotts, requests to withhold DNC donations, bold faced, over-punctuated passages lifted from any fly-by-night news organization or random website including this one, which promotes the brilliant idea that a McCain vote is better for Hillary using the bizarre logic that "in four years Hillary will surely be the nominee." As if no irreparable damage to our country, our children and our planet will happen during those four years.
My dad used to tell me, don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
Several days ago, Lieberman forwarded a hatchet-job on Obama by Karl Rove for God's sake (that I refuse to link to for obvious reasons). Isn't that pretty much the time she might step back, reassess, and say "what am I doing? Why, my goodness! I think I may in fact have lost all perspective!"
Last night, basking in the glow of that absolutely glorious appearance by Obama and Clinton together in unity in Unity, I admit I had to wonder whether the next email would finally come around and accept that we are now focused on electing Obama to the White House, as Clinton herself put it.
Nope. Not even.
Instead I got 7 short, bold paragraphs taking the perspective that Obama was bitter and envious of Clinton's warm reception there, and interpreting Clinton's Churchill reference as some sort of super secret code "to the SDs about choosing Hillary in November."
I appreciate the fact that Hillary has inspired people to this degree. It makes our party lucky to have her. But it breaks my heart that Lieberman can't channel her impressive energy, influence and connections towards a winning cause instead of such a destructive one. Do I expect Clinton supporters to "fall in line?" Of course not. But I do expect them to consider the alternative.
There was a great line from Al Gore had in the excellent HBO movie Recount. It was about knowing when to give up because you just can't win - even if you believe you did win.
-Liz is proud to call Hillary Clinton her Senator and writes a personal blog at Mom-101
good lord. this is taking conviction to a whole new level. seems that we should ALL be most concerned with the ultimate goal - getting a Dem in the WH in November. By continuing to be divisive it will only serve to continue to fuel the split, and by saying it's BETTER to elect McCain?
They've just lost me a thousand times over on that one. I'd unsubscribe and be done with it.
Posted by: jen | June 28, 2008 at 08:02 AM
"interpreting Clinton's Churchill reference as some sort of super secret code"
full. stop.
if she's gone down that road, I don't know if she can turn the car around. beyond that bend lies full-on madness.
too bad, esp. if, as you say, she's got some influence. maybe she's enjoying the resulting attention a tad overmuch?
sigh.
Posted by: deb | June 28, 2008 at 11:12 AM
ELECTABILITY - I guess wanting a Democrat in the White House occasioned this wild rant from who?? we do not even know her name but she is free to bandy mine about.
If you would like to find out more about my POV, please go to Together4us.com
Hillary is the electable candidate and the SDs need to remember that their only job in Denver is to select the nominee who can take Democrats back to the White House.
GO GO GO!
Posted by: Ricki Lieberman | June 28, 2008 at 02:46 PM
from you "ELECTABILITY" comes off as; "NO SENSE OF REALITY"...
As a Hillary supporter to the very end I find it sad that a seemingly sane person (I'm being generous) would not be able to put the past behind them to better help usher in the future. A future which our own Hillary Clinton appears to be a large part of.
I believe it was Bill Clinton himself that said "In primaries you fall in love, in the general election, you fall in line..."
I believe that.
You should, too. There's enough baseless conspiracy garbage floating around out there that "us"(?) Democrats have to put up with with out hearing it from our "own"(?)...
Please
Posted by: The Leftover Foodie | June 28, 2008 at 03:12 PM
Hi Ricki, nice to hear from you. My name is listed over on the right in typical blog fashion, you're welcome to click over to my personal blog to learn more about me if you're so inclined. I'm certainly not anonymous here.
I'm surprised to hear you categorize this as a wild rant. I don't think it's all that wild to assert that your tactics are reckless. In a way it's a self-fulfilling prophecy: Help bring down the Democratic ticket in November, then you can say see, we should have picked Clinton.
Sometimes we have to choose common sense over idealism, compromise over perfection, unity over divisiveness, your second choice over the Republican choice.
No doubt your energy could be put to better use - perhaps ask the Clinton camp directly how they'd have you proceed from now until November. I'm fairly certain this isn't it.
Posted by: Liz Gumbinner | June 28, 2008 at 03:16 PM
Jeebus meebus. Three words --- Let It Go.
The sad thing is that all of this just darkens my image further of Hillary. Doesn't she deserve a chance to proceed with honor, without being tainted with this crap?
I spent the week with some friends who were Hillary supporters and took every opportunity to remind me/attempt to educate me about the horrors and perils of Obama. I was polite until the guy started talking to me about how "blinded" and "ignorant" us Obama supporter are about our candidate at which point I launched -- with a smile on my face and a lilt to my voice -- but I launched -- Obama's votes, policies, transformation of the Democratic Party, etc., etc.
We will soon have a Democratic president and hopefully they will be very happy. I know I will be.
Posted by: Kristin | June 28, 2008 at 04:06 PM
Ricki - You aren't doing this for Clinton. Or even for your country. You're doing it for yourself. Anyone who would vote for McCain over Obama based on this sort of misguided sour grapes is not a real Democrat. Time to take the tin foil hat off and join reality.
Posted by: Lawyer Mama | June 28, 2008 at 04:15 PM
Lawyer Mama, to be fair, Ricki hasn't endorsed voting for McCain (or any candidate) besides Clinton and I'm not sure that she would. But she has certainly linked to and quoted those who do promote that idea. See also: Karl Rove.
Posted by: Liz Gumbinner | June 28, 2008 at 04:27 PM
I think Ricki's comment might just be my favorite MOMocrats comment ever. Liz, I think your BlogHer name badge should just say "??" on it. I guess you're the official MOMocrats "Unknown Blogger." ...which is about as rich as calling the above post a "wild rant."
Posted by: Stefania/CityMama | June 28, 2008 at 05:21 PM
Ricki,
Howzabout channeling some of that incredible energy to a downticket race of your choice (female candidate a plus!) in the Big Apple or elsewhere in the great state of NY?
Because when what Karl Rove says is starting to make sense to you...I mean "whoa." A big Keanu Reeves-style "whoa." You are scaring the horses and the children with that kind of crazy talk.
Liz--MOMocrats got your back!
Posted by: cynematic | June 28, 2008 at 08:34 PM
Enjoy your 15 minutes, Ms. Lieberman.
Your campaign won't work, and in the end you'll just be more pissed off.
Posted by: Gunfighter | June 29, 2008 at 03:44 AM
Why are we even fostering her 15 minutes? Seems to me like a serious case of misguided energy that does nothing to support what Hillary stands for today. T-O-D-A-Y. Let's get over the past and focus on November for God's sake. Honestly, this puts a really bad taste in my mouth for Brand Hillary. Just goes to show how brand stewards can affect the brand.
Posted by: ilinap | June 29, 2008 at 09:49 AM