fury

perusing the newspapers this evening resulted in dismay. apparently it's time for the smear campaign to reach full throttle. i fear that many people in ohio and texas are just tuning into the campaign and mistaking clinton and mccain attacks for respectable behavior from a candidate, perhaps thinking "hm, they seem like the politicians i'm used to, i'm going for it." here's what i just wrote to hillary clinton.

Dear Hillary and Clinton campaign staff,

You have lost all of my support.

There was a time when I was proud of the Clintons and would defend their actions, excuse their political posturing and forgive their motives. They were my voice in Washington and in the world and I wished to preserve their facade because they spoke and acted on issues important to me. I am now finished with excusing the competitive, career-minded, shallowness exhibited by Hillary and her campaign. I am ashamed that a forerunner of my party is dismissing my caucus vote, along with thousands of others, as passing naivete and asserting that she will reign in the rampant foolishness and lead us to "real" change. Does real change begin with grubbing for delegates in states that did not hold a legitimate democratic primary? Does it begin with throwing around sensationalist remarks about a principled senator in an effort to woo the undecided? Does it begin with condescending to the general public by telling us all to "get real"? Could it start with lobbyists? Or maybe it starts with voting for a war, perhaps in an effort to appear stalwart, but then deciding that the war wasn't such a good idea. I cannot place my confidence in someone keeping up appearances in the senate by voting for thousands of lives to be lost.

If Hillary gets the nomination by acquiring FL or MI delegates, or by any other unfair means, I will not cast my democratic ballot in the presidential race. I will opt out, because I will not join her in the "I voted for it but didn't want it to win" mindset that stagnates our democratic process. I know several others who share this position, and think the Clinton campaign should bear it in mind when trying to think of how to win the nomination.

My caucus vote was for Obama and my vote in the national election will be for Obama.

If an intern is reading this, please print it out and share it with the campaign staffers. Or take it to heart as a message from a college-educated white woman that believes in possibilities.

Thank you.