Here is the speech I will deliver in several places in New Mexico this weekend.
NEW MEXICO SPEECH
My name is Lynette Long. I am a feminist, a mother, a Democrat and an ardent Hillary Clinton supporter and I am voting for John McCain and Sarah Palin on November 4.
I want to start by talking for a minute about the Democratic Primary. The primary process consisted of fourteen caucuses and thirty-nine primaries. Obama only lost one out of fourteen caucuses yet he lost twenty-one out of thirty-nine primaries. You don’t have to be a mathematician to realize something is not right. I first realized something was wrong when I watched the returns from Texas come in. Texas is unique in the Primary world because it has both a primary and a caucus that are held on the same day. It’s called the Texas Two-Step. Hillary Clinton won the Primary by four points, yet she lost the caucus by twelve points. That’s a sixteen point swing. Almost four million people participated in both the primary and the caucuses. If a poll with only 700 participants the margin of error is usually 3 or 4, then in a primary and a caucus, with millions of participants, the margin of error is most likely less than one and a sixteen point would be near impossible. After questioning the likelihood of the Texas two step results, I decided to analyze the rest of the caucus results. Three other states, Washington, Nebraska, and Idaho also held a primary and a caucus and the results were even more divergent than the Texas results. Part of this difference is a the result of the disenfranchisement that is inherent in the caucus process since the elderly, mother of young children and shift workers are less likely to attend a caucus which takes several hours. But the significant differences are also the result of voter fraud intentionally perpetrated by the Obama campaign and voter intimidation by Obama supporters. I could talk for hours about the caucuses, but let it suffice to say, the end result is that the nomination was stolen from Senator Clinton. Even without factoring in the caucus results, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama were only 27 pledged delegates apart at the end of the primary process, add in the caucus fraud, and Clinton would have ended the primary season significantly ahead. Since Obama could not win on pledged delegates alone, Obama, Pelosi, and other senior Democrats paid superdelegates to cast their votes for Obama. The Selection of Obama over Hillary Clinton by the Democratic Hierarchy was a miscarriage of justice and my reason for my original contact with the McCain Campaign.
After the last Democratic Primary was over and it was clear Senator Clinton was not going to get the Democratic nomination, myself, and a small group of Clinton supporters met with Senator McCain. I personally explained to Senator McCain that women comprise well over half of the population, yet you will not see a single picture of a woman on paper currency. Women are underrepresented in every branch of government and there has never been a female president or vice president. I personally asked Senator McCain to choose a woman for the Vice Presidential slot and to increase the number of women in the cabinet and on the Supreme Court. Senator McCain listened respectfully to my request. Little did I know then that he heard me and the millions of women of this country who have gone unrepresented in the Executive branch of government for far too long.
When I made similar requests of the Obama campaign, I was laughed at by the canvassers outside my home, told there weren’t enough qualified women by a member of his Finance Committee, and asked by a member of a policy committee why I was making such a stupid request. Gender is the most fundamental human characteristic. The first comment made when a child is born is either, “It’s a girl” or “It’s a boy.” From that second on, boys and girls live in parallel universes in the same culture. You can’t learn what it is to be a woman, unless you are one. You can’t have a government essentially devoid of women that knows what’s best for women. You can’t legislate for women, without women.
But by choosing Governor Palin as his running mate, Senator McCain acknowledged that men can fully never know what it is like to be a woman, a mother, a daughter, a sister - things Governor Palin knows all too well. Senator McCain chose the second only bi-gender ticket in American history reinforcing his image as a maverick. Choosing a Vice-President, was the first significant decision Senator McCain and Senator Obama had to make. Senator Obama talks about change but picked a running mate who is part of the Washington establishment. Senator McCain’s choice speaks for itself.
Obama is a brand just like any other brand. Obama the Brand has a logo, a tag line, t-shirts, and a song. But Obama the man is not the same as Obama the Brand. Obama the Brand talks about new style politics, while Obama the man used Chicago style politics in every one of his elections. Obama the brand is for women’s rights while Obama the man marginalizes women and his supporters wear Sarah Palin is a cunt t-shirts. Obama the brand is pro-Israel, Obama the man is not. Obama the brand touts leadership while Obama the man voted present 130 times in the US Senate. Obama the Brand claims change, while Obama the man picks a Washington insider as his running mate. Obama the Brand loves America, but many of Obama the man’s associates hate America. Obama the Brand is a post-racial candidate while Obama the man plays the race card at every turn, listened for 20 years to the racial teachings of Rev. Wright, and makes contributions exclusively to Trinity United Church of Christ, the NAACP and Care Africa. Obama the man and Obama the Brand are not one in the same. If elected Obama the man will make the decisions, not Obama the Brand.
I have given my loyalty to the Democratic Party for decades but I will not give my support now that Obama the man is the nominee. My party, which is comprised primarily of women, has not put a woman on a presidential ticket for 24 years. My party was disrespectful to all women when they refused to nominate my candidate, Hillary Clinton, for president or vice president, even though she received more votes than any other Democratic or Republican candidate in history. My party stood silently by as Hillary Clinton was eviscerated by the sexist attacks of the mainstream media. My party’s candidate was mute when Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Pfleger openly mocked Senator Clinton from the pulpit of Trinity United Church of Christ. My party’s candidate was silent when the rapper Ludacris released a new song calling Hillary a bitch. My party’s candidate choose Larry Summers, the former President of Harvard, who said women can’t do science and math. My party’s candidate pays the women in his office 77 cents on the dollar compared to me. My party’s vice-presidential candidate only pays women 73 cents on the dollar. Neither my party nor its candidate has demonstrated in this election that they hold women in high esteem.
When it comes to women, sixteen is a special number. Did you ever hear the song 16 candles. Or the phrase “Sweet sixteen and never been kissed.” Eight plus Eight is sixteen, four times four is sixteen, and two times two time two times two is sixteen. But sixteen is special for other reasons.
- Guess what percentage of the members of the House of Representatives are women?
- Guess what percentage of the members of the Senate are women?
- Guess what percentage of the governors are women?
- Guess what percentage of equity partners in Law Firms are women?
- Guess what percentage of Science Professors at MIT are women?
- And guess what percentage of US Presidents or Vice-presidents were women?
- Not 16.
How can having a country composed of 52% women with only 16% representation be fair? How can it accurately represent the will of the people?
Sarah Palin is good for women. She has kept the debate about women in government and feminism alive. She is helping us define a new brand of feminism which includes both Republican and Democratic Women. I happened to be on an Alaskan Cruise when Governor Palin was nominated for Vice-President. When we docked in Ketchikan my Blackberry was buzzing away with emails shouting, “It’s a girl.” I thought, “Who is a girl?” As soon as I stepped on-shore, I found out Sarah Palin was the VP pick. I can testify here today, that every person that I met in Alaska loved her. Alaskans are proud of their Governor. And they should be.
I heard many people say they don’t think Sarah Palin is ready to be one heartbeat away from the presidency since Alaska has only 750,000 people. Let’s get this straight. Sarah Palin is only one of only fifty governors in the entire country. If Alaska was a country, it would be the twentieth largest country in the world. The unique topography, economy, population, and climate of Alaska, all make Alaska a challenging state to govern. Home of the Alaska pipeline, Alaska hosts the majority of our oil resources and some of the largest fiscal projects in the country. Alaska, home to Mount McKinley, which towers over 20,000 feet, is home to indigenous peoples and remote towns that are not on the electrical grid. Alaska is the only state in the Arctic climate zone and is directly impacted by global warming. It is home to diverse wildlife and consequently wildlife management issues. Alaska shares a border with Canada and ten miles across the Bearing Strait is Russia. I don’t want to hear Sarah Palin is only governor of Alaska. There is nothing only about Alaska.
I do not agree with Senator McCain and Governor Palin on all the issues, but I don’t agree with any candidate on all the issues. I am emphatically pro-choice, yet it’s a choice I hope most women don’t have to make. Being pro-choice doesn’t mean I am pro-abortion. I would not want to trade places with any woman trying to decide whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. It is not a choice to be made lightly. But even though I will defend a woman’s right to choose, I will not surrender by vote to the Democratic Party out of fear of losing that choice. I will not vote for a Democratic candidate I feel is unfit to lead, just to protect Roe V. Wade. The Democratic Party has blackmailed and bludgeoned women with Roe v. Wade for decades. Women’s votes cannot belong to a single party, because if they do we are hostage to that party. Women make up 52% of the population and 56% of the electorate. If women band together we can change the world.
No one knows what is going to happen during the next four years. In the recent past, the challenges to each President have been enormous.
When he took office, Harry Truman did not know that he would have to decide whether or not to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.
Lyndon Baines Johnson didn’t know that on April 4,1968, Martin Luther King would be assassinated, propelling the country into racial unrest.
George Walker Bush didn’t know that on September 11, 2001, terrorists would wage the greatest attack on US soil.
We need a President that is prepared to lead on day one - ready to handle any attack, any crisis, any financial emergency.
I cannot vote based on POLITICAL PROMISES and POLITICAL PANDERING. But I can vote based on PRICIPLES and PATRIOTISM. Obama supporters are quick to point out how smart their candidate is, but isn’t an admissions contest for graduate school. We are picking a president. All the intelligence in the world can’t compensate for divided loyalties or broken promises. In Senator McCain and Governor Palin, I find two people with personal integrity and a love of their county --- individuals who not only talk the talk but walk the walk. I will vote for McCain-Palin. In fact, I’ve decided to try to win one vote a day for the McCain-Palin ticket. My new personal mantra is, “A vote a day, keeps Obama away.”
Make no mistake about it, we are in a war. I am not talking about the Korean conflict where our soldiers literally stand shoulder to shoulder with the troops from South Korea starring at the demilitarized zone the most heavily armed strip of land I the world. I am not talking about Afghanistan where our troops have searched relentlessly for Osama Bin Laden and the other terrorists that perpetrated nine-eleven. I am not talking about Iraq, where over 100,000 of our young men and women are embroiled in a civil war. I am talking about a war on our own soil, a fight for our way of life. This war pits socialism against capitalism. Barack Obama may call it “income redistribution” but socialism by any other name is still socialism. This war that if lost will undermine the underpinnings of our economy and what we know as our way of life. This is a war between Barack Obama and John McCain. Are you willing to fight for economic freedom or do you want to live in a socialist country? Will you vote for John McCain and encourage everyone you know to do the same. Our country needs you. John McCain and Sarah Palin need you. Join me on Election Day and save our country.
Serita: I've been lurking around the Hillary Forum for a while. I'm a Pro-Life advocate and I've learned that not all the deomcratic women are pro-abortion. I think the confusion lies in the word 'Choice.' The choice comes before sexual intercourse, not afterwards. That is my belief. Abortion harms women in several different areas. The women who started Women's sufferage were totally anti-abortion. "Elizbeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony equated abortion with slavery as barbaric practices. Stanton was quoted as saying: 'When we consider that women are treated as property, it is degrading to women that we should treat our children as property to be disposed of as we see fit.'" God does not support abortion.---but back to Barack--the Hillary supporters don't HATE Barrack but see him, and rightly so, as a danger to our country. It's not hate the sinner, but hate the sin. He has lied and cheated his way up the ladder and in so doing, playing this race card, is harming Black America and what Martin Luther King fought and stood for. He has his own agenda. I suggest reading 'OBAMA why BLACK AMERICA Should Have Doubts by William Owens, Jr. (Forward by Dr. Alveda King, Dr.Kings niece) and 'The Case Against Barack Obama' by David Freddoso. These are well researched books. The first book compares Obama to Martin Luther King, the second book goes into his background and political ties. I'm not a Puma but I'm proud that they put COUNTRY FIRST.
Posted by: Barbara | October 21, 2008 at 12:16 AM
Thank you for helping me explain to people how a Hillary supporter can become a McCain/Palin supporter. It's about the bashing of these two women -- Sen. Clinton and Gov. Palin, two very accomplished, intelligent, dedicated public servants, and very different. If these wonderful women can be vilified, what chance do we "ordinry" women have of being treated with respect? Sexism is alive, and, apparently, we still have a long fight ahead before equal opportunity is achieved.
Posted by: Donnagene Palmer | October 20, 2008 at 04:56 PM
You’re a feminist, but you’re voting for a ticket that will ultimately take away the rights of women? That’s an oxymoron if I’ve ever heard one. You PUMA’s need to pray to God to heal your hardened hearts. How can you expect God to forgive you for all the wrong you’ve ever done, when you harbor so much hate and unforgiveness towards a man just because he beat your opponent!! People throughout the world have been wronged to a much greater extent than you have- think about the Holocaust, Slavery, etc… but you’re willing to sell your soul to the devil just to prove a point? Seriously, think about all the young girls in your life and how your decision will impact them. These people want to reverse Roe versus Wade. They also feel that women don’t deserve equal pay. You can put lipstick on an elephant, but guess what? She’s still an elephant. Hillary Clinton is my hero- and it disturbs me that people such as yourself would even compare Palin to her.
Posted by: Serita | October 18, 2008 at 05:35 PM
Lynette, your speech really hits home - I got chills reading it. You see old problems with new solutions. Can we send you to Virginia, Florida, Ohio, or Pennsylvania?? There are many women rooting for you and your cause!
Posted by: GT | October 18, 2008 at 02:21 AM
Great! Go get 'em! And thanks!
Posted by: Lucy | October 17, 2008 at 10:48 PM
Your comments on Obamas direction towards socialism is spot on. The scary and sad truth is: because of the collaborated picture of 20 years of trinity church with Ref. Wright, Supporting Acorn with $800.000 (conflict of interrest), connections to that professor and any other you mentioned, anything Obama has said so beautifully or promise so eloquently is not worth a damn. Socialism is a step away from Marxism. Marxism is a step away from Communism. As someone who grew up in West-Berlin during the Cold War,believe me, that is not a pretty picture.
I still do not understand the logo on Obamas plane. The man is applying for the job of the President of the United States not to be a CEO of some group or company. He would represent the United States. The Star Spangled Spanner is one important emblem of the United States. Since he is not using the Star Spangled Banner, what does it say of how he will represent the United States of America?
Posted by: Heike | October 17, 2008 at 09:49 PM
Dr. Long, I absolutely love you for speaking so clearly and prophetically about the issues in this campaign. Go out there and stump for Sen. McCain loudly, proudly and without fear. We MUST win this battle for Lady Liberty.
Posted by: ms mississippi | October 17, 2008 at 09:09 PM
As a physicist who has spent a lifetime working with data and noting statistical trends, I had the same feelings about the Democratic primary. I have been a political conservative most of my life, but my heart ached for my fellow citizens who are Democrats when I saw what was happening.
You are doing a brilliant job here, and I wish you every success.
We try scrupulously not to plagiarize, but I would dearly love to have your permission to post your entire speech on our Forum Page at American Daughter. Please let me know.
Posted by: American Daughter | October 17, 2008 at 08:03 PM
What a great speech, Lynette. Travel well and safely. So many of us are grateful for your leadership, courage and clarity.
Posted by: Joan Lipkin | October 17, 2008 at 06:56 PM
Well said Lynette and keep it coming. You have seen the truth and have been set free. I wish you all the best in your endeavors!
Posted by: Alby | October 17, 2008 at 05:39 PM
Awesome speech!
Posted by: The Audacity of Truth | October 17, 2008 at 04:59 PM
Great speech! Your concise, telling points really hit home - particuliarly the brand vs the man comments. How true and how sad that we in America have become such well trained consumer. First we are sold on a new (hope) and improved (change) "branded president", then as the brand starts to tarnish and intellegent, thinking consumers realize that this is just the same oldstyle corrupt politican with bright packaging and a catchy jingle - we still demand the hope and change, because it some how makes us feel better. After all, the package says it new and improved!!
Posted by: Choo Choo Magoo | October 17, 2008 at 03:34 PM
Excellent speech Lynette. I hope the text of this speech is picked up by a few editorial boards. Once your speech is posted on you tube - can you post that as well?
Posted by: Kathy in CA | October 17, 2008 at 01:22 PM
Lynette, I'm a guy ... and I am deaf ... but my partner is hearing and we are going to come and see you in Santa Fe. We live in NM. I will print your speech and read it before we come. Bless you and I wish you the best with your tour. Looking forward to seeing you.
Posted by: JayD | October 17, 2008 at 12:57 PM