Tuesday night at at the convention was all about Hillary Clinton. Would she come around and give the speech she needed to in order to unify the base, or would she subliminally lay the groundwork for 2012? Well honestly, I didn’t catch most of her speech. I had a floor pass but the fire marshall shut the floor down and blocked off every exit. The Democrats seem to have given everyone floor passes. There are guests, special guests, celebrities, and a large contingent of foreign nationals (including Indians and Pakistanis) who I guess are here to “observe democracy” (cough cough…hanging chads). All of this is just going to reinforce the image of the Democrats and Obama as the party of vanity. But I wasn’t too bummed about missing parts of her speech because there was lots of interesting stuff happening in the halls of the Pepsi Center. People were clustered around television sets waiting to see if she would stick a knife in him or lift him up. I’m astounded by how politically intelligent EVERY delegate here seems to be.
So did Hillary succeed in getting her devotees to vote for Obama? The best poll out there this morning will be my mom. She is one of the PUMAs (Party Unity My Ass) . She was a Hillary supporter who refused to vote for Obama. Ravi and I have been stalking the forrests of Denver looking for desi PUMAs but with to avail. I explained to my mom that abstaining would be the same as a vote for McCain but she just said “*grumble grumble* Hillary was very qualified *grumble grumble.*” I think she will come around and stick to voting as a Democrat, but I will call her this morning to ask her (She’s currently at Bally’s so I am unable to reach her). In the meantime I am a little worried. All she asked me for was to get Bill or Hillary’s autograph while I was here. Only two days left!
My mom’s a total Puma. I’ll tell her she’s in excellent company, with YoMom.
I think a lot of older Indians (including my father) have difficulty voting for Barack because of his Muslim ancestry. This Hindu/Muslim thing runs pretty deep even for people who are quite intelligent.
I just don’t get this PUMA thing. Clinton’s and Obama’s positions on nearly all issues are identical. So maybe a PUMA is really a Republican in disguise, or someone who has suddenly lost all her thinking skills!
What did you just say about my mom?
can we have some PUMA clarification? Are the relatives just PUMA-sympathetic or self-identified as PUMAs? And did Mike “Exterminate Jew Power” Peters show up?
4 · Abhi said
Yeah! What Abhi said!
“Ravi and I have been stalking the forrests of Denver looking for desi PUMAs but with to avail.”
What about that male South Asian PUMA featured on The Daily Show as part of a group of disgruntled Hillary supporters who need healing time?:) He was the one who said, in his most smug, sarcastic voice, that he wouldn’t be voting for “Barack Hussein (emphasis) Obama.” With Democrats like that, who needs Republicans?
Hillary’s speech had conviction in it, but it lacked the substance needed to motivate the PUMAs. She was stressing more on why not to vote for McCain. “You can’t vote for McCain, and I’m not in the race – so you have no choice but to vote for Obama” seemed to be the message.
Yes. There’s a choice. PUMAs can choose to do nothing on election day.
One thing’s for sure: If Obama does not get elected, the Democratic party will see an upheaval that’s not happened in a century.
M. Nam
YOO HOO to your moms :-). Mothers do know best…sometimes!
About finding desi PUMAs in Denver, I know of two Texan Hillary delegates who’re desi and PUMA-ish, like Ann Price Mills. They may/can not be openly PUMA, but they could lead you to others who are.
Another great place is the PUMA headquarters, and there should be desis there as well – a Pakistani girl who grew up in Lebanon (very attractive) whom I’d met in Virginia and who comments on the Confluence.
And to the others, the vast majority of PUMAs are not usually racist/Muslim-phobic, etc. On the contrary.
My evil twin, really wants obama to loose due to McCains/VRWC secret muslim/negative campaign. It would be fun watching McBush deal with second leg of the recession. Dems would split into what will become two main parties of two party system and cons would be wiped out completely. Getting McBush elected would be the “final solution” to the conservative menace.
Must… resist… jokes… about…
Abhi: Not just your Mom 🙂 At the risk of being labelled as a Male Chauvanist “Ham”, aren’t all females more or less categorized as: Puma, Wild cat? Grrrrrrrrrrr, Grrrrrrrrr, Watch out!! They don’t need boots to walk all over you. I am just saying;) Seriously, stop looking for Puma and do some detailed meaningful reporting – In the words of CM “tell me something I don’t know”.
2 · atool said
Wow. I didn’t even realize that was an issue in the South Asian community. I feel totally Pollyana-ish.
On another note, does anyone’s dad have a problem with the fact that Hillary’s ancestors were probably slave owners and tea stealing, opium selling imperialists? Just wondering.
“On another note, does anyone’s dad have a problem with the fact that Hillary’s ancestors were probably slave owners and tea stealing, opium selling imperialists? Just wondering.”
Uh, Faiqa, what is that supposed to mean? Children are guilty of the sins of their fathers? Anyway, I think it’s pretty disgusting if someone is afraid of voting for Barack because of some secret Muslim voodoo, but, frankly, it may be a projection of the Obama supporter above. Do you have any proof that is why some older desi’s have trouble with Obama because of that? Don’t go there. It’s not fair. People can have genuine reservations about Obama’s candidacy without being a bigot.
Here’s a hint from a Republican who thinks all the candidates, right and left, have significant deficits: try the soft sell. Maybe, just maybe, experience teaches you a thing or two about life, and a young and inexperienced, although talented, man is a hard sell to someone who has seen a lot and is significantly older.
Try: I understand you are nervous about his lack of experience, but, …fill in the blank (I can’t, but I’m sure some of you can) Try: I know. It’s tough. She ran a great campaign and it is disappointing, but now, I think, we just have to do our best with the choices that are left. And I think, despite what you think of Obama compared to Hillary, it is still in our best political interests to support Obama. Perhaps Obama could pledge something? An important position for a woman, or women, up front in the administration? I dunno. Just brainstorming.
Etc. Etc. Says MD who used to be a Clinton supporter in the 90s. Try the soft sell, Obama supporters, and show some respect to the elders….let them vent, understand their objections, and engage them thoughtfully and gently. They have valid points. So, don’t be afraid to discuss them respectfully. Okay, lecture over.
My impression of PUMA psychology….HRC standins like Ferraro were trying to create the impression that Obama is where he is because of some kind of affirmative action. But women of their age have been the biggest beneficiaries of affirmative action in education & employment. I am not saying it was easy for them in the face of male chauvinism, but they should at least consider how silly that assertion sounds coming from white women from upper middle class backgrounds who benefited from “positive discrimination”. I am against race based AA but I think not being able to recognize Obama’s accomplishments as the product of his intellect & personality is indicative of some kind of prejudice. Before I get jumped on I am not saying that people who prefer HRC are racist, I am just questioning those who feel that Obama’s success is completely undeserved. These PUMAs will wonder how sensible their scorched earth tactics are when their little Bobbys/Rajeshes get drafted
Ummm, MD? I’m Muslim. I was responding to someone else’s comment that Obama’s heritage might preclude their parents from voting for him. My conflation of Hillary and imperialism and slave owning was directed at creating a sense of irony. It’s called sarcasm.
Better reasons for older desis to not vote for Obama are:
Most older desis are on the verge of retirement and will count on Capital gains and dividends for future income. Obama has promised to tax these more.
Obama’s healthcare plan will reduce choices for them when they need it most – in their old age.
The Democratic party’s estate taxation policies will ensure that it will be more difficult to bequeath property to their children or grandchildren.
Most if them bought their homes in the 70’s/80’s and have paid it off by saving diligently. Obama will now punish them by taxing them more to bail out those home-owners who speculated in the bubble and are under water.
M. Nam
15 · louiecypher said
So true! Geraldine ‘the original PUMA’ Ferraro has certainly gone off the deep end! Of course Obama has worked the system (possibly affirmative action, a black power base, etc. etc.) to get to where he is. And so too has Ms. Ferraro herself in different ways, and so too the Clintons, Bushes, Gores, et al. But from my observations over a long time, it’s so much harder for a black man to reach the heights that Obama has reached, than for white women who actually have been quite pampered lately. No wonder Ms. Ferraro has been banished to Fox News to offer her ‘fair and balanced’ opinion there!
Abhi listen to yo Dad … enough with this puma stuff. The problem with discussions of serious issues in this country is that we are constantly diverted into talk about the political equivalent of a jerry springer show which only helps us elect the wrong people.
More about “PUMA” the PAC. It was started by a McCain supporter, who never made any donations to Clinton!
http://pandagon.net/index.php/site/comments/pumas_are_swiftboats_darragh_murphy/
All McCain has is the dirty tricks to get a shot at this election.
susan estrich was on fox saying 50% of clinton supporters aren’t going to vote obama, which means he’s toast. i hear trading contracts for a repub woman VP are soaring. if mccain goes that route it could be the endgame.
i fear clinton’s strategy to divide the party along race, religion, and gender lines has worked. there’s now a good cop/bad cop show going on with hill/bubba, with her saying the right things while bubba undemines him. He continues to bring up the explosive issue of race, perhaps in coordination with mccain (cough, hugh rodham, cough), saying he’s not prepared to be prez, and won’t be attending his speech…sending a clear signal to his many supporters.
meanwhile, prominant hilary fundraiser like Lynn de rothschild are sying they are not voting for obama. begalia and carville are undercutting him, and clinton supporters say the speech didn’t heal.
the clinton’s are set up to take the party back if obama doesn’t come up with a second act.
19 · nil said
The problem with comments like yours is that it’s presumptuous to assume that some of our readers don’t want to read posts like this. This topic is hardly Springer-esque.
There are and will be other “serious” posts, about different aspects of the convention, as soon as our bloggers have the opportunity to write them. Instead of typing unproductive comments, please keep that in mind.
I think a very important part of her speech was when she asked people if they were voting for her name or the soldier in Iraq or the family that is dealing with the choice of cancer drugs or food or that family that is losing their home.
These Puma’s were voting for a name and couldnt give a damn about the issues and that’s a fact jack!!!
High five’s self for finally getting to say “Thats a fact jack”
Fox is full of S-tothe-H-tothe-I-tothe-T. Barry will win; Michelle will rule. I will visit the USA sometime next year for the first time, to witness real change. It should be a riot.
7 · Whose God is it anyways? said
I believe a child psychologist’s methods were deployed to ‘convert’ them. The most common complaints I’ve seen from PUMAs are:
translate this into desi terms:
I think this constant focus on the puma story gives a slanted view of this race, it is a story that is sensationalistic and it helps sell a certain viewpoint but misses the big picture in this election, I was commenting on that. I’ll move on.
I dont think so. According to a poll done a while back, most Americans would rather vote for a Black man than a white woman. Amrika is soo third world, when it comes to electing women to political office!
I dont think so. According to a poll done a while back, most Americans would rather vote for a Black man than a white woman. Amrika is soo third world, when it comes to electing women to political office!
Point 1: A lot of third world (or developing) countries have elected women leaders
Like …………………….India, Israel, Chile, Liberia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Argentina, wagehera, wagerhera. During the most trubulent times in terms of external pressures……….both India (around 1972) and Israel (Munich Olympics, Yom Kippur War), both of them female leaders.
Point 2: Some of them come from powerful families (with powerful fathers and husbands) but some don’t.
Point 3: Some factiods from Africa (source CS Monitor)
• Rwanda has the world’s highest ratio of women in parliament – 49 percent. Also, of the 50 legislatures with the most female members, 11 are in Africa.
• South Africa’s recently installed deputy president is a woman – as are the vice presidents of Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
• Five members of Sudan’s new postwar cabinet are women – a significant increase from the last one.
Point 4: Maybe, from India, you have heard of Mayawati (she does not come from connected family – husband or father). She is one of the most powerful politican in India at present, only second to Sonia Gandhi.
21 · Manju said
GOP’s rapid response team in action 😉
Meanwhile we hear Arnold is going to skip the GOP convention altogether.
26 · nil said
The impact of PUMAs on the general election will become the new hot almost-non-falsifiable proposition (last year? God! No God!…God!)
Is Huma a Puma? It’d only be huma’.
You so called PUMA voters are complete idiots. Even Ralph Nadar voters, who brought us Bush, voted for someone they agree with. You people (yes, I’m talking down to you) plan to vote for someome who wholly and completely disagrees and will destroy everything your beloved Hillary stands for. You are incredibly stupid, swayed by foolish emotions based on non existent slights. Even Rush Limbaughs Dittoheads have more intellect and sense than you do. You, the PUMA voter, are an imbecile.
“I believe a child psychologist’s methods were deployed to ‘convert’ them.”
That was very funny, especially Samantha Bee’s song. Looking forward to The Daily Show’s take on Hillary Clinton’s speech (which was actually quite good. Although some of Michelle Obama’s expressions were priceless – but she tried very hard).
As for the Florida/Michigan thing, didn’t Clinton herself agree not to count their votes last year? And, according to another thread, South Asians and cutting queues go together, so South Asian PUMAs (an acronym that’s rather disrespectful to and does no justice to the graceful, elegant cat given the specimens they’ve been pushing on TV :)) should love Obama.
These jolly jamborees make for very entertaining/sometimes cringeworthy viewing.
Faiqa Oh. Okay. I guess. Sarcasm tag might have helped me out, ’cause, I read your post a couple times and still don’t get it. Seriously, I don’t get how your point is a sarcastic rebuttal to the point the other commenter was making, but, maybe I’m just being dense. I got that you were responding, I just didn’t get the point you were making.
*Actually, take back what I said. Remind PUMAS about what they don’t like about John McCain and see if you can get them upset enough with the idea of a McCain presidency so that they are voting against McCain and not for Obama. That might make them feel better about the whole thing.
**Aren’t a lot of those women elected in parliamentary systems, and not for Presidency, so that people are voting for a party. If that were the case here, wouldn’t Pelosi be the Prime Minister or something? Yikes.
lets see, we got k baily hutch, condi, todd whitman, liz dole…hmmm? i got a feeling its going to be a woman vp.
This PUMA thing is scary. I was very much pro Clinton but there is NO WAY I will a) not vote or b) vote for McBush. It must be Obama all the way at this point. At some point one has to look at the bigger picture. The “lack of experience” thing does not cut it for me. Look at what our esteemed, experienced, ex-Gov has brought us to.
amen Chaos!
Though to nitpick, they probably won’t be voting for McCain – they just won’t be voting for anybody. Which frankly is just as good as a vote for the old geezer.
There are many indian-americans with that petty and obscene mentality, including right here at sepiamutiny. Recall all those smug and sarcastic chauvinists who railed against Governor Bobby Jindal for converting to catholicism: how they went on and on ad nauseam mocking his american name “Bobby”.
This is the underlying assumption of quite a few Obama supporters who do not like Clintons, however Clintons at least have a track record on the ISSUES.
If (God forbid) Obama loses this election then it will be Obama’s loss, at the moment it is his and his campaign’s JOB to persuade Clinton supporters, he is not going to win this without their support.
32 · Chaos said
You know what’s classy? Intentionally cursing the Mothers of two of the bloggers on this site, which you are under no obligation to visit or spew on.
And you, Crimson– what are you “Amen”ing?
Make your points without being jerks, if you are capable of such a thing.
Abhi, couldn’t you ask your aunt to give your mother a call?
Between yours and Ravi’s reporting, it sounds like a couple of undergrads sneaking into frat parties to report on the girls. Let’s have some insightful and thoughtful posts. Some insightful reporting into Deomocratic players developing policies affecting India, technology, medicine, etc.
Dude ‘v.v. varaiyyaa’ get a blog of your own and start blogging. If you are good people will visit and read your insightful and thoughtful posts.
42 · v.v. varaiyyaa. said
Uncle?? Is that you?
No offense to the bloggers (I’m enjoying the posts!!), but–that would tend to, err–lurch in the direction of–err–non-Democratic policies–i.e., if you care about free-trade creating jobs in India and in the US (contra Warner), progress in medicine/pharm (which requires a robust capitalism/venture capital), etc. Or so my little birdie tells me! 😉
21 · Manju said
Thanks again for your concern. Look forward to seeing you at the Obama inauguration along with the Clintons and James Carville.
Lets face it, any “PUMA” who still refuses to vote for Obama even after both Hillary and Bill Clinton have so unreservedly endorsed him is exposing his/her overriding reason for supporting Hillary: her sex and/or her race; rather than her ideology.
You have to wonder what kind of a feminist would prefer McCain who voted against equal pay for equal work, just to spite Obama who championed that core feminist agenda.
46 · Dr AmNonymous said
won’t you be at the cynthis mckinny’s bash sipping flat champaign with robert mugabe or something?
Lets face it, any “PUMA” who still refuses to vote for Obama even after both Hillary and Bill Clinton have so unreservedly endorsed him is exposing his/her overriding reason for supporting Hillary: her sex and/or her race; rather than her ideology.
Not quite.
Any PUMA who still refuses to vote for Obama is doing so because he/she is not persuaded by Obama and his campaign. Why are you assuming that a PUMA’s indecisiveness (or a lean towards McCain) is out of spite for Obama. It could be that he/she is genuinely not persuaded that Obama IS the right person to be the president – even after a hearty endorsement from Clintons.
I really – REALLY! Hope that Obama campaign is smarter than most of the commentators on this board and starts working to win PUMA’s over, if Obama’s guys cannot get the PUMA votes then – tell me – what sort of chance they have to sway independent voters?
45 · rob said
I recall robust VC investment & “liquidity events” during Clinton’s reign (party like it’s 1999?). I credit the Repubs for much of the philosophy behind that but the Dems have since coopted it and won’t give it back. You’ll find protectionists like Huckabee & Buchanan among the Repubs and Kucinich in the Dem party these days, I don’t think there is much difference between the two parties on this matter