"Why is Chelsea so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno?" to some audience

"That's a good question" in response to "How are you going to be beat the bitch?"

"At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt." to his wife

Geraldine Ferraros and Harriet Christians of the US, join us in making sure Teh Blakk Guy doesn't win. Join us in the quest for Hillary's revenge!

Sincerely,
White Men for playing White Women Like Fiddles.

Thanks...rec'd

Everybody rec this please.

It needs to be read.

Pro-Clinton communities on the Internet being used to further the campaign of McCain?  

I am shocked.  SHOCKED!

How many times have i read BO supporters say "BO is not going to beg HRC supporters to vote for him".  Or suggestions that HRC should have to beg to support BO?  Now BO supporters may disagree and that is fine.

But the fact is these voters are up for grabs and if BO wants the support of these voters (he already has mine) in the fall he is going to have to work and work hard to get them.  As are his supporters.  

david

Looks like McCain is taking another tried-and-true technique of the Obama playbook...find a constituency that you can manipulate with negative "soft information" about your opponent and hope they flock to you in big numbers.

It worked for Obama because he's a very skillful communicator with amazing message control.  I'm not sure it will work for McCain.

I find that memo to be quite believable.  It certainly would explain a lot of the behavior we have seen.  Also, it seems quite likely that the McCain campaign would engage in tactics of that sort.

It certainly seems authentic.

At the moment, this is nothing more than a headache for the Obama campaign. With a greater commitment on your part, I hope to see it metastasize into something much more.

Stay classy, McCain supporters.

that the Obama camp has created an opening for them, and they are exploiting it.  

BTW: I'm not suggesting that women vote for McCain.  I'm just pointing out that its a good political tactic that was caused by the tactics of the Obama camp.

I am a Clinton supporter, who won't vote for McCain. Please tell me how I am being played (Hint: diary title is tad simplistic)

I can't believe this diary made it to the rec list. Honestly, anybody can create a PDF and post it on the Internet.

Obama and McCain "operatives" have been active on pro-Hillary sites for months. They are easy to spot. I don't like McCain. I wouldn't vote for him. I don't like Obama, however, and won't vote for him either. I have a choice not to vote for either of them, and will avail myself of it.

From irish09's rec list diary:

"Chicago machine politics, Farakhan, Ayers, Wright, and that church of his which is so against what I as a Catholic believe in."

That was the lady that called and eventually disparaged Obama's race.

So the question is, is McCain riffing off of this stuff because they're already doing it, or was that a viral campaigner, too?  (I actually doubt the latter, because she was more ridiculous than anything else).

Wow and I thought the reason I didn't like Obama was my own judgement. Now I realize McCain has infected my mind with campaign talking points.

There is a greater chance of the Michelle Obama tape being real than this memo.

I also don't understand the argument here.  Is the diarist under the impression that people who support McCain over Obama - something, by the way, I strongly discourage - are unaware that they are helping McCain get elected?

his campaign should do exactly this. Obama and the MSNBC and the DNC leaders and the Obama blogs left McCain a gigantic opening.

Why would anyone be suprised that the Republicans are going to expose a weakness that has gotten 24/7 news coverage for the last few weeks?  Duh, of course they are going to do that.  My prediction is the McCain lovin' media will play along and start pushing the meme that Clinton supporters should be angry.  If not now then after the convention for sure.

Then I guess we will know that both sides are being played.

Whether they choose to acknowledge this or not, if a Hillary Clinton supporter votes for McCain all they'll be doing is helping to empower the people who tried to impeach Bill Clinton (and pushed Whitewater, Paula Jones, the Lewinsky business, yadda yadda, we know the litany).

It would be nice if the Republican party had simply imploded in 2000, some new party had been created in its stead, and those who wished to cast a protest vote could back them.  

But here's the reality: you can't.  And yes, I understand, there are Clinton supporters who just don't want to hear this.  "Don't talk to me!  I'm not listening!  Lalalala...can you see?  I'm covering my ears!"

Won't change a thing.

Wright, inexperience, and links to Chicago's political machine have been discussed in the MSM for months now. The logical conclusion is that  Republicans would amplify those themes once the GE campaign cycle started.

McCain knows about the Internet?

Wikileaks currently can not take a clear position on the document either way.

If it were a scanned copy of the "leaked" memo, I'd be more likely to believe it's authenticity.

the contempt the Obama supporters have for us.  Now they want to kiss and make up. I will never vote for either McCain nor Obama.

Even if the memo isn't real.. of course they are already doing this and will continue to do it until November.  The Republicans may be completely without ethics but they aren't stupid.

Politico's Ben Smith hears a pitch to disgruntled Clinton supporters in McCain's speech today:

Going for the Clinton vote

McCain, in Nashville, starts to make a pitch:

"She has inspired generations of American women to believe that they can reach the highest office in this nation," he says.

I'd follow the memo and pick Kay Baily Hutchinson or Condoleeza Rice as my running mate.

If I were Obama, I'd do some manipulating of my own to gain the votes of white females over 40, too. He'll gain a lot of those votes back by politely asking for their votes.

There is nothing wrong with "Manipulation" to get people to change their voting behavior. In fact, Obama should ask those Republicans who supported Huckabee, Romney, Paul etc.... to vote for him.

but I can't vote for Obama either. You couldn't pay me to vote for him after the bully tactics used on so many people. Republican bully tactics don't work for Democrats either.

My only choices are Hillary or Ralph Nader.

that will be/is being used.  The validity of this particular memo makes no difference whatsoever.

I am not trying to win cookies for my professional background, but information security and all it implies are my area of expertise (google me).

This sort of disinformation campaign is absolutely what I would expect.  Whether it comes from the top or is spontaneously created from the bottom, it would be the extremes of naivety to assume that it wouldn't happen.

Yesterday there was another "SECURITY ALERT" email on one of the MyBO lists I subscribe to.  As always, I responded with an "of course there are" and a "do not worry about it" email.

Heck, here it is for your use:

Hi folks!

DON'T be careful.

DO be careful to say what you mean, and to say it in a way that reflects well on you and on Senator Obama.

DON'T be careful by supressing your thoughts or your voices.

There are "Lurkers" amongst us, of course.  I am a Lurker on many public forums where opposition supporters discuss their thoughts.  Most lists - this one included - are wide open to the public and are completely valid places for those who disagree with us to come and see what we think.

Lurking is imho a valid form of gathering publicly available information.  "Trolling" is something else entirely.  I never Troll opposition groups and I suggest that doing so reflects badly on our Candidate.

Trolls (aka "Concern Trolls") are not content to learn what we are thinking, they are intent on changing the way we act.  In my professional opinion, the most effective thing Trolls can do is to get us to post comments like this one I am replying to.  

I do not think that (the oringal poster) is a Troll, but I think he has like many let the Trolls spook him.

So, please do NOT be so careful that you change any valid activity you would otherwise be involved in.  

We'll just be out and stealing their cattle and taking their land while the bad guys waste their time Trolling us.

-cheers!

-chris

I do not recommend responding in kind.  Trolling is as much a slap in the face to democracy as Operation Chaos and simply shows others that you are happy to sink to their level.  It is not worth winning if that is necessary, and I do not think it is necessary.

-best

-chris

I don't know if this memo is fabricated (and, frankly, don't think it's a big issue either way).  Anyone who has spent any amount of time with the current crop of head-to-head polls knows that the GOP's only chance to win the White House this November will be if there is a split in the Democratic party (and the candidate only pulls in 80% of Dems or fewer).

All of the other numbers for the Dems are looking great (party id, how indies split, etc.).  If the Dems unite the party (ie. get 90%+) we'll win in a blowout (ie. 350 EC votes or more).

So what can one say?  If some of Clinton's supporters want to toss away this sort of victory we can't stop you.  Spare us the argument that Obama is worse than McCain, though.  And you're kidding yourself if you think Clinton could come back in 2012 after this sort of loss.

They'd both get sucked into the whirlpool.  Clinton would start off with the same people loving and hating her, but Dems who are in the middle wouldn't risk going through this internecine conflict again.  The candidate who could say "I wasn't involved in any of this" would win the nomination.

Who thinks the Dems would risk the second loss which could come from some of Obama's supporters, in 2012, basically doing the same thing some of Clinton's supporters are talking about now?  Would never happen.

No one can deny that it's a meme that's out there.

And as for McCain actually courting the vote of disgruntled Clinton partisans.... well, all he really has to do is sufficiently depress the vote for Obama for a win, not actually have them cast a vote for him.

What's the smoking gun here?  that the McCain team admits targeting Clinton supporters?  Is this a surprise?

Politico actually has him saying it at an event("She has inspired generations of American women to believe that they can reach the highest office in this nation," he says.).  It's smart politics, especially at this point.  There are many angry and disillusioned Clinton supporters, if he can get them now, while they're still hot under the collar, then has a chance of wooing them over permanently and carrying their support all the way through the general.

BHO supporters should start wondering why this demographic is even susceptible as a McCain target. And no, the answer isn't these people are dupes. Thinking that is the reason is probably the first problem the Obama camp needs to get over.

alienate older white women from Obama, that Obama and the MSM haven't already done themselves, and 10 times better.

Simultaneously, our team has been testing new lines of attack through independent pro-Clinton communities on the Internet.

This is like The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Who among us is testing lines of attack for Dishonest John?

Who could it be now?

...being peddled by Larry Johnson.

The problem is that many Clinton supporters know that Obama race-bated in this primary so it will be extremely difficult to bring the party together.

Every preacher at his church uses overtly race-bating language. Leaving was a good move.

It is very simple: It's Obama/Clinton or its a 3rd Bush term. Nothing short of that will unite the party.

Sending Bill Clinton around (as reported in the press) to rustle up working-class white votes will not work if Clinton is not on the ticket.

Right.

And the Clinton campaign neither race-baited nor gender-baited.

Another of McCain's memo readers

I just love to see how out of control the Obama supporters are on this thread.

They really think that they can insult Hillary supporters into voting for their guy. And if one insult doesn't work, then they need to ratchet it up to even more offensive insults.

I guess the beatings won't stop until morale improves.

I suggest that the diarist not try to insult Hillary supporters by telling them they are getting "played" if they refuse to vote for Obama. The real problem, which Obama supporters don't seem to get, is that the view that Hillary supporters have toward Obama has nothing to do with anything McCain or his campaign has ever said, or likely ever will say. It has to do with what Obama and his campaign have said and done.

Can you muster up even the slightest amount of honesty among yourselves to acknowledge that point?

Yes, Obama has something to worry about here. But don't blame the problem on McCain. The fault lies in yourselves.

it appears that McCain can save his trolling on this site.  There are enough posters here who are doing his work for him already.

Thanks for the diary -- I had heard about this tactic from another source.

A month or so ago, according to many Obama supporters, Rush Limbaugh was "playing" us, now, according to you, McCain is. You just don't get it. We don't care what Rush says or wants, we don't care what McCain says or wants, and, more to the point here, we don't care what you, or any other Obama supporter, says or wants.

We are for Hillary. Period.

After tomorrow, Barky will NOT have enough pledged delegates to win the nomination. That means it is up to the superdelegates. And, since the superdelegates are not bound by anything until they actually vote in Denver, nothing you, McCain, or anyone else, says means jack shit. I hope to Christ (and I'm an atheist) that Hillary does NOT concede.

I hope you, and every other Obama supoorter, has to sweat it out all summer, Girl. Meanwhile, Hillary can continue to lobby the superdelegates to do the right thing and reject Mr. No Qualifications, who, despite his oft- and self-touted superior "judgment," has managed to surround himself with racist assholes as his "spiritual advisors," thereby disqualifying himself in the general election.

Is there any reason at all to believe this document is authentic?

Perhaps I should type something up in word, PDF it, post it as a "leaked" memo from the Obama campaign, and see if I can get on the rec list also..

Not sure how my serious concerns re: Obama's character & qualifications = support of McCain. As I've said before hopefully the weight of the Supreme Court will get me to choke on it & vote for him in November, but he is honestly not a candidate that, while I tried, I can bring myself to feel at all positive about.  There were others (plural) that I would have supported as the nominee, enthusiastically.  Now more then ever it is important that we have a solid, strong, effective nominee & sadly I suspect we have failed to do that.  So I will either choke & vote for Obama or if I just can't get there I will stay home in the first election ever, that I have been eligible to vote in.  It  is sad b/c I had intentions on being an active campaigner, but I can't be intellectually dishonest & point out strengths that I don't agree actually exist. My only arguments in his favor are that hopefully his advisers will ensure good SC noms & he isn't the GOP/McCain & maybe alot of us are wrong about him (all pretty weak).  If Clinton were to be on the VP ticket I'd be more optimistic re: his potential conduct in office, since she would be there clean up/advise. I will say I am very disappointed in the shortsightedness of the party, but there is nothing more I can do.

There was an unequivocal denial from McCain spokesperson Jeff Sadosky.

Clinton supporters need McCain's campaign to create resentment within the ranks.  Uh huh.  

Played by McCain or played by the Democratic Party.

Is there a difference?

for my thinking

I have a law degree from a top tier law school, and was Phi Beta at a top 20 undergraduate school.  I worked in DC for nearly 30 years.

And I lived through the 60s and 70s and know what kind of cruel, thoughtless people Ayers and Dohrn are -- Obama's friends, fundraisers, and in Ayers' case, an employer at the Annenberg Challenge.

And I've seen the utter racism spewing forth from the Trinity pulpit, while the pew inhabitants cheered.

I know who Obama associated with.  I think his heart is insincere, obsessed with power, and perhaps anti-American.

is that the McCain camp is so financially feeble and idelogocially bankrupt as to require a viral marketing campaign to press negative talking points about his opponent.

If this is the best they can do, then there will indeed be a romp in November.

As a somewhat angered Clinton supporter, I think that there are much better ways to show our frustration.  I am happy to contribute to and campaign against democrats, particularly top tier women democrats, who didn't back Clinton if they face primary challenges.   I would welcome the fielding of primary challenges against these individuals.  I would welcome supporting principled opposition to Obama legislation should he become President.   But does it really make sense to back John McCain at this point?  I can't see it.

Gosh... being exploited by the McCain wing or trashed by the Obama wing...  hmmm...  

What great options!

I'm sure the Obama camp has some memos floating around about how to appeal to Clinton supporters too.  Does that mean we're getting played by him too?

So much play.  So little time.

I'm writing in Hillary in November anyway, so let them all play with themselves!  I mean, with each other... or whatever.

All one has to do is turn on AirAmerica and you've got all the Hillary-hate pro-Obama talking points.  
I can't even listen to NPR anymore without getting a dose.  

EVERY TIME they give a slanted view of the democratic primary ESPECIALLY on the radio stations that used to say things that I agreed with, it gets harder to want to support Obama.  

What I'm saying is this :  For even the left blogs (and most left papers) Hillary-hate and pro-Obama equal the same thing.  If I'm reacting to some idiot on the radio who says YET AGAIN that Hillary is 'cheating' or 'she doesn't play fair' or that 'sexism played only a minor role' I'm hearing it and I'm already ready to kick the radio.  Then they go for some pro-Obama point :  'Obama was overly flexible about Michigan'... 'There's so much racism/ignorance from the Hillary supporters - they all think Obama is the anti-Christ' or whatever.  

They've drawn the same equation.  It's the same equation we often see here on this blog, on the dkos, etc.  It's almost like a club.  You MUST be a Hillary-hater to be an Obama supporter.  

There's no room in this equation for us.  

Please don't troll me or call me names.  I'd LIKE to like Obama.  I understand he represents my views of the world better than McCain.  It's just really really hard to square that circle.  

I'm sure they have a similar memo for how to win over Obama supporters. And I fully expect the Obama campaign to have similar memos about winning over Huckabee or Giuliani supporters. It's politics. Any politician that doesn't have a plan to try to create defectors in the other party is someone who doesn't plan to win.

And really, the people who are being "played" are those of you who hyperventilate over this stuff and spend their time fretting about what Clinton supporters are doing. Real Clinton supporters know why we support her, know we aren't operatives of the McCain campaign, and tend to see right through all of this stuff.

Democrats will have about 55 seats in senate in 2008.  All Leahy has to say is no Mr. President I will not bring his/her name to the floor.  He is the chairperson after all.  

Please stop attempting to scare people with Roe v Wade!

I don't see any attention from Barack Obama to this issue.  In fact, he seems pretty cavalierly in denial.  When asked about the growing divide in the party, he said, "I don't believe that's true.  That's just what people are saying."  He said he thought we would come together.  Of course, in his estimation that would happen naturally and magically, without any effort on his part.  Kind of like winning all of the uncommitted and four of Hillary's Michigan delegates as a fair "compromise."  Magic.  

Who the F do you think you are to tell anyone they're being "played"?  What do you think, you're the wise one and everyone else is naive?  Give me a break.  This posting is insulting and beyond ridiculous.  Play that.  

Not sure why anyone here should be so surprised.  Haven't you been paying attention to the last 8 years of Rovian politics of division?  

Maybe you think this shit doesn't happen anymore?  Any divisions within our party can and will be exploited to their fullest.  Believe it.

A way for Hilary supporters not to be played. Put her on the ticket. ok?

If not, yes, we resent the sexist media. Yes, we think Obama is unqualified. will that stop me from voting for Obama? No. Will it stop others--some women, some racists, some working class? Yes.

to Clinton supporters.  Clinton supporters, as Democrats, have always been aboard.  We've had our intra-party squabbles but it's all forgiven and forgotten just like intra-family squabbles are when the family is threatened.

McCain is a threat to our family and our country.  No matter which candidate we supported in the primary, we Democrats will not be defeated by a bunch of thugs.

My mother is 65 and has voted for every Democratic nominee since Humphrey in 1968. She is mad as hell and I was literally shocked when I visted her today and she told me she sent money to McCain and signed up to volunteer. The problem is real and if its ignored it could be big. Obama needs to make a an offer to Hillary of some kind. People need to forget about Bill Clinton, Hillary's most die hard supporters are FOR Hillary nothing to do with Bill. Obama-Clinton in my opinion might win 35 states, without Hillary he can still win but so can McCain is it worth the risk?

No shit.  Don't you think we are smart enough to figure that out?  However, the majority of people in that demographic are not on line, and his attempts there don't have anything to do their decision to vote for him. These people have been watching the campaign as it goes along and are madder than hell from their own observations of real life.

By getting involved in flame wars, or otherwise acting like assholes to fellow Dems, supporters of either candidate are just helping McCain.

Lets rip into McCain's shockingly ignorant ass rather than our allies.

good enough politician to have kept his seat for a long time. There is a huge rift right now in the Democratic Party. Why would it come as a surprise to anyone that McCain would try to exploit it? I haven't seen or heard anything out of Obama that would indicate he is doing anything to try and heal it, either. I hope he doesn't just assume that all of Hillary's supporters will come around and vote for him in November without any effort on his part. McCain's tactic would probably work like a charm, in that case.

more like a cranky racist with a smoker's cough

insulting. I did not get past that part.

I have not and am not being "played" by anyone.

I am aware, I am not a drone and I am not blind.

Progressive Blue

upstate girl, give me a break. The vitriol that you have been spilling on Hillary till date is almost equivalent to that of the Republicans.

Kindly stop trying to tell anyone out here that they can be taken advantage of. It smacks of double standards.

And how is McCain playing Clinton suppporters?  It sounds like he is doing what would be expected, go after what has already been abandoned by Obama.  What, he's supposed to do what Obama does?  Say, "we're the new party, we don't need blue collar, hispanics, seniors, "?  

Of course he would take what was given him.  That's smart.

Just reading this thread, it's incredible how much damage Hillary's "kitchen sink" strategy has done to the Democratic Party.  

This negative campaign strategy, advised for HIllary by anti-Democratic white misogynist men - Karl Rove, Pat Buchanon, Bill O'Reilly and Bill Kristol - was a big mistake on her part, and she has a lot of work to do to undo the damage she's done to the party.

Why the Clintons are so utterly unable to admit that they had a flawed strategy from the start - to ignore the caucus states and spend ALL their money weeks prior to Super Tuesday - is anyone's guess.  

Let's see, on the one hand you don't believe a thing a Rethug says, but when it goes your way, you do.

Believe what you want.  If this is really a strategy, they are doing it because Obama is the weaker candidate and they know it darned well and they will try to take advantage of it in every way they can.

You suck.  This has been the Republican game plan since Bush 1 but the non issues become more assinine with each cycle.  Barack Obama is the only man on earth whos words just dont matter.  Everyone BUT him speaks for him.  

Please dont draw your opinions on why you think are Obama supporters, please dont draw your associations on you think are Obama associaties.  Please draw you conclusions directly off the impressions you get from him.  His writings his words - hell I wasn't mad people got upset over bittergate it was the only thing he actually said even though he didn't mean it, and tried like heck to tell the world what he meant.

The real fact is we are engaged in a war of agression in Iraq under pretenses that got people hung in Nuremburg.  The real facts are we have ships floating around where they torture humans to within an inch of their lives.  The real facts are we have corporate interests unchecked feeding like vultures off the hard work of real Americans while they take the profit overseas.  The real facts are you are taking your life in your hands if drive on thousands of bridges in America.  The real facts are I just paid 54 bucks to fill up a Ford Focus.  If you're on the McCain side of all that despite what anyone including the devil has to say, whatever!

He doesn't have to play me, he's already got my support.

This is the least of Obama's worries. He needs to worry about all those old school dems and indies who are computer illiterate and are likely to vote for McCain. This post already rank with alibis in case he blows it is laughable. According to this if Obama loses it's all the fault of gullible Hillary supporters. Yep this sounds like a great way to unify the Democratic party.

Here ya go...

http://www.newshounds.us/2008/06/03/harr iet_christian_the_factuallychallenged_cr azed_hillary_clinton_supporter_and_youtu be_starofthe_day_appears_on_fox_business _news.php#more

calling hillary and her supporters evil and republicans...equating hill to mccain constantly (oh, i almost miss my days at the orange site).

they're surprised then by mccain's tactic? we're not stupid you know. i know the objective of why mccain would not be treating hill and her supporters like shit. that he's nice and respectful to her and her constituencies is supposed to be vile? what's vile is when your own family treats you like pond scum. all of a sudden we're obligated to hold hands and reconcile?

i feel like i'm in some sort of fantasy land. we're shoved aside and then it's also up to us to keep in line and make nice? it's you're either with us or against us 9the irony...after being repeatedly called republican and rovian). just infuckingcredible.

Give me a break!  You must have taken a creative writing course.  The only groups playing the Democrats are the media and the Obama campaign.  They're scared to death with their internal polls.

There is no such thing as a perfect candidate. However, I have never spoken to an Obama supporter who was willing to cite any flaws in their candidate...not one.

Most of us don't follow a candidate in lockstep...we do an evaluation of pros and cons, and arrive at a judgment as to which candidate is the best fit with our aspirations and goals for the country. The Obam-orons who speak of his brilliance, messenger of hope, and all that bullshit will be the first ones to turn on him in the unlikely event he is elected. Because there is no way he will be able to live up to their lofty expectations...nobody could.

My point is that having gone through my more intellectual approach, Senator Clinton was my first choice, McCain a distant second, and Barack a very distant third. For me, it's all very logical.

SO--it's very presumptuous of you to think that any one will be "playing" us, or needs to. Many of us will support John McCain on our own--albeit as the lesser of two evils--but with votes, money, and maybe a little shoe leather if we get really motivated.

There is no such thing as a perfect candidate. However, I have never spoken to an Obama supporter who was willing to cite any flaws in their candidate...not one.

Most of us don't follow a candidate in lockstep...we do an evaluation of pros and cons, and arrive at a judgment as to which candidate is the best fit with our aspirations and goals for the country. The Obam-orons who speak of his brilliance, messenger of hope, and all that bullshit will be the first ones to turn on him in the unlikely event he is elected. Because there is no way he will be able to live up to their lofty expectations...nobody could.

My point is that having gone through my more intellectual approach, Senator Clinton was my first choice, McCain a distant second, and Barack a very distant third. For me, it's all very logical.

SO--it's very presumptuous of you to think that any one will be "playing" us, or needs to. Many of us will support John McCain on our own--albeit as the lesser of two evils--but with votes, money, and maybe a little shoe leather if we get really motivated.