A commenter's view.

[kstewart33]

I was reading Paul Krugman's column about Hillary this AM and thought I'd pass along a thoughtful comment by RJS:

Don't you know even yet that a woman with a law degree who spent her formative years after law school working on behalf of poor African American children to ensure they could attend predominantly white schools and who helped disenfranchised migrant voters in Texas to register to vote is not really that awesome. I mean everybody does that, right?

Don't you get it that a woman with a degree from Wellesley, a law degree from Yale, a former First Lady, a twice elected US senator from NY and a Secretary of State nominated to the position by the first black president and approved unanimously by both republicans and democrats is not as qualified to be president as a man with a bachelors degree, a former mayor of a small town and a career congressman of a small lily white state? And she certainly isn't as qualified as an orange haired real estate swindler who had the good fortune to be the son of a millionaire real estate developer named Fred Trump.

Don't you get it that a woman born into a solidly middle class family with no political connections who then married a poor man from the South that she helped to become president is not really qualified because she is part of a political dynasty?

The math adds up. Men don't lose power easily. Even progressive ones.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/30/opinion/feel-the-math.html?ref=opinion

[stonecutter357]

1. k&R.

[BobbyDrake]

2. "Men don't lose power easily. Even progressive ones." This is so true these days.

My personal theory is the outrage stems from the fact that women and minorities now control one of the two major political parties. We're not going to be returning to total control by white males of either political persuasion any time soon. Or ever again, if we're lucky.

[DemonGoddess]

3. I like this comment too

You know what?

I'm done pretending.

I'm done pretending that Sanders is a comparable candidate to Clinton, let alone "superior."

Sanders has some interesting ideas.

That's it.

He has no political following other than in *this* primary season where he has some enthusiastic supporters.

Great. I get that.

But for thirty years what has he been doing besides moralizing?

He certainly hasn't been a Democrat building the Democratic Party. He was, apparently, too good for that.

He saw an opportunity to get the brass ring, and he jumped at it. Good for him.

He's just like every other politician seeking power.

The problem with pretending that Sanders is somehow competitive with Clinton is that it flattens the support Clinton has given, and work Clinton has done, since the 90s to advance the Democratic Party's interests.

Want to support Bernie for the Democratic Party's nominee? Go ahead.

Just don't expect me to pretend he's somehow the messiah.

He's just an ordinary politician with some supporters who is outflanked--and outclassed--by the majority-supported nominee

[Her Sister]

10. I'm done pretending too! All of the above!

To pretend otherwise! Competitive!? Joke! What a joke!

[TwilightZone]

12. That pretty much sums it up.

He would have gotten hammered in the GE. He's out of cash and he hasn't built any kind of meaningful political infrastructure. He disregards entire blocs of the voting public and pisses off everyone but his most loyal fans. His campaign is running on a skeleton crew, and he's alienated just about everyone who could have helped him along.

[puffy socks]

14. This...

"he's alienated just about everyone who could have helped him along."

describes his entire political career.

[amozu16]

17. Get Real

And the Clintons have been building up the party?

Reality check:

It was just two years into Bill Clinton's presidency that the Democrats lost control of both chambers of Congress for the first time since Dwight D. Eisenhower was in office, meaning the 50s. And during his tenure, the Democrats never regained control of Congress, but way to build the party, right?

How about the fact, that since then, the Democrats only had double chamber control twice, after the Republican Party was wracked with massive corruption scandals, which was then lost only four years later, because Clintonian Democrats would not allow Obama to pass his original health care plan, so they had nothing to show in 2010. Or the fact that Republicans control more states than at any point since 1929, thanks in part to the Clintons? Or the fact that up until November, Democratic Party identification was falling and was at a historically low point, before Bernie started picking up steam.

FACT:

Bernie has done more for the Democratic Party in just half of a year, than the Clintons have in decades. The Clintons have made the Democratic Party weak. Ever since the Clintons took office, the Democrats have stopped being fighters, and have allowed the Republicans to trample all over them.

The US Senate is 54-46 Republican
The US House is 247-188 Republican
The governor's mansions are 32-18 Republican
The State Senates are 36-14 Republican majorities
The State Houses are 33-16 Republican majorities
The PVI rates that in total the partisan lean of the states are +5 in the GOP's favor, down from +30 in the Dems favor in 2008
This is not winning, this is pathetic

Clintionianism has failed this party time and time and time again. Other than the White House, the Republicans are winning in every facet of government. Hillary will only continue this trend

[johnp3907]

18. This is a group for Hillary Clinton supporters.

There's a group for Sanders supporters too. Perhaps you'd rather post there.

[SharonClark]

4. Excellent comment

[OKNancy]

5. WOW!! that is a superior response

I'm saving it!

[OKNancy]

6. so many good comments it's hard to keep up

craig geary redlands fl 7 hours ago
On the one hand, a tough talking Viet Nam draft dodger who is ignorant of national security, military affairs, macroeconomics, denies man made climate change, who has no real campaign, no ground game and very little money.

On the other, one of the most qualified candidates to have ever run for President who has withstood 30 years of the slings and arrows of outrageous morons, the combined disinformation and agit prop of Faux, Limbaugh, and the eco terrorists of Koch Propaganda & Pollution, who is a bit too hawkish but will protect and advance the progress made by President Obama, stand four square for a woman's right to choose, continue progress on slowing man made climate change and is part of a team running it's fourth national campaign.

Oh yeah, toss up city.

[JSup]

7. The dynasty thing...

...has always perplexed me; it's one of those falsehoods that 'stuck' somehow.

[Walk away]

8. Hillary's intellect so far outshines "I haven't studied it yet" Bernie's that it's embarrassing!

And Trump has a mental problem. Seriously.

[brer cat]

9. Excellent comment! nt

[Her Sister]

11. We have learnt a lot this election!

HRC! You'll have wiser supporters from now on!

We have been schooled and we learned some things!

But we choose to be the better for it!

And we ARE WITH YOU! WITH HER!!!!

[Squinch]

13. Kick. All these comments area great and true!

[NastyRiffraff]

15. Here's another:

The infuriating narrative put forth by Mr. Trump and Mr. Sanders and happily picked up by the media is that Ms. Clinton is a deceitful, washed up has been who has somehow "stolen" the nomination, despite the fact that she has more votes than either of them. Mr. Sanders cites his rallies and tweets on his behalf as proof of this. Trump, never one for facts, just keeps hurling lies and insults at Ms. Clinton. For those of us enthusiastic Clinton supporters, it is infuriating and motivating to watch Ms. Clinton fight on - with class and dignity as always. As a woman, who has gotten pushed around way too many times in my life - it makes me love her all the more to see her dig in, hold her ground and refuse to let these two lesser men steal the nomination from her simply because Mr. Sanders feels entitled to it and Mr. Trump knows she's the real threat.

I am in awe of Hillary Clinton. There are very few people, male or female, who can take the insults, the innuendos, the misogyny, the nastiness and outright lies that she has for the past 30 years at least. She's going to be a strong, outstanding president and I'm with HER!

[eastwestdem]

16. That is a smart, clear comment! nt

[Sparkly]

19. Perfect response to the typical, "I want a woman president, just not THIS one."

Like, "Eventually, some woman will come along with the right kind of mind, experience and commitment. It's just not HER."

Makes me want to scream.