|
(Call this post, "A bunch of crap, part 3." These jerks aren't representative of the vast majority of Obama supporters, but they're sure making us all look bad.
And if you don't think there's sexism in this race, you need to read this post.
For those Clinton backers still plugging away out there: nice work. My appreciation for you folks has trebled. You don't deserve this sh*t. - promoted by Jay Stevens)
This evening, I met with the Clinton staff in Missoula and other volunteers to watch results come in from Kentucky. Most of the time, when I attend a Hillary function, I wear a Hillary t-shirt, button, or sticker. Most of the time, when I'm walking to or from the office, I'm shouted at and harassed from cars, porches, on the street, whatever. Today was no different.
As I was walking home, in downtown Missoula, in broad daylight, someone wearing three Obama buttons on their shirt followed me to an intersection and shouted at me while I was waiting for the light to change. I was wearing headphones, so I turned them up and clearly ignored the person shouting at me. Luckily, the light changed before he got too heated up, and he didn't follow me across the street. It was still very weird - he was shouting, waving his arms, very aggressive. Each of these experiences has been terrifying - I never know if the person targeting me is going to become physical, if they're going to follow me, or if they'll be satisfied with shouting something nasty and leaving it at that.
When I talk to other volunteers, I hear similar stories from nearly all of them. Many of the stories involve signs - some volunteers are afraid to put signs in their yards, after hearing about signs being defaced, torn apart, and actually burned down. Others bring their signs in every evening and put them out again in the morning.
|
| I'll state my opinion very plainly: this is intimidation, and in my experience, nearly all of it is coming from Obama supporters. None of us are going to be shouted down, or intimidated out of having a different opinion - in fact, if anything, this hardens my support for Clinton. And I know none of you want to hear it, but this type of intimidation is sexist as well. A random man on the street supporting a male candidate shouting at a woman supporting a female candidate about her political opinion is more than a little problematic. It needs to stop.
To be clear: I'm aware that Barack Obama is not personally responsible for this, and that he, and probably his Missoula staff and most of his supporters, would be horrified to know that this is happening. However, there is a weird, creepy element to his support in Missoula, and I'm not going to pretend that isn't a fact either.
When I think about this, what I keep coming back to is the rhetoric both campaigns use, the way that rhetoric is reflected and repeated and interpreted in the media, and how all of that leads to some pretty serious hate-mongering on either side (because believe me, I'm aware there is some of this stuff coming from both Clinton's and McCain's backers). Would it even be possible for us to have that kind of discussion here? |
