Happy Halloween: Fear-Mongering from the Left and the Right and a Liberal’s Broomstick for Sarah Palin

Photo by V. Bergman

Ellen Goodman takes note in her column today that we’re celebrating Halloween this Friday, just five days before the 2008 presidential election. She writes:

“HAVE YOU NOTICED that the spookiest colors of the season are not orange and black but red and blue? As Halloween slips into Election Day, the race for the White House has scared more grown-ups than any trip to the haunted house.”

Goodman continues:

“With all the infighting in the coven around the maverick and the fair maiden, it's tempting to call the McCain campaign the Gang That Couldn't Fly a Broomstick Straight.

“But the striking thing is not how the Republicans are trying to scare undecided voters. It's how spooked the most committed Democrats are.”

I’ve been a fan of Goodman for years, frequently welcoming her usually wise and supportive words to women fighting the never-ending battle against sexism and misogyny in our culture. But her comparison of the McCain camp to a witch’s coven unforgivably names Sarah Palin a witch. Thus Goodman has allied herself with the media en masse that launched its misogynist witch hunt the day the Alaska governor first set foot on the national stage.

And speaking of fear-mongering, I’ll mention here the continuous liberal rant against the McCain-Palin ticket that a GOP victory in 2008 guarantees the immediate overthrow of Rove v. Wade. The illogic of this charge is well articulated in a recent post by Marc Rubin along with a list of other fears the Obama camp has been using in its campaign to spook the electorate.

Some of us don’t spook that easily, whether the fear-mongering is coming from the Left or the Right. But for those Democrats quaking in their boots at the prospect of yet another defeat - despite the party’s obvious advantages this time around – my experience last night indicates some of their nervousness is warranted.

When the phone rang, I turned the volume down on the news program I was watching to hear the caller identify herself as a McCain supporter. A recent defector from the Democratic Party, I was momentarily caught off guard by this unexpected call from the GOP. Recovering myself, I explained that due to Obama’s and the DNC’s passive response to the sexist trashing of Hillary Clinton in the primary and the subsequent sexist assault on Sarah Palin in the general election campaign, I had decided to vote “present” in November.

Turns out my caller was also a disaffected Hillary Clinton supporter with whom I commiserated for a few minutes; it’s no wonder the Democrats are running scared.

Must-read at TominPaine: "Barack the Clown"

Photo credits: courtesy of Tominpaine

Go here to read Marc Rubin’s satirical piece at Tominpaine on the latest Howard Dean/DNC scheme to raise money and increase attendance at the upcoming, not-so-open Democratic convention this August.

The Denver Group: Don’t Count Hillary Out!

Hillary is still in the picture.

The Denver Group continues to attract media attention. Yesterday at the Huffington Post, Carol Felsenthal published an interview with Heidi Li Feldman and Marc Rubin, the Denver Group’s co-founders.

Feldman and Rubin effectively made their case for keeping the Democratic convention democratic this August:

“If Heidi Li Feldman, a blogger and a professor of law (and philosophy) at Georgetown University Law Center, and Marc Rubin, a blogger, veteran ad man, and movie and TV writer -- head writer for "The White Shadow" -- happened by, they would say there is no nominee yet, that the two ended the primary/caucus season in "a virtual tie," in Feldman's words, neither of them having the requisite number of pledged delegates to claim the prize. 2118 are needed; Obama got there only with the help of superdelegates who are free, Feldman says, to change their minds until they actually cast a vote at the convention in Denver late next month. That's when, if Feldman and Rubin, who co-founded and are the only official members of The Denver Group, have anything to say about it -- and of course they don't -- the superdelegates, in accordance with DNC rules and bylaws, should be called on to reconsider who is the stronger candidate against John McCain.

“Both candidates, Feldman says, must be placed in nomination "and superdelegates left to vote as they see fit because ....[they] are specifically charged" with the duty of making certain that the party's candidate is electable. She refers to the McGovern Commission that set up the superdelegate system to provide a "safety hatch" after the "McGovern debacle" of 1972. The Denver Group duo claim that superdelegates are having "buyers' remorse," that they are coming to believe that Obama is not electable.”

Read more here.

Denver Group’s Ads Hit a Nerve with Howard Dean

Photo credits: Evan Vucci/AP

Chris Bowers at Open Left yesterday, July 17, 2008, summarized a 20-minute interview with Howard Dean. Evidently Dean attempted to smear the Denver Group, founded by Heidi Li Feldman and Marc Rubin, for running ads recently in the Chicago Tribune and Congressional Quarterly demanding that Hillary Clinton’s name be on the ballot at the Democratic convention in August.

In response to Dean’s reported remarks, Feldman and Rubin, on behalf of the Denver Group, have published an open letter to Dr. Dean, which begins:

“Dear Dr. Dean,

Through the wonders of the internet The Denver Group has learned that you have reportedly discussed us in an interview today. Since the purpose of our ads has been to make our points partly to you as well as the rest of the DNC and Democrats as a whole, normally we'd be pleased to know they are getting through to you. But based on the interviewer's characterization of your comments, we don't think you actually know much about The Denver Group, its founders, and its goals. The interviewer writes:

“When asked about the ads criticizing him and Speaker Pelosi for Clinton supposedly not being on the ballot at the convention, he [Howard Dean] scoffed. Clinton will be on the ballot at the convention, and will be speaking there. Dean indicated that the rules were so clear on this matter, that the groups running these ads and spreading these rumors must be associated with the other internet rumors going around, such as Obama being a Muslim. He also speculated that McCain supporters might be behind these rumors.”

Read the Denver Group’s entire open letter here.

Geeklove's New Video on the Denver Group

Geeklove was inspired to create a new video after listening to No Quarter's Bud White interview Heidi Li Feldman and Marc Rubin, founders of the Denver Group.

Watch Geeklove's stirring video on the Denver Group here.

Clinton’s Name Must Be on the Ballot at the Democratic Convention

Photo credits: AP

A Katalusis reader recently inquired if I knew of any petitions circulating to keep Hillary Clinton’s name on the ballot at the upcoming Democratic Convention in Denver, as she was interested in signing on. I replied in the negative, but that was before I discovered the Denver Group. As far as I know, the Denver Group has not yet circulated a petition, but it’s about “keeping the Democratic Party democratic,” and its stated goals are as follows:

An open convention: Senator Clinton's name on the ballot

Speeches allowed by supporters of Senator Clinton on behalf of her candidacy.

A roll call vote: No coronation

The Denver Group’s email address: The Denvergroup@Gmail.com

The Denver Group describes how it intends to fulfill its goals at thedenvergoup.blogspot.com:

“The primary means for accomplishing our goals will be mass media, both print and TV which will be aimed at Howard Dean and the DNC as well as rousing Democratic voters throughout the country.There will also be efforts in a variety of other appropriate avenues.”

Marc Rubin and Heidi Li Feldman, leaders of the Denver Group, are introduced as follows:

“Marc Rubin who leads the media effort started his career in advertising where he was an award winning art director and writer,working for some of the top agencies in advertising in both New York and Los Angeles, devising both strategy and execution. He has won the AIGA Award for 50 Best Print Ads of the Year and AIGA 50 Best Commercials of the Year as well as numerous other awards for creativity and effectiveness. He has also been the head writer of an acclaimed prime time network dramatic series as well has having written for a number of other prime time network dramatic series. In May, he worked with the PAC, Count The Votes Cast and created a full page ad that was an open letter to Howard Dean, and a 30 second TV spot addressing the issues of Florida and Michigan. The ad and commercial received notice from the news media and the organizers of Count the Votes Cast were interviewed by the New York Times, ABC-TV Boston,NPR, BBC Radio and other news outlets.

“Heidi Li Feldman is a lawyer and philosopher. She is Professor of Law of Georgetown University Law Center and Associate Professor of Philosophy in the College. For more information about Dr. Feldman's academic activities see www.heidilifeldman.com. Dr. Feldman currently fundraises both for the Denver Group and to help retire Senator Clinton's primary campaign debt. She is also an active participant in the daily activities and decision making of the Denver Group.”

I urge all Katalusis readers who want to make sure that Hillary Clinton’s name is on the ballot in Denver to check out the Denver Group. Heidi Li Feldman’s blog, Heidi Li’s Potpourri also offers a wealth of information and support for Hillary Clinton.