"I think...she'll be a greater president even than her brilliant husband"

[SaveElmer]

So sayeth the legendary George McGovern as he endorsed Hillary in Iowa this weekend...

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- George McGovern, the former South Dakota senator and presidential candidate, endorsed Hillary Clinton in Iowa City on Saturday.

"I think that if we can elect her president, she'll be a greater president even than her brilliant husband," McGovern told the crowd gathered in a hot barn at the Johnson County Democrats' annual barbeque.

Organizers estimated 1,800 people showed up for the event, calling it the biggest crowd in the barbeque's history and noting they had to run out twice for more food.

McGovern talked about the challenges Clinton and her then-boyfriend Bill Clinton faced when they helped run his organization in Texas during his 1972 presidential campaign, predicting he would have an easier time selling her in Iowa than she did selling him in Texas.

He praised Sens. John Edwards and Barack Obama and said he hoped to live to see America elect a black president, but said, "We have an old rule of courtesy in the United States: Ladies first."

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/10/07/400814.aspx

[slick8790]

1. Stupid.

"He praised Sens. John Edwards and Barack Obama and said he hoped to live to see America elect a black president, but said, "We have an old rule of courtesy in the United States: Ladies first."

That's one of the worst reasons i've ever heard for an endorsement over others.

[Rhythm and Blue]

2. That would be a laugh line.

The reasons for endorsement would be above that.

[slick8790]

4. Even so, I think it's ridiculous to give anyone extra points simply for their gender or race.

What happened to the best candidate?

[Rhythm and Blue]

6. That would be what he is talking about right above his joke.

"I think that if we can elect her president, she'll be a greater president even than her brilliant husband," McGovern told the crowd gathered in a hot barn at the Johnson County Democrats' annual barbeque.

Organizers estimated 1,800 people showed up for the event, calling it the biggest crowd in the barbeque's history and noting they had to run out twice for more food.

McGovern talked about the challenges Clinton and her then-boyfriend Bill Clinton faced when they helped run his organization in Texas during his 1972 presidential campaign, predicting he would have an easier time selling her in Iowa than she did selling him in Texas.

He's saying, "She'll be the best president and she'll be a strong candidate." Her gender is thrown in at the end as a joke. He is not actually saying that we should elect her because she's a woman, nor did he include that in the reasons to vote for her. It might have been a stupid joke, but it's still only a joke.

[Enrique]

23. you think George McGovern is stating a policy position here?

do you think he is advocating that African American males should actually let white women be president first?

Gee, that's horrible.

[slick8790]

31. I think it's a stupid joke, and even if he isn't serious,

there are a good number of people who say that and are.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. "We have an old rule of courtesy in the United States: Ladies first."

What McGovern says in jest, I see literally. This is the single best reason to support her. Sad indeed.

[woodsprite]

10. I don't see gender OR race as a single

most important reason to vote for anyone. I'm voting for whomever I think can get the job done. I say only their experience and vision for the future of America count.

[shain from kane]

30. And on the Titanic, right before it sunk to the bottom. n/t

[Larkspur]

5. McGovern endorsed Wes Clark in '04

Hope its the kiss of death to Hillary's campaign too.

[wyldwolf]

12. that trouncing Dean took in 2004 is still bitter to you, isn't it?

[Larkspur]

27. It's 2007, not 2004

Move On, buddy

[wyldwolf]

29. ..and you can't let go of the past. "If Howie can't be president (sniff) NO ONE CAN!"

[Larkspur]

40. Are you feeling guilty about Hillary deceiving the American public about her positions?

Prove to me that I ever said "If Howie can't be president (sniff) NO ONE CAN!" Prove it. Where's the direct quote where I said that?

You can't prove it because I NEVER SAID it and my past support of Howard Dean has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with my disdain for the Clintons. I've NEVER BEEN A SUPPORTER of the Clintons. My mother, an FDR Democrat, back in 1992 saw right through Bill Clinton. She saw him for the philanderer (look it up in the dictionary, buddy) that he still is today. We only voted for him in 1992 because Bush I was clueless. My mother did not vote for him in 1996. I held my nose in 1996 and voted for Bill because the Dems had lost Congress and Bill was all we had against the Repuke agenda.

I've never donated any time or money to Bill Clinton's campaign and will donate the same amount to Hillary's.

Your thinned skinned retorts to those of us opposed to the Corporate Welfare Queens, the Clintons, makes me think that you feeling guilty about Hillary deceiving the American people about her true stances on Iraq, trade, etc?

[wyldwolf]

41. nope, because she hasn't done that.

[Larkspur]

42. Denial. the sign of a blind disciple of the Clintons

[wyldwolf]

43. do you have an example to share?

[Trajan]

7. I have spent much of my DU time ....

Deflecting the undeserved criticism from other candidate partisans here at DU against Hillary .....

I have spent considerable time at DU deflecting the undeserved criticism from Hillary partisans here at DU against OTHER candidates and their supporters .....

I should note that I am neither a paid operative of any campaign, nor am I associated with any specific candidate campaign organization : I am just a 'Regular Joe' Democrat ....

Frankly: I must tell the candidate partisans (Candisans ?) : I am not a member of their target audience .... I am not a mark at at Carney Midway .... I am not here to be manipulated by candidate sales pitches ....

I know that; One can claim that Hillary's candidacy is moving towards an 'inevitable' conclusion, but one might also more correctly claim that the other candidates are failing to catch on, and the 'inevitability' of their demise as candidates is more at play than a wellspring of affection for Hillary ....

It is near time for the Hillary Candisans to 'back off' on the paid announcements ..... To stop slamming us with glowing stories of their candidate's heroic stands on the issues .... We can see there are no heroics involved here: Just cynical posturing and triangulating .....

It is near time for the campaign functionaries at DU to act as INTERMEDIARIES for us : To take what WE say, and relay it to their boss, so SHE can know where we stand ....

Do you hear what I am saying; Hillary Campaign operative who is posting INCESSANTLY in DU on their candidates behalf, with or without compensation ?

It is almost time to STOP hounding us, and start working FOR us .....

Start HOUNDING HER .... about what WE want .... We want her to be strong .. But we WILL NOT TOLERATE ANY associations with the dangerous Neocons of AEI/PNAC/HERITAGE/WHATEVERGROUPTHEYARENOW .... NO WARS FOR MONEY, OIL or PRIDE ..... NO more privatization of a nation's venerable institutions ..... DUMP the Blackwater's of the world from the US payroll NOW ! ... and REALLY support our troops by helping their families go to college and get decent jobs that pay the bills .......

We want her to be fiscally wise; But we expect her to SUPPORT working men and women .. and STOP exporting our jobs abroad ..... We expect her to SUPPORT unions, pensions, higher wages, lower energy prices, alternative energy sources, environmentally safe policies ....

There is much that DUers dont like about her: IF she expects to win the general election: She better hear what we have to say .....

And YOU had better tell her ..... This is not a one way street .....

You have subjected us to this barrage of sales pitches .... now go tell your boss we have a few bones to pick with her ......

And tell her soon ....

[SaveElmer]

8. ...

:eyes:

[Trajan]

13. Yes ....

We > mouth

You > conduit

Hillary > ear

[SaveElmer]

17. WHat makes you think I have Hillary's ear?

[Trajan]

19. I said 'Campaign Operative' .....

IF the shoe fits ..... then we expect you to work on our behalf ....

If you are just a simple citizen who has the time to burn to post these messages every 15 or so minutes, day in and day out, rain or shine, WITHOUT any connection whatsoever to the Hillary Campaign ... Then pardon me ... I wasnt speaking to you ....

But then again: If you have worked THIS hard here, working US over with proHillary threads breaking on us like waves on a beach in a hurricaine .... Then perhaps you could work just as hard letting her know how pissed off her base is .....

Is it ALL about telling us about her ? .... You cannot work just as hard to tell her about us ? ....

What's that about ???

And: If you ARE paid ... then: it does apply to you .....

[SaveElmer]

24. Then my opriginal reply stands...

:eyes:

Some form of this attack has been leveled at Hillary supporters here for months...

I know it is absolutely inconceivable to "progressives" that anyone would genuinely support her...but get used to it...it is happening...and I am an example...

And what is more amusing is that you would think Hillary's campaign would sped two seconds worrying about opposition to her on DU...

As to the "base" I have to ask who you believe that to be...?

[Trajan]

25. I believe all campaigns have a paid voice in DU

The Democratic base would be ALL the voters who are not republicans ..... or more rightist ....

And yes .... I am sure all the campaigns recognize the power of the blogosphere ..... There is no doubt about that .....

[Rhythm and Blue]

26. Then they're wasting money if they are.

Political partisans work for free, and are far more creative. They don't have to have guerilla marketers on DU; we do that for them.

[SaveElmer]

28. ...

1. If you view the base s the totality of Democratic voters than you are mistaken in your view that she has angeed them...in fact polls clearly indicate just the opposite..

2. How exactly has this "power" of the blogosphere manifested itself...

[dionysus]

44. spot on! you should make this post it's own thread

[OwnedByFerrets]

9. He has the right to his opinion....

he also has the right to be wrong.

[shain from kane]

11. "...the biggest crowd in the barbeque's history..." NEWS FLASH: Free food draws a crowd.

[wyldwolf]

14. NEWSFLASH: It was free last year, too. And the year before.. and so on.

[Rhythm and Blue]

15. Are you suggesting that previous barbecues did not have food?

:eyes:

[shain from kane]

18. I'm sure there were barrels and barrels of pork, as promised.

[Rhythm and Blue]

21. Heh.

Clever.
:toast:

[smalll]

20. Of course not. Last year at the Johnson County Democrats' Annual Barbeque,

they gave out free camp chairs. In 2005, they got Ryan Seacrest to MC. This year's gimmic was food. Grow up, will you? ;)

[Rhythm and Blue]

22. Now, if they had roasted Ryan Seacrest on a spit instead,

the attendance would have been through the roof.

[smalll]

16. George McGovern? DINO!

spineless Corporocrat! DLC shill! Goddam neocon PNACking, Bush-enabling war monger! :sarcasm:

[Zandor]

33. Wait until Gore endorses Hillary

You aint seen nuthin yet.

[smalll]

36. That will be a day to remember.

I can also see the Gore endorsement coming around the Iowa caucuses. Maybe just after she wins them. Around here it might set us up for the last great hurrah of the "Dean Was The Frontrunner Too, So Hillary's Doomed" meme. ("Gore endorsed Dean too! OMG! She's going down!")

[Zandor]

37. But how do the Gore worshipper/Hillary haters reconcile it?

I predict exploding heads.

[Rhythm and Blue]

39. By ignoring it.

Just like the "Wes Clark Democrats" who still hate Hillary.

[Nederland]

46. Not really

Gore is DLC. Always has been.

[bigdarryl]

32. your DRUNK!!!!

[Rhythm and Blue]

35. ...

ohhh...kay...

[IndianaGreen]

34. Any Democrat that follows Bush to the White House will be rated as great by comparison!

Heck, even Bush's dog Barney can be rated higher than his master.

[SaveElmer]

38. Ahh...Indiana's pre-excuse for a successful Hillary Presidency...

Gettin it in early...

[Forkboy]

48. And yet it's totally true.

:shrug:

[LuvMyPorsche]

45. Hillary

may be BETTER politically than Bill.

[OneBlueSky]

47. sorry, Goerge . . . I supported you way back when, but you're wrong on this one . . . n/t

.