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Brownell (not verified) says:
Obama has achieved some impressive results in energizing politics across the board. All to the good. But too many people seem to go beyond sane enthusiasm. There are a lot of factors that, without denying the successes and assets Obama brings to the campaign, nevertheless mitigate the picture of a TSUNAMI of Obama support.
l. As Chris Matthews (EW!) noted about McCain, Obama (as well as McCain in his winning states) made many of his gains in states that typically go Republican. Apart from the good feeling of seeing a movement grow, just from the perspective of winning the presidential election of 2008, how important is it that Obama carried Idaho, Kansas and Alaska? About the same importance of McCain's victories in New York, California and Illinois, right? Senator Clinton won the states that form the backbone of a Democratic victory in November.
2. Not to deny the significance of Obama's ability to draw in and fire up young people, ages 18-30. This is a tremendous accomplishment in building a Democratic consensus, but there's another cohort as large or larger that seemingly matters to no one in the netroots. Working women, especially single mothers, have flocked to the Clinton campaign. It's a similar phenomenon, first-time voters joining the Democratic consensus, only the age range covers thirty years, not ten, so the cohort is potentially larger and likely to be more influential, since their interests are more uniform. I have read a zillion or so blogs exulting over Obama's hold on young, educated, "creative class" voters, but I have to dig hard to learn more about working class women of all ethnic persuasions coming out in strength for Clinton.
3. Finally, we should not have to be reminded that the labor unions, environmentalists, feminists, senior citizens, Latinos and old-line yellow dog Democrats are not chopped liver.
Obama and his partisans should work for and enjoy the successes that are rightfully theirs - without using this success as a cover for Clinton Derangement Syndrome, formerly known as old-fashioned sexism.
Obama has achieved some impressive results in energizing politics across the board. All to the good. But too many people seem to go beyond sane enthusiasm. There are a lot of factors that, without denying the successes and assets Obama brings to the campaign, nevertheless mitigate the picture of a TSUNAMI of Obama support.
l. As Chris Matthews (EW!) noted about McCain, Obama (as well as McCain in his winning states) made many of his gains in states that typically go Republican. Apart from the good feeling of seeing a movement grow, just from the perspective of winning the presidential election of 2008, how important is it that Obama carried Idaho, Kansas and Alaska? About the same importance of McCain's victories in New York, California and Illinois, right? Senator Clinton won the states that form the backbone of a Democratic victory in November.
2. Not to deny the significance of Obama's ability to draw in and fire up young people, ages 18-30. This is a tremendous accomplishment in building a Democratic consensus, but there's another cohort as large or larger that seemingly matters to no one in the netroots. Working women, especially single mothers, have flocked to the Clinton campaign. It's a similar phenomenon, first-time voters joining the Democratic consensus, only the age range covers thirty years, not ten, so the cohort is potentially larger and likely to be more influential, since their interests are more uniform. I have read a zillion or so blogs exulting over Obama's hold on young, educated, "creative class" voters, but I have to dig hard to learn more about working class women of all ethnic persuasions coming out in strength for Clinton.
3. Finally, we should not have to be reminded that the labor unions, environmentalists, feminists, senior citizens, Latinos and old-line yellow dog Democrats are not chopped liver.
Obama and his partisans should work for and enjoy the successes that are rightfully theirs - without using this success as a cover for Clinton Derangement Syndrome, formerly known as old-fashioned sexism.