Great article on the HuffPo about WomenCount, a PAC dedicated to "supporting progressive ideas for women," a group that's going to demonstrate in favor of counting all of the Michigan and Florida delegates, outside the hotel where the DNC committee will be deciding those state's fate:
"You're not going to write that we're a bunch of hysterical women trying to create havoc, are you?"
The tone is part weary, part sarcastic, and a little bit plaintive. The words themselves -- spoken by one organizer of this weekend's planned demonstration outside the hotel where the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee is set to (maybe) decide the fate of Michigan and Florida's much-disputed delegates -- reflect the widespread sense of persecution that is currently felt among some prominent Democratic activists and fundraisers.
Largely female and supportive of Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, these political actors look upon a contest they view as essentially tied and are dumbfounded by the vitriol being directed not only Clinton's way, but at their own efforts to "count every vote" in all the Democratic primaries.
It's fair to say that these women believe they're doing the right thing. They don't believe they're gaming the system to hand Hillary Clinton the nomination - although that's what it looks like to the rest of us. (In fact, my opinion is that that's exactly what it would be: party bigwigs handing the nomination to the candidate that lost the election.)
The point here is that these Clinton supporters - and the ones that we know - are sincere in their beliefs. They're not shallow, superficial, inauthentic, devious, ruthless, hysterical, or faux anything. They have an argument they believe to have merit.
The results are in, and it was McCain with 35 percent of the vote to Mitt Romney's 30 percent. Oh, yes, and despite months of campaigning and millions of dollars spent there, Rudy Giuliani musters a mere 15 percent of the vote.
Yes, he managed to outperform Ron Paul.
While Romney polled well, nip and tuck with McCain, Florida's primary awards all of its 57 delegates to the winner, making McCain the front runner.
Rumor has Giuliani dropping out of the race and endorsing McCain. As the conservative apostate, McCain's sudden leaping over the establishment man Mitt reveals the deep fissures in the GOP between voters, and party leaders.
Wither the GOP? A saner, more responsible party can only help the country...but color me doubtful...
