BitterSweet Choices:
For Undecided Consideration
by Tammy Fischer Labey
April 23rd, 2008
Yep, that's me; a White Female Baby Boomer (WFBB) having raised my daughter as a single mom now hoping to earn enough to
retire before my bones give out. So hear this, Mrs. Clinton: You may have built your reputation as a fighter, but you ain't the only
WFBB who knows how to get down and dirty. For starters, I will dip yet again into my retirement fund, go out to www.barackobama.
com and hit the donate button one more time, as will over a million others—not to beat the Republicans, but to make you go away.
Not that it is of any consequence to you if we are tapped out by the time convention rolls around. In fact many are starting to
speculate on your reasoning which most figure goes something like this: Your best case scenario is successfully managing to
strong arm enough Super Delegates into throwing you the nomination by using your formidable lawyer skills to make the "he can't
win" argument—having smeared, undermined, and attacked your opponent w/relentless innuendo, fabrications, and outright lies,
pushing all the right buttons.
Unsettling though your best case scenario may be to consider, the alternative provides us (your would be constituents) w/an
alarming insight into the jaded character that has become Hillary Clinton: Your campaign tactics all point to the inevitable
conclusion that your worst case scenario is to disable your same party opponent in the primary, paving the way to four more years
of a Republican White House where upon you regroup and have at it again, as the "I told you so" candidate in four years, while still
in your early sixties.
Clearly, all those years of experience have rendered you hardened to old school politics where you felt compelled to adopt the
tried and true "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" means to survival.
For love of country, woman, get a grip! Here's a thought: If you care so much about getting those great solutions of yours
implemented why not become a team player and pass the puck to the guy standing in front of the net! Your secret's safe w/me: By
and large, we white girls coming of age in the sixties were not exactly encouraged to play team sports. In fact we were much more
likely to write that term paper for our guy—as he trotted off to practice learning the art/value of being a team player—thus ensuring
his availability for a date on Friday night. It sucks; but the good news is we taught our daughters how to be team players by getting
them into the game early.
Ever consider it's just not meant to be, Hillary? Can't you take comfort in knowing you had eight years to make a difference as First
Lady and now as Senator? When you think about it you've had more shots on goal than most of us will ever realize, not least of
which represents your health care plan, which failed because you didn't know how and/or were not willing to be a team player. Just
think if you had been successful, all those people who's tragic stories of strife for lack of health care would have had better lives.
But then again, where would you get all those heart wrenching anecdotes your campaign is so eager to exploit?
Even among the elite circles in which you’ve spent most of your life, you are likely more often than not deferred to as the smartest
person in the room. Becoming the first former First Lady to be elected Senator, we happily anticipated the day you could take back
the White House in your own right. As your sisters in the women’s movement, we closed ranks, helping to protect you from the
elephant in the room; i.e. the acuity that your path to power gives new meaning to the adage “she slept her way to the top.”
Not that we think you did, mind you, just that it would have been easier to dismiss had there been clear boundaries drawn between
where your experience began (ducking sniper fire in Bosnia) and your husband’s administration ended. Regardless, we were all
but complicit in believing one could have her cake and it eat it too—knowing if anyone could find a way, it would be you. Tammy
Wynette notwithstanding, (having been at long last vindicated) we may or may not have deserved the egg we got on our face as a
result.
Hence we remained supportive of the inroads made therein: The now timeless iconic film clip captured in New Hampshire on the
eve of D-Day is indelibly burned into our national psyche. Seated in a relatively intimate venue a woman in the audience triggers
the moment w/an empathetic question in the wake of Iowa. Caught in the grip of an unexpected emotional wellspring you choke
back tears to speak thru the lump in your throat: “I just don’t want to see us go backwards, you know?”
Yes; we knew, and wanted to let you know we knew. It was personal. So New Hampshire Primary voters turned out to express their
support for you in the 11th hour, offering a second chance to recover from the Iowa surprise—where millions of voters across the
country had begun to believe hope lives.
Watching the returns from Minnesota, I was among those to make up my own mind the night Iowa stood up for Change; finding
Senator Barack Obama best suited to get the job done. The citizens of Iowa and Minnesota have long enjoyed trading spirited, if
off color, jokes/caricatures regarding the collective natures of our respective states. Suffice to say here we know Iowans to have
both feet rooted firmly on the ground. If Iowa (a swing state having gone red in 2004 after supporting your husband in 1992 and
1996, and Al Gore in 2000) could see the practicality in Barack Obama’s ethereal intrigue, we could indeed, make it happen.
Yet I understood, even welcomed, the New Hampshire show of support for your candidacy, Senator Clinton, not wanting you to
cede the job feeling less than appreciated—it being personal and all. That night you triumphantly took the podium in New
Hampshire to declare you had found your voice and—in what I believe to be a gross misinterpretation of your newfound support—
renew your commitment to do whatever it takes. At any rate, shortly thereafter, you then promptly proceeded—ironically, if not
tragically—to take us backwards; as evidenced by your subsequently negative campaign tactics. (John McCain: Take note.)
We get it: Just when it was supposed to be “your time” along comes a guy nearly 20 years your junior. Effortless in his eloquence,
the people sense something messianic in his message as he gives voice to the Change for which we yearn. Ever the quick study in
theatrics, you pivoted your campaign platform to embrace/espouse this thing called change—thereby inadvertently validating not
only its significance, but your opponent’s status as a substantive leader. But more to the point, you backed yourself into a corner
having realized too late the inherently insurmountable dilemma: By definition, the Change we seek challenges the status quo you
represent. (John McCain: Take note.)
Inexplicably befuddled for all your experience, you assert your womanhood as self evident personification of Change; which of
course, flies in the face of the feminist movement. Let me spell it out: Barack Obama does not speak to Change by being Black,
contrary to what Geraldine Ferraro seemed to believe. And while we’re at it, Change does not denote moving the goal posts in the
middle of the game. Change means working transparently across demographics to redefine how decisions are made in
Washington. (John McCain: Take note.)
The order couldn’t be taller, and requires out of the box thinking together w/a nimble infrastructure responsive to new ideas from
the bottom up—as represented by a fresh, yet tested persona untainted by over three decades of Washington experience. But
now maybe you feel it is "your turn" having paid your dues; planning, strategizing, possibly compromising your personal mores, to
achieve your personal objective. Here's another view: Maybe you are being tested/given one more chance to make the right
choice and stay true to yourself.
Speaking in terms of self-worth, I may not have made $20 million dollars last year, but every single penny of what I did earn was
made standing on my own two feet—after putting my ex husband thru college and then forfeiting any benefit (financial, social,
professional, or otherwise) to divorce in the face of his betrayal. That was my choice, and does not in any way reflect on your
choice presented w/the same dilemma. In fact, I supported your choice passionately to the people in my circles—effectively making
the impressive argument you had every right to stay married for your own reasons.
But whatever those reasons may be, we are defined by our choices. As every parent knows, kids—being smarter than we give
them credit for—listen to what we do, more than what we say. My choice resulted in a smaller house, downscaled social circle,
more bills and…a sense of peace. The point is that it came at a cost—as all choices do; I was prepared to pay the price for
regaining my sense of self, because the pain in my jaw from grinding my teeth at night was debilitating and I would’ve done almost
anything to relieve it. Your choice to do whatever it takes to advance yourself as the first woman to win the White House, I suspect,
has also cost you dearly.
Which, again, is all well and fine: as long as you pay your own bills. Your duplicity, however, as you stand in judgment of Senator
Obama’s deeply personal choice to maintain a relationship w/his minister even as you declare your own right to [choose one’s
family] in the face of your husband’s blatant self indulgence at the country’s expense begs to be called out for its barefaced
hypocrisy. I, for one, intend to do my level best to see that every single voter from here to Denver understands the price this
country has paid for electing un-trustworthy leadership of narcissistic character to represent the United States in the international
arena.
This fight has been yours to define dear sister of the sixties—in as much as it was initiated on your behalf at your insistence—and
the country’s to lose.
So know this, Mrs. Clinton: You may have persevered in Pennsylvania, but you lost all credibility and any moral authority you had
left by making false accusations, playing w/words in a transparent attempt to confuse the issues, obscure the truth, and
demonstrate your adeptness at that indispensible Washington insider skill: doublespeak.
And Mrs. Clinton: We the people/super delegates, et al are on to the disingenuous arguments you spent the last three decades
working to perfect, presumably because you concluded—during the six formative years of your early career sitting on the Wal-Mart
board—that’s what it takes. Perhaps you were right, in the past; which makes your thirty odd years of experience a liability this
country will not tolerate.
Not This Time.
As the math in the eye of the spin clearly illustrates, Americans understand we can no longer afford to look the other way and/or
derive public governance from corporate etiquette. We will find a way to force this fight into the light and win: Because we know we
must to regain our promise as Americans in the eyes of the world--and for all that is just.
For Undecided Consideration
by Tammy Fischer Labey
April 23rd, 2008
Yep, that's me; a White Female Baby Boomer (WFBB) having raised my daughter as a single mom now hoping to earn enough to
retire before my bones give out. So hear this, Mrs. Clinton: You may have built your reputation as a fighter, but you ain't the only
WFBB who knows how to get down and dirty. For starters, I will dip yet again into my retirement fund, go out to www.barackobama.
com and hit the donate button one more time, as will over a million others—not to beat the Republicans, but to make you go away.
Not that it is of any consequence to you if we are tapped out by the time convention rolls around. In fact many are starting to
speculate on your reasoning which most figure goes something like this: Your best case scenario is successfully managing to
strong arm enough Super Delegates into throwing you the nomination by using your formidable lawyer skills to make the "he can't
win" argument—having smeared, undermined, and attacked your opponent w/relentless innuendo, fabrications, and outright lies,
pushing all the right buttons.
Unsettling though your best case scenario may be to consider, the alternative provides us (your would be constituents) w/an
alarming insight into the jaded character that has become Hillary Clinton: Your campaign tactics all point to the inevitable
conclusion that your worst case scenario is to disable your same party opponent in the primary, paving the way to four more years
of a Republican White House where upon you regroup and have at it again, as the "I told you so" candidate in four years, while still
in your early sixties.
Clearly, all those years of experience have rendered you hardened to old school politics where you felt compelled to adopt the
tried and true "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" means to survival.
For love of country, woman, get a grip! Here's a thought: If you care so much about getting those great solutions of yours
implemented why not become a team player and pass the puck to the guy standing in front of the net! Your secret's safe w/me: By
and large, we white girls coming of age in the sixties were not exactly encouraged to play team sports. In fact we were much more
likely to write that term paper for our guy—as he trotted off to practice learning the art/value of being a team player—thus ensuring
his availability for a date on Friday night. It sucks; but the good news is we taught our daughters how to be team players by getting
them into the game early.
Ever consider it's just not meant to be, Hillary? Can't you take comfort in knowing you had eight years to make a difference as First
Lady and now as Senator? When you think about it you've had more shots on goal than most of us will ever realize, not least of
which represents your health care plan, which failed because you didn't know how and/or were not willing to be a team player. Just
think if you had been successful, all those people who's tragic stories of strife for lack of health care would have had better lives.
But then again, where would you get all those heart wrenching anecdotes your campaign is so eager to exploit?
Even among the elite circles in which you’ve spent most of your life, you are likely more often than not deferred to as the smartest
person in the room. Becoming the first former First Lady to be elected Senator, we happily anticipated the day you could take back
the White House in your own right. As your sisters in the women’s movement, we closed ranks, helping to protect you from the
elephant in the room; i.e. the acuity that your path to power gives new meaning to the adage “she slept her way to the top.”
Not that we think you did, mind you, just that it would have been easier to dismiss had there been clear boundaries drawn between
where your experience began (ducking sniper fire in Bosnia) and your husband’s administration ended. Regardless, we were all
but complicit in believing one could have her cake and it eat it too—knowing if anyone could find a way, it would be you. Tammy
Wynette notwithstanding, (having been at long last vindicated) we may or may not have deserved the egg we got on our face as a
result.
Hence we remained supportive of the inroads made therein: The now timeless iconic film clip captured in New Hampshire on the
eve of D-Day is indelibly burned into our national psyche. Seated in a relatively intimate venue a woman in the audience triggers
the moment w/an empathetic question in the wake of Iowa. Caught in the grip of an unexpected emotional wellspring you choke
back tears to speak thru the lump in your throat: “I just don’t want to see us go backwards, you know?”
Yes; we knew, and wanted to let you know we knew. It was personal. So New Hampshire Primary voters turned out to express their
support for you in the 11th hour, offering a second chance to recover from the Iowa surprise—where millions of voters across the
country had begun to believe hope lives.
Watching the returns from Minnesota, I was among those to make up my own mind the night Iowa stood up for Change; finding
Senator Barack Obama best suited to get the job done. The citizens of Iowa and Minnesota have long enjoyed trading spirited, if
off color, jokes/caricatures regarding the collective natures of our respective states. Suffice to say here we know Iowans to have
both feet rooted firmly on the ground. If Iowa (a swing state having gone red in 2004 after supporting your husband in 1992 and
1996, and Al Gore in 2000) could see the practicality in Barack Obama’s ethereal intrigue, we could indeed, make it happen.
Yet I understood, even welcomed, the New Hampshire show of support for your candidacy, Senator Clinton, not wanting you to
cede the job feeling less than appreciated—it being personal and all. That night you triumphantly took the podium in New
Hampshire to declare you had found your voice and—in what I believe to be a gross misinterpretation of your newfound support—
renew your commitment to do whatever it takes. At any rate, shortly thereafter, you then promptly proceeded—ironically, if not
tragically—to take us backwards; as evidenced by your subsequently negative campaign tactics. (John McCain: Take note.)
We get it: Just when it was supposed to be “your time” along comes a guy nearly 20 years your junior. Effortless in his eloquence,
the people sense something messianic in his message as he gives voice to the Change for which we yearn. Ever the quick study in
theatrics, you pivoted your campaign platform to embrace/espouse this thing called change—thereby inadvertently validating not
only its significance, but your opponent’s status as a substantive leader. But more to the point, you backed yourself into a corner
having realized too late the inherently insurmountable dilemma: By definition, the Change we seek challenges the status quo you
represent. (John McCain: Take note.)
Inexplicably befuddled for all your experience, you assert your womanhood as self evident personification of Change; which of
course, flies in the face of the feminist movement. Let me spell it out: Barack Obama does not speak to Change by being Black,
contrary to what Geraldine Ferraro seemed to believe. And while we’re at it, Change does not denote moving the goal posts in the
middle of the game. Change means working transparently across demographics to redefine how decisions are made in
Washington. (John McCain: Take note.)
The order couldn’t be taller, and requires out of the box thinking together w/a nimble infrastructure responsive to new ideas from
the bottom up—as represented by a fresh, yet tested persona untainted by over three decades of Washington experience. But
now maybe you feel it is "your turn" having paid your dues; planning, strategizing, possibly compromising your personal mores, to
achieve your personal objective. Here's another view: Maybe you are being tested/given one more chance to make the right
choice and stay true to yourself.
Speaking in terms of self-worth, I may not have made $20 million dollars last year, but every single penny of what I did earn was
made standing on my own two feet—after putting my ex husband thru college and then forfeiting any benefit (financial, social,
professional, or otherwise) to divorce in the face of his betrayal. That was my choice, and does not in any way reflect on your
choice presented w/the same dilemma. In fact, I supported your choice passionately to the people in my circles—effectively making
the impressive argument you had every right to stay married for your own reasons.
But whatever those reasons may be, we are defined by our choices. As every parent knows, kids—being smarter than we give
them credit for—listen to what we do, more than what we say. My choice resulted in a smaller house, downscaled social circle,
more bills and…a sense of peace. The point is that it came at a cost—as all choices do; I was prepared to pay the price for
regaining my sense of self, because the pain in my jaw from grinding my teeth at night was debilitating and I would’ve done almost
anything to relieve it. Your choice to do whatever it takes to advance yourself as the first woman to win the White House, I suspect,
has also cost you dearly.
Which, again, is all well and fine: as long as you pay your own bills. Your duplicity, however, as you stand in judgment of Senator
Obama’s deeply personal choice to maintain a relationship w/his minister even as you declare your own right to [choose one’s
family] in the face of your husband’s blatant self indulgence at the country’s expense begs to be called out for its barefaced
hypocrisy. I, for one, intend to do my level best to see that every single voter from here to Denver understands the price this
country has paid for electing un-trustworthy leadership of narcissistic character to represent the United States in the international
arena.
This fight has been yours to define dear sister of the sixties—in as much as it was initiated on your behalf at your insistence—and
the country’s to lose.
So know this, Mrs. Clinton: You may have persevered in Pennsylvania, but you lost all credibility and any moral authority you had
left by making false accusations, playing w/words in a transparent attempt to confuse the issues, obscure the truth, and
demonstrate your adeptness at that indispensible Washington insider skill: doublespeak.
And Mrs. Clinton: We the people/super delegates, et al are on to the disingenuous arguments you spent the last three decades
working to perfect, presumably because you concluded—during the six formative years of your early career sitting on the Wal-Mart
board—that’s what it takes. Perhaps you were right, in the past; which makes your thirty odd years of experience a liability this
country will not tolerate.
Not This Time.
As the math in the eye of the spin clearly illustrates, Americans understand we can no longer afford to look the other way and/or
derive public governance from corporate etiquette. We will find a way to force this fight into the light and win: Because we know we
must to regain our promise as Americans in the eyes of the world--and for all that is just.
| Just think if you had been successful, all those people who's tragic stories of strife for lack of health care would have had better lives. |
| "I just don't want to see us go backwards, you know?” |
| ...your path to power gives new meaning to the adage “she slept her way to the top.” |
| If Iowa could see the practicality in Barack Obama's ethereal intrigue, we could indeed, make it happen. |
| By definition [Sen Clinton] the Change we seek challenges the status quo you represent. |
 |  |  |  |  |
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