McCainiacs party with the PUMAs
DENVER -- One of the weirder soirees in the offing last night would have to be the Republican National Committee's cocktail party for Hillary Clinton supporters.
While Michelle Obama (re-)introduced herself to America and Senator Edward M. Kennedy electrified the Pepsi Center, a mile or so away at the Paramount Cafe, a loud rock-and-roll bar in a rehabbed 1920s movie theater, college Republicans talked over chips and beer with the disaffected Democrats who call themselves PUMAs (for either Party Unity My A-- or People United Means Action.)
This was the latest attempt by the GOP to call attention to, and if possible exacerbate, the divisions within the Democratic Party; earlier Monday, John McCain's campaign released a TV ad featuring a former Clinton delegate talking about how she'd decided to vote Republican, "a first for me."
Over the deafening music and chatter in the packed bar, the clusters of clean-cut college kids, exhausted from a long day door-knocking and sign waving, did not, in truth, do much mixing with the PUMA crowd, many of whom were old enough to be the young conservatives' mothers.
But a few did.
As big TV across the room showed Michelle Obama speaking on the convention floor, two young women and a young man from the College Republicans stood next to a couple of middle-aged women from Wichita. The Democrats were doing most of the talking.
"I know he's a maverick," Nancy Armstrong, a 48-year-old retired Navy veteran, was saying to the young Republicans, who nodded politely. "I know he works across the aisle, and I particularly liked his immigration bill."
"We may not agree on everything, But John McCain is a man of integrity, and I can't say that about Barack Obama," said her friend, Shannon Scholler, 53, who works for a social service referral agency.
They posed for a picture with the young Republican man, who was not allowed to give his name to the press. He gave Armstrong a warm hug.
Armstrong suggested they open a McCain office in Wichita. One of the young women checked her Blackberry to see if they needed one there.
Asked if he would vote for Hillary Clinton if his primary candidate had not won, the young man considered.
"You have to vote your conscience," he offered.
A few seemed capable of appreciating the irony of the spectacle, considering that the GOP spent most of the 1990s villifying the Clintons and that many conservatives wanted nothing more than to run against her this fall.
Jessi Cleaver, a 35-year-old software tester and Clinton supporter from New York City, said it just shows how furious Clintonites are about how the Democrats and Obama handled the primary.
"You know what?" she said. "The one who should be throwing the party is Obama."
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PUMA is a front for the Karl Rove handlers - these are not real Democrats.. This tactic is no surprise-. What is shocking is that McCain presumes that intelligent women can be so bitter about Clinton's loss of the primary that they are willing to vote against their own personal interests. Even if they aren't enthralled with Obama and feel cheated by the bizarre primary process, how can these women support a man who will overturn Roe v. Wade?, a man who has demonstrated his contempt for women through his coarse remarks even to his own wife? a man who promises to send their sons into more illegal wars? a man who has brought in Karl Rove the Cheney/Bush attack dog,, Ralph Reed the corrupt Christian Coalition leader and Phil Gramm of Texas/Enron fame to run his campaign?? Get real, recognize PUMA as a bunch of Rove stooges and move on -only Republicans could stomach a vote for McCain/Bush. It is simply the worst possible formula for the advancement of women's causes.
Your news report doesn't state how many PUMAS were in attendance. If they could all fit in the Paramount Cafe then the number was rather insignificant and certainly didn't merit all the coverage.
Clinton and Obama are identical twins on the issues. Whomever represents themselves as disaffected is an odd bird or more likely a Rush Limbaugh surrogate of some kind.
How many people are you talking about?
Without numbers you leave the reader guessing whether you are covering a real concern or just a few disaffected people who make up a tiny percentage of voters. If it is a large number of people, then confirm it so we know to pay attention. If it is not, then you are making news, not delivering it.
This so-called evidence of lingering hurt feelings has more to do with the 15 minutes of fame offered to anyone who can help fill column inches and blog entries. so called puma's are just glad that someone shoved a microphone in their direction. maybe they'll get a development deal...
Neither Mc Cain nor Hillary are individuals of integrity-but are war criminals equal to Bush because they voted for war and Mc Cain especially continues its promulgation. So, party on. The Pumas are by the way republicans and Hill fans are in perfect company. Hillary don't bother waiting for 2012 it's not going to happen for you so get behind Obama.
I can't wait for the Ron Paul mini/counter convention to show up Mc Shame.
I wonder how many of these so called Democrats (there's no such thing as a Hillary democrat or Obama democrat, or Kennedy democrat...you're either a democrat or not) know that McCain is pro-choice, anti-women rights. Apparently the supposedly educated nurse (I use the word educated lightly) did not know McCain was pro-life and would seek to overturn Roe vs Wade, and was shocked when she found out....after she got a ride on the "Straight Talk Express" and made the ad....These people are being used, but this should be no surprise from those in the Republican party.
I think it is hillarious that all of these middle-aged women are calling themselves PUMAs. Isn't that like a cougar? Are they trolling for young men? And if thats the case, wouldn't the pickings be better at an Obama rally?
McCain is a man of integrity? Since when?! He's pulling pages from Karl Rove's play book, do ANYTHING to get elected. In a message to any PUMA's reading this. Please please please do not vote for this man behind the curtain unless you want to lose your right to choose, your jobs, or a chance for energy independance. McCain is no longer a maverick, let's look at these recent votes and see how much in line he is:
Tax breaks for the wealthy, CHECK. Credits for alternate energy sources (wind, sun, etc.) ten times NO SHOW even though he was in the building for 2 of them... Approval of waterboarding, CHECK, so much for torture is wrong eh McCain. Anti-choice, oh yeah he said he'd put in judges that would overturn Roe V Wade. He won't reach across the aisles when he's president, his focus is win the presidency and maintain Bush's policies, don't believe me, watch his recent voting record, the people he's got big money from, and his tapped advisers (most of which studied Karl Rove's playbook)
If this coutry gets run further in the ground, then I'm coming back and blaiming you PUMAs
This is great news!
Get more people to vote against their own interests.
I love it.
As pathetic as that Donkey-show was on Monday, it's a goog thing somebody threw a real party. Michelle re-introducing herself is about as lame as it can get. I was not proud of Michelle, never have been. Teddie, Kennedy is not someone that most Americans admire. If in the last thirty years, had he ran for the presidency (prior to being affected by this horrible cancer) he would have polled about 30 percent and been gone as quick as Biden in this primary.
So the fact that so many people are peeling away from the Obama's "old media" Messiahic celebration is no surprise.
Obama is an empty suit with little more than platitudes, metaphores, and Re-introductions of himself and family to offer.
McCain wins!
Hillary has encouraged this whole scenario, in fact it seems to me that she is deliberately sabotaging her own party, in the hope that Obama will lose and she can run in 4 years on the "I told you so" platform. What an evil bi*ch she is and what a bunch of mindless robots her supporters are. If it was my party I'd kick her out.
these people are nuts! why would clinton supporters hang out with mccain's? does she support him, or Obama? if she had won, do you think you would see the same thing from Obama supporters? GROW UP!
I'm tired of being told I'm not a real democrat ... I've been voting democrat and a registered democrat longer than most of you Obama supporters have been alive ... I expect dirty tricks and cheating from the republicans ... but not from the democrats ... Obama has brought a new era of thuggery to the DNC that I will not enable ...
Jeff has listed the republican thugs ....
let's just say Axelrod and Rove have a lot in common ...then there is Rezko, Ayers, Wright, and the rest of the Axelrod stooges ...
f
PUMA is a front for the Karl Rove handlers - these are not real Democrats.. This tactic is no surprise-. What is shocking is that McCain presumes that intelligent women can be so bitter about Clinton's loss of the primary that they are willing to vote against their own personal interests. Even if they aren't enthralled with Obama and feel cheated by the bizarre primary process, how can these women support a man who will overturn Roe v. Wade?, a man who has demonstrated his contempt for women through his coarse remarks even to his own wife? a man who promises to send their sons into more illegal wars? a man who has brought in Karl Rove the Cheney/Bush attack dog,, Ralph Reed the corrupt Christian Coalition leader and Phil Gramm of Texas/Enron fame to run his campaign?? Get real, recognize PUMA as a bunch of Rove stooges and move on -only Republicans could stomach a vote for McCain/Bush. It is simply the worst possible formula for the advancement of women's causes.
I guess Hillary supporters are pro-life now. And, pro-war, for lowering corporate taxes and raising the deficit, against gay marriage, against equal pay for women, and against all the core beliefs of the Democratic party. Because that's what McCain stands for.
Obviously jefflz believes that no democrat could possibly not trust Obama. The men and women of PUMA are not stooges of anyone, they are intelligent voters who do not wish to be part of electing an unqualified and probably racist President of the United States.
If Clinton had won the primary, I can't even imagine the nasty immoral and false things Mccain and his campaign would say about Hillary. Obama played hardball in the primary for sure, but so did Hillary. The point is that both of them refused to descend to the level of hate-politics that McCain embraces. Yeah, I supported Hillary and it was tough to see her lose. But McCain is against Roe v Wade and against everything else Hillary stands for.
If you vote for McCain you are voting against Hillary Clinton.
Mccainiacs and PUMA ... and the article outlines the former as 'clean cut college kids' (though, admittedly, of both genders), and the later exclusively of age 35+ females.
And NO mention of the 'urban definition' of the term PUMA? C'mon, guys, you're NOT this dense, are you?
Seeing party defectors (or should I say "Demfectors") such as the ones in the article will do nothing but divide the party further. The result of which may cost us the White House. If this happens, this will become Hillary's legacy and will jeopardize any chances she may have in 2012. Hillary should know that she will be more powerful under a Democratic Presidency than waiting for another chance to run 4 years from now.
If I were a GOP operative, I would continue to stoke the flames, but I hope tonite's speech will unify all Democrats.
(guys as in Lisa, blogging, and whomever the Globe has editing) :)
Obama and the new demo party are a front for communist world-deal maker George Soros. Who's your daddy Obama?
I've never voted republican but I will be voting for Senator John McCain, Country First.
The hate and disrespect Obama and cronies, and the DNC show for President Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton is beyond believe. NO to Obama the racist and his bitter wife.
Vote for Love of Country, integrity and Honor, that's John McCain.
Republican operatives woo disaffected Democrats for nothing more than pure political expediency. As the article elaborates, for the most part the Republicans won't even deign to interact with them.
Unless they make a complete ideological transformation, as soon as the election is over any such Democrats will be discarded like a piece of used Kleenex. "Used" is the operant word, because "used" they will have been.
Then these people cite "integrity" and "conscience" to justify their voting choices. It's beyond ironic.
These women that support McCain are not intelligent. They are voting against their own interests.
I smell the astroturf.
"I know he works across the aisle, and I particularly liked his immigration bill."
Because this is the only specific position mentioned by the Women, it is worth noting that this is one of the many things that McCain has flip-flopped on. He no longer supports his own immigration bill and he stated int he Republican debates that he would not vote for the bill if it reached the Senate floor.
McCain is not man of integrity. these women have no self esteem is they think cheating on your wife to marry a sugar momma is representative of integrity.
Any Clintonite that heeds the overtures of the McCain camp is being played. McCain is taking advantage of your unhappiness for his own political gain. He doesn't care about you, and never forget that Republicans HATE Hillary Clinton. Even if you don't like Obama, McCain is absolutely the worse option. It amazes me that anyone is falling for this.
As a long time reader and commenter in the "liberal" blogosphere or what passes for it once you get past the Clinton-hate, the PUMAs are most assuredly Democrats. I've followed them myself from the old liberal blogs to our own blogs, where we can at least have a conversation about the issues without constant insults from Obama fans. If you have the patience to search for it, there was a famous post (and some press coverage) of a mass exodus of Clinton supporters from the Daily Kos, led by blogger Alegre. Why? Because we'd been treated badly enough that it was clear they didn't want our support, didn't want our votes, and didn't care enough about either to behave with the least bit of civility. They called us and called our candidate every name in the book, including racist. Obama's campaign threw gasoline on that fire because they thought they didn't need to do anything other then demand that we get on board.
It doesn't help women's causes and progressive causes to be bullied and insulted into getting on board with a candidate who has a track record of selling out progressives and caving to Republicans the second it might cost him politically. At least the Democratic Congess will oppose McCain instead of going right along with Obama as he tries to transform our party into the other Republican party.
I think PUMA is a noisy minority. If it really was a Rovian front, I can't imagine the RNC would be so careless as to throw a party for them! I think this is simply an RNC attempt to solicit moderate Dems who are now foolishly acting like the Nader voters of 2000.
Disclaimer: I supported Clinton during the primaries and still think she would have made a better president. I am now planning on voting for Obama.
PUMA REPRESENT!!!
Let me say something to "jefflz " about his ability to determine who is a "real democrat" or not. I have been voting for a long time and have been a democrat all my life. I am not a member of PUMA but I can relate to their message. For the very first time in my life I will vote Republican. If you want to see how Obama treats women, look at how shabbily he treated Hillary Clinton. If he was really interested in party unity and not just his personal difficulty having a "good fit" with a strong woman running mate, he would have chosen her to be the VP candidate. It was bad enough she received poor treatment from the media. To be treated so poorly by her own party and pressured to get out there and speak on Obama's behalf in order to insure she has a political future is unacceptable. I can not support the Obama ticket and I am not a "Rove stooge".
Right on jeffiz. 18 million votes for Hillary and at least 6 million were crossover Repugnist with nothing better to do at the time, since the dumba-- Republicans had already waisted their dumb votes on McHale, uh McCain. The best hope the Repugnist have in Nov would be to see a split in the DNC. Well, how about a split between the conservatives and McCain's left wing leanings?
hey jefflz ,
You might want to loosen that aluminum foil hat you're wearin'. Let me ask you a question or two...have you seen any black helicopters lately? I suppose you think 9/11 was an inside job too?
I guess it is too much of a leap in your tiny world-view to think that PUMAs may actually be democrats who are angry and have not drank the DNC koolaid! The only stooge I see is you. But cheer up! the new X-files movies is coming out.
Its as simple as this, I am sure of John Mcain's integrity. I cannot say the same
for Obama. I have seen some very disturbing articles and videos on the web
outlining Obama's ideas about the direction he wants the contry to go. To say it is disturbing is an understatement! If you are a Marxist and want to pay higher taxes for entitlement programs then vote for him. I find it hard to equate the integrity of
a man who refused to leave a POW camp until his fellow POWs were released to that of an admitted drug dealer who may have sold drugs to kids! This is a no brainer!
I've lived through the old days of sexual discrimination making it hard to get a decent job. I've lived through a lot of years struggling for what is fair and watching other women struggle as well, but I never thought I would live to see the day that Democratic women would throw away all we've worked for out of pettiness, bitterness or be willing to be used and abused by the Republican Party. I never thought Democratic women would throw away our pro-choice rights by voting for McCain or endorse another 8 yrs of failed policies which have harmed our families. I never thought I'd live to see the day when Democratic women would vote for a man whose mindset would lead us into even more senseless war. I never thought in my wildest nightmares that strong Democratic women would vote for a man whose measures to trim down the VA expenses would exclude benefits for female combat troops suffering from PTSD due to rape.
Who are these women willing to throw all our advances, advances that took years to build, simply because their candidate did not win? Who are they that they cannot hear the snickering and jokes coming from the Republican Party about how they will be used by McCain to win this election? Are these women so wrapped up in their emotions and games they cannot see they are being used or are they simply enjoying all the attention? Is a pity party with cocktails more important than the future of our daughters and grand daughters? Since when do strong women put a politician before country or the universal needs of women and our children? Why are these women so willing to throw away everything we have worked for all these years? I never thought I'd live to see the day where I felt shame for simply being a member of the female gender. God help our children if this is the caliber of women today.
If these people are for real, they are confusing the McCain of 2000 with the McCain of 2008,
In 2000 McCain did have an independent maverick streak.
But those days are long gone -- he's become a Bush/GOP company man with near 100% support for the failed policies that have gotten us in this mess.
For example, the star of McCain's "Hillary Supporter" ad told the press yesterday that she is pro-choice and that McCain is too.
Obviously these people have no clue as to what his positions are or they would not be able to vote for him.
Good ol' Karl gets more credit than he deserves - the man behind the curtain, the mastermind controlling American politics - wow, another conspiracy theory, how novel.
I believe PUMA is real. Look at the FL/MI debacle - only well after Obama claimed the nomination did he "push" for the full delegate to be seated - and only after he had been awarded votes in races he didn't even run. Make no mistake, not running in MI was a cold calculation - carry the Iowa momentum - not some weird sense of party loyalty. That's just one "irregularity" there are many more - some in the courts.
The fact really is that this race was too close to be called. A nominee is decided at the convention - by voting of the delegates. But the party could not let the race run it's normal course - they forced a decision.
It's audacious to treat with contempt, then ask for unity.
As Puma's we have explained enough why we dont support obama and why we do support McCain. We just dont owe you Obamabots any more explainations.
Believe what you want and lets see what happens in Nov.
Obama does not believe a child who survives a botched abortion is worth saving. Even though I'm a pro-choice and normally a Democratic party voter, I cannot in good conscience back a man who has such disdain for human life. He voted against the Illinois Born Alive Infants Protection Act while he served in the state legislature. He claimed those lives weren't lives worth saving.
Separately, a US Senate amendment to protect infants born alive during abortion was offered by then-Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) in 2001. It passed the Senate 98-0 with all other Democratic presidential hopefuls who were in the Senate at the time voting in favor, including Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Chris Dodd (Conn.), Joseph Biden (Del.) and then-Sen. John Edwards (N.C.).
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) spoke on the measure on the Senate floor, saying, “I, as being a pro-choice senator on this side, representing my colleagues here, have no problem whatsoever with this amendment.
Just because we're pro-choice doesn't mean we have to kowtow to the Democratic Party. This isn't Communist China or Stalinist Soviet Union or Nazi Germany. We can pick and choose the individual based on a variety of reasons.
My wife and I are 63 and 65. You stupid Obama shits don't know your right from left. Wife has never voted for a Republican!! We are both voting for John McCain, and are supporting no Local and State Dems, even tho I play golf with several! The reason being all the STRONG ARM TACTICS by you young punks. My name is Joe Bowman if you want to strong-arm me either WAY. jpbcandle
It was a hard night of binge drinking - the McCainiacs and the PuMas danced into the early morning hours...
and nine months from now what will we have ?
baby McPumas !
(that's a large jungle cat tripping over an elephant trunk.)
This is one of the more childish I'll-take-my-ball-and-go-home moves I've ever seen. (Unless, of course, this is a Karl Rove production, which has been my suspicion from the start.) If Clinton's political stances were really closer to McCain's than to Obama's, then, sure, this would be understandable. But Clinton and Obama are both pragmatic, socially progressive, more or less conventional Democrats. It's not like we're talking about supporters of Joe Lieberman and Dennis Kucinich taking verbal potshots at each other.
I really don't care if people consider themselves independent voters; I'm a registered Democrat who has supported Democrats, Republicans, Greens, and independents in the course of a thirty-three year voting life. But, PUMAs, get over yourselves. Vote for whomever you like. But you're not a movement. A movement needs an issue, not a silly sound bite or two.
"If you want to see how Obama treats women, look at how shabbily he treated Hillary Clinton..."
"Obama has brought a new era of thuggery to the DNC..."
"The hate and disrespect Obama and cronies, and the DNC show for President Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton is beyond believe (sic)..."
"We'd been treated badly enough that it was clear they didn't want our support, didn't want our votes, and didn't care enough about either to behave with the least bit of civility. They called us and called our candidate every name in the book, including racist..."
What are you all talking about?
These allegations are made all the time, but they are never accompanied by examples. They weren't here again, either.
On the other hand, McCain's dumping of his first wife for a younger, healthier model, and using abusive language on her, is well-documented.
The big-picture issue is how McCain would take the government into the bedrooms of American women and have it make their choices for them. Doesn't this blow away any perceived slights on the campaign trail, regardless of whether or not they're based in reality?
In light of all this, the comments quoted above are beyond ridiculous. They're downright bizarre.
This problem seems to go beyond hurt feelings and immaturity. Are we dealing with dementia?
A vote for Obama is a vote for socialism. I am sick and tired of my taxes going up to pay for those that have no desire to work. Obama wants the rich to give to the poor like we haven't been doing that already for years and I don't see things getting any better. I am also sick of hearing how horrible the last 8 years have been under Bush. Howso? Go visit some truly poor war torn countries and then see how bad our is? Funny millions are flocking here for some reason. So guess it is not as bad as people make it out to be. I for one look forward to 4 more years just like the last 4!