tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post8908198900011179107..comments2024-01-03T17:02:06.646+00:00Comments on ASTROTABLETALK: Women and Power: Advice from the Ape-World.Barry Goddardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10050835957098177925noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-7622558992596676572008-03-13T21:00:00.000+00:002008-03-13T21:00:00.000+00:00Jesse Jackson was taken seriously as a presidenti...Jesse Jackson was taken seriously as a presidential candidate by Americans, especially African Americans! In 1984 he won five primary contests, and finished in third place. He won eleven primary contests in 1988, was the front runner for a while, and came in second only to Michael Dukakis, who won the nomination.<BR/><BR/>Interestingly, it was Bill Clinton's reference to Jesse Jackson's wins in South Carolina to a reporter that ignited the first outcry by the Obama campaign and their media surrogates that the issue of race had been brought into the the campaign by Bill Clinton.<BR/><BR/>But, ah yes, timing or karma or astrological cycles is almost everything!Venushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04872999615847944726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-30933028115012353962008-03-13T15:33:00.000+00:002008-03-13T15:33:00.000+00:00The race thing is a strange one.Until Obama ran, f...The race thing is a strange one.<BR/>Until Obama ran, few people could have imagined a black candidate ever being taken seriously in the U.S, least of all African americans themselves, so convinced as they are of their blanket exclusion from the mainstream of power in the country. <BR/>Now, thanks I'm sure to the first earth shaking impulses of pluto in capricorn, it's as if we've stepped through a door into an alternate universe where being a black candidate apparently gives Obama some kind of unfair advantage over a WASP Hilary Clinton.<BR/>Bizarre.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-82908565333237197802008-03-13T03:13:00.000+00:002008-03-13T03:13:00.000+00:00Oh, DR! To suggest that we, the cyberspace floate...Oh, DR! To suggest that we, the cyberspace floaters, should give up our anonymity in this very unprivate era of Big Brother... Why, you're one of our last refuges! ;)<BR/><BR/>As for the topic, I happen to agree with Ferraro. Had Obama been white, I truly believe more black voters would have chosen Hillary. But...by the same token, I think more of the women would've chosen *him*! That is, provided all of the other factors remained at par--age, experience, platform, and overall charisma. How the final tallies would've come down thus far? That I'm not so sure of. But, probably with Hillary. Perceptually, a black male idealist is completely different than a white male idealist. And the US has had quite a crawful of the white version. So Obama's message would NOT be taken in the same context by the voters, without the color to spin it into something with a life all its own (enhanced by a nostalgic sense of history, I will point out). And Hillary is Hillary. She'd have taken more votes by non-white voters...but again, perception would be that even with all the youth and idealism, a white man is somehow more "authoritative", more "valid". So she'd have lost some of the women--the ones that are currently siding with her because she is a woman, and the other guy is "just" a minority too.<BR/><BR/>A fiction book I once read had one character explaining to another how their government worked: "Every qualified citizen is entered into a lottery. Whoever is picked MUST accept--it's against the law not to! And then every personal asset of the citizen-elect is liquidated, an accounting recorded, and then added to the national treasury. That ensures that if the country is not better off than when the person began the job, they are personally ruined, too! And we certainly don't PAY them while they are in office--that would tempt them to slack! But if the country turns a profit, they will too."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-16143330026388421142008-03-13T00:40:00.000+00:002008-03-13T00:40:00.000+00:00Hey, let's have a bit less anonymity out there!Hey, let's have a bit less anonymity out there!Barry Goddardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10050835957098177925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-881746295264270172008-03-13T00:37:00.000+00:002008-03-13T00:37:00.000+00:00I agree that people need to feel free to comment t...I agree that people need to feel free to comment that Obama might not be where he is were he not black(ish). It's probably got a lot of truth in it.<BR/><BR/>But I don't think you can exclude comment on the possible motivation for saying it either. It's such a loaded issue, that if you say it right now and you are in the Clinton camp, people will rightly suspect your motivation.Barry Goddardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10050835957098177925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-83116819451507672302008-03-12T20:55:00.000+00:002008-03-12T20:55:00.000+00:00Yes Anon. I agree that race ought to be as valid ...Yes Anon. I agree that race ought to be as valid a factor to discuss with impunity as gender, but it appears that in the USA it ain't.<BR/><BR/>I'm English, married to an American.<BR/>I've been puzzled about the way comedians and talk show hosts here have made fun about Georg W. Bush incessantly, going quite a bit further than would be the case in Britain I think (not that he doesn't deserve it). Currently Hillary Clinton is their whipping girl. I pointed out to my husband that we never ever see Barack Obama as the butt of their jokes, and his opinion is that it would be taboo because of race.<BR/><BR/>If that's the case and we eventually get a President Obama the comedians had better start lining up for jobs at Macdonalds!Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-13256691905648952532008-03-12T18:57:00.000+00:002008-03-12T18:57:00.000+00:00Virtual reality is altering the dynamics of tradit...Virtual reality is altering the dynamics of traditional provinces and motivations of the sexes. There are now millions of people who choose virtual power instead of enacting these games in real life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-10834412650216482252008-03-12T18:03:00.000+00:002008-03-12T18:03:00.000+00:00Geraldine Ferraro was also the democratic Vice Pre...Geraldine Ferraro was also the democratic Vice Presidential running mate of Walter Mondale in 1984. So she was the first woman to run for such a high office in the government.<BR/><BR/>While it may have been a politically stupid thing for Geraldine Ferraro to say, it doesn't make it any less true. Do you think O.J. Simpson would have gotten away with two brutal murders if he had been a white man with a predominantly black jury? I don't think so!<BR/><BR/>That the Obama campaign benefits from his blackness with the black community, garnering 80% of their vote, but it cannot be discussed is absurd. Nobody is bothered about talking about Clinton usually getting the women's vote.<BR/><BR/>While I agree that these should not be the reasons people support either candidate, race, like gender, is a factor and people should be able to discuss it without being called racists.<BR/><BR/>By VenusAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-75169911451583581072008-03-12T08:01:00.000+00:002008-03-12T08:01:00.000+00:00I think its so sad that this race is turning into ...I think its so sad that this race is turning into shallow identity politics rather than being about IDEAS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30912075.post-80651321828305491522008-03-11T22:31:00.000+00:002008-03-11T22:31:00.000+00:00Interesting DR.I've just been reading about a new ...Interesting DR.<BR/><BR/>I've just been reading about a new flap caused by another "alpha female", Geraldine Ferraro a former New York Representative<BR/><BR/>http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/03/11/obama-adviser-says-clinton-must-repudiate-backers-comments/<BR/><BR/>She commented that if Barack Obama was female he would not be where is is today (presumably if he were a woman with same experience and history)<BR/><BR/>I agree with her 100%.<BR/><BR/>She also unwisely said that if he were a white man he would not be in this position, which I don't see as clearly being the case.<BR/><BR/>Oh dear! Race rears its ugly head again.<BR/><BR/>More opening of mouth and inserting foot.<BR/><BR/>Alpha women sticking together can sometimes pose problems.Twilighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14138621610593773784noreply@blogger.com