9/3/08

Lesbian Politics: A NOTE FROM ONE POLITICAL SORE LOSER TO ANOTHER


by Cynthia Rodriguez
Resident Bookworm and Book Reviewer Extraordinaire

I've had a crush on Hillary Clinton for years.

I know a lot of women do, but I'm not ashamed to publicly admit it. I'd be her intern anytime. I remember back in the day being at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC seeing her march along with my peeps. I remember thinking way back then she would run for President some day.

Fast forward to 2008. Even before then, when she announced she was running for President of The United States, I think I had an orgasm. When I learned Obama was running for President too, I felt angry and cheated because I felt he was taking the "minority" spotlight away from her. I thought to myself, "No, no, no...this is supposed to be her year, her time! He's gonna fuck it up for her! Damn it!"


The party splitting campaigning took it's toll in many forms. I watched it on a national level, and I observed it on a personal level which spilled all over at my work place. On one hand it was great that so many of us are so involved in the politics of it all, and on the other hand, we had quite the Hillary/Obama rivalry going that at certain moments became a little wicked and out of control to the point that our boss had to intervene and play referee at times.

I went to see Hillary and Bill speak live when they were in the hood. I got involved in her campaign, went to a Hillary voter's party...been there, done that, got the Hillary t-shirt, (I really do have the shirt, and about twelve Hillary buttons. I wonder if I could sell those on E-Bay now, just kidding...maybe a few years from now...) For the most part, I kept track of who was winning what state, either by CNN, radio and/or newspaper. When it was Pennsylvania's turn I stayed up past midnight that evening on Election Day watching CNN for about 6-7 hours straight. I watched the count down for the polls to close like it was New Year's, down to the second, 10-----9-----8... Held tight to my Hillary sign and hooted and hollered. You would've thought I was watching the Super Bowl. All I needed was that foam finger thingy that said "We're #1".

In the end, when she lost, what a devastating blow. I really thought she was gonna get it. That threw me into a political state of depression for weeks. Yes, I take it very personally, thank you very much. It took me a while to get over my grieving period. The only thing that kept me going is the hope she would at least be chosen as the Vice Presidential candidate.

When that didn't happen, it took me right over the edge. I went into an angry frenzy that made me look like I just came out of the movie, "The Exorcist". I needed a couple of days to get over my wrath. At this point, it took the intervention of a couple of co-workers to realize I needed some professional help. Well, maybe not professional, but I needed to do something to turn it around. It was over, and some type of closure was required.

So, I went to my first Obama party. The last night of the Democratic National Convention, to hear him speak. It wasn't as irksome as I imagined it to be, however, I was definitely overwhelmed by the surrounding Obama fever. Part of me felt like a traitor. I felt like I had just cheated on my life long partner with a man. All the shirts, signs, buttons drove me to the bar next door. I figured, I was there. I made it through, and I was supporting the Democratic Party. Although, I realized my residual Hillary feelings were still lingering every time the Clintons were mentioned. I'd "WHOOOO!" all over that, then I'd slouch down in my chair and look around to see if anyone had noticed. I thought for sure those Obama freaks would start flinging their hot wings at me.

The point to all this, I speak to all of you hard core Hillary girls out there, like me. I understand. I feel your pain. I know. However, the bottom line is, don't be stupid. Don't vote for McCain, or vote for him now just because he has a vagina by his side or NOT vote at all, out of spite. That accomplishes nothing. If anything, if Obama gets in and messes up, we can always say, "Hey, don't blame me. I voted for Hillary".

9 comments:

Becky C. said...

While it is not dispositive a vagina is relevant.


~Becky

J said...

"Hillary for President" made me violently ill, but "Hillary for Supreme Court appointee by President Obama" sounds fucking awesome. Vote Obama!

Anonymous said...

Lyndon Baines Johnson learned an important lesson the day he took the oath of office and became Vice President of the United States. That lesson- he was an idiot. He had more power in the Senate than any Vice President or President could ever have without the resultant job stress.

I supported Hilary Clinton (of whom I also had a major crush on in the '90's), but that was, in part, because of the lack of response for my favored candidate, Bill Richardson. I would love to see her stay in the Senate, rise through the ranks, and yank the reigns of power out of that wimp Reid's hands.

Either that, or for her to become the AG and actually take on the Republicans for the crimes they have committed these past few years.

As for Sarah Palin, I would ask the same questions of a man in her position who had five kinds (one special needs), a grandchild on the way, and family in desperate need of someone to keep it in order since 'hubby' doesn't seem to be all that involved in their children's lives either. I don't care that she's a woman. She should put her family first, and I would ask the same of anyone in her position.

Bill Graber said...

You know Becky you are kind of starting to look like the Joe Lieberman of Lesbian bloggers...

Now I understand Joe's gripe... those Dem buddies of his really did screw him over in the last election and he wants to get even... but then they could see he had gone over to the other side even then...

So beside her having a vagina... what is it you like about Sarah Palin, woman who would dispossess you as a lesbian in a heartbeat?

Or are you just thinking with your vagina on this one?

BOOK_REVIEWER_EXTRAORDINAIRE said...

Becky C., having a vagina is not enough. Sarah Palin betrays her own gender.

---Cynthia Rodriguez

Shannon said...

I like Sarah Palin. I think she is a bright, articulate woman, not to mention smokin' hot. But I have no plans to vote for either of the big 2 parties this fall and instead plan to support the Libertarian Party who are for everyone's freedoms, not just a few special interest groups who have plenty of lobby money or owe favors. It's time to reform the system.

Bill Graber said...

Yeah she is smart and well spoken... But the same could be said for Adolph Hitler.

Anonymous said...

I weighed responding to the link provided by Becky C., and finally decided to.

Yes, Sarah Palin is nice, attractive, well spoken if a boring public speaker, and has a nice family. She reminds me of the cheerleaders who put me through four years of torture in High School for being lesbian. She reminds me of the movie Heathers for some reason.

Sarah Palin's a woman. Ok, I'll give her that much, but should I vote for a woman just because she's a woman? The answer is no. Being a woman does not mean she holds the same values as me just the same way Obama being African-American does not mean he has the same values as the rest of the African-American community. As it just happens, though, most African-Americans are registered Democrats while women span the entire eletoral spectrum.

But to vote for anyone simply because she has a vagina is rather pathetic. There are more women coming up the ranks. I doubt that this is the last time we will see a woman stand as either Vice-President or President, and may, indeed, see a woman in the White House within the next two decades.

Right now, we Vermonters are poised to elect our second woman Governor. Gay Symington has a chance to be our Governor, and I, for one, am voting for her because she believes like I do and she isn't a tin pot dictator like Jim Douglas.

I am not voting for her because she's a woman.

Anonymous said...

"Yeah she is smart and well spoken... But the same could be said for Adolph Hitler."

Godwin's Law! You lose :)