Rebecca Traister has a great piece up on Salon.com about the real reasons Clinton supporters are mad that Obama won. Sour grapes? Yes, but there's more to these voters, some of whom Traister says are calling themselves "'PUMAs' (as in, 'Party Unity My Ass')" than simple sore loserdom.
Among the insights: "They are mad at Mark Penn." (#9) and "They are mad at everyone who believes them to be old, white and racist." (#11)
Especially revealing is Traister's take on their bitterness over all the anti-Hillary slurs the campaign saw.
Traister writes: "Who knew how eager the American public -- and more critically, the American left -- was to wholeheartedly embrace the image of Hillary supporters as sexless, humorless, bitter, hysterical old crones."
Read the whole story here. Basically Hillary supporters are just dealing with disappointment on an epic scale and feel totally taken for granted, which is the reason for their (Traister says empty) threats to vote for John McCain in the fall.
Our takeaway from the article: Hug a disgruntled Hillary supporter today! (Oh, and avoid calling women who make bids for power emasculating harpies.)
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 2)
16. I AM A WOMAN I WAS FOR HILLARY NOT BCOS SHE WAS A WOMAN BUT BCOS SHE WAS A QUALIFIED DEMOCRAT FOR THE PRESIDENCY. REAL AMERICAN, PROVEN LOYAL TO THE FUNAMENTS OF THIS COUNTRY. AM NOT OUT FOR A PARTY, AM OUT FOR A COUNTRY. AND THE ONLY ONE THATCAN FULFILL THOSE CHARACTERISTICS RIGHT NOW IS MC CAIN AND WIFE. EVEN THAT I SYMPATIZED MORE WITH DEMOCRATS AM NOT A DUMB, I SEE, FEEL AND KNOW THAT OBAMA AND WIFE ARE ABSOLUTELY WRONG AND DANGEROUS FOR THIS COUNTRY AND THE FUTURE OF NY CHILDREN, THEY KEEP SAYING IS ANOTHER ELECTION, BUT IS NOT, IT'S AND EPIC ELECTION COS WHAT ITS AT STAKE IS THE PEACE IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE REST OF THE WORLD....MCAAIN GIVES ME MENTAL PEACE I FEEL SAFE WITH HIM...
laury at 10:07AM on Jul 1st 2008
17. All you minority knuckleheads in the democratic party pay attention. The only time you are needed is election time. You are taken for granted the rest of the time. Which party really reflicts your values? Think about that.
Don Stagnaro at 10:36AM on Jul 1st 2008
18. Don Stagnaro is a very funny fellow. The republican party has been paying lip service to their constituency since 1980. What have they got to show for it?
Abortion is still legal. Gays are marrying in California. Republican administrations and Juntas have grown the federal government and ruined the economy EVERY TIME they have won -or seized- the White House. (since 1980)
Remember Gerald Ford? He was installed after both Vice President Spiro Agnew and Richard Nixon were forced to resign in disgrace. Gerald Ford - remembered for the, "SIN" lapel button. "Stop Inflation Now."
Look around you and you will see why *any* democrat is better than a third bush term.
Captain Negative at 1:35PM on Jul 1st 2008
19. Uh, Cap, I'm pretty sure that was "Win", not "Sin". I'm hurt that you don't put that much stock in my opinion. What a shock. And you really look like you're persuading a lot of women, particularly Betty Boop. Good luck winning the Presidency with 30-35% of the vote. I guess you can always blame it on racism when your guy loses.
Dave at 2:33PM on Jul 3rd 2008
20. It's really SAD to see so-call woman behave the way I'm seeing and hearing. Hillary ran an awful campaign from the beginning, thinking she was entitled to win. But, Barack outsmarted her in many ways. She couldn't even control her campaign finances. Now, tell me who wants a person like that running our Country????? Not me, for sure! It's also sad that alot of Hillary supporters (including Hillary herself) feel that Obama's supporters should donate to her campaign debt. NOT!!!!! That's ludicris. First of all, I feel if Hillary has 18 Million voters, they all should chip in $1.00 and that'd would cover ALL her debt. Support your candidate as we, Obama supporters, support our's. Hillary brought that upon herself by staying in the race tooooo long trying to prove a point. Oh, and where did it get her????? NOWHERE!!!! So, stop complaining and bitching like you all do and GET OVER IT!!!! Right now, the way I see it, Obama doesn't need Hillary or her supporters. So, stop the "I'm not voting for Obama" mess because actually WE (the Obama supporters really DON'T CARE). WE DON'T NEED HILLARY OR HER SUPPORTERS!! GOOD RIDDENS!!!!!
A Female Obama Supporter
For Obama at 1:39PM on Jul 9th 2008