Of Heels, Threats, and PWS (Not to be confused with DSW)
As you no doubt know by now, Princess has been beset with charges of racism and threats because she hasn’t fallen in love with The Precious. After her recent physical threat at her home, I was ready to put my steel-toed mosh-pit specials on and kick some butt.
Then I realized that (1) my tiny little toes won’t provide her enough protection and (2) I’d only look like a reject from tryouts for Manchester United. This missive is certainly elementary for our regular posters, but I thought it might help our newer peeps navigate around trolls (heels with exceptionally bad manners and unlimited internet access) lurking on the open threads.
1. Heels come in all colors, genders, shapes, sizes and affiliations. While I love DSW, a.k.a. Nirvana for Shoe-Lovers, I dislike PWS (People Who Suck). Unfortunately, PWSs are on any side of an issue, campaign, or conflict. They don’t speak for the rest of us. Just as I hate being judged by the more fringe elements on my side, I’m sure the more sane Obama supporters hate being judged by the kinds of freak who tried to intimidate Princess. (I might question their judgment in candidates, but I’m willing to give them at least one benefit of the doubt on PWSs.)
2. People who dislike Barack Obama aren’t automatically racist anymore than people who dislike Hillary Clinton are automatically sexist. Lots of unfair things affected the Clinton campaign more than the Obama campaign, many of them unrelated to gender. But based on everything I saw in the primary, I believe that Hillary was impacted by a deep, institutional, public sexism far more than Obama was by racism. That conclusion does not make me racist. I happen to dislike Obama because I think he’s selling himself as something he’s not and because I fear the bully-like cult of personality springing up around him. I’ve disliked the same thing in plenty of white male politicians (hello, anybody remember W?), but it doesn’t mean I’m prejudiced against white males. I happen to dislike fundamentalist preachers who want the government to impose their particular misogynist, narrow interpretation of Christianity on me. That doesn’t make me anti-Christian or anti-religious; it makes me a fan of the First Amendment of the Constitution.
3. No politician can legitimately be everything to everybody. We can’t, either. We’re trying to reach those who are uneasy about Obama and the DNC and connect them with like-minded gals and guys. We’re also trying to make our case to people who are concerned but haven’t made up their minds yet. That’s our passion. Don’t criticize us if it’s not yours—go start your own blog.
4. Politics is about addition, not subtraction. In politics, every move will gain some voters and lose some voters. The challenge for politicians is finding the positions they can support consistently and expressing them in the way that gains them the most voters. We’re trying to combine our love of country, accessories, and humor to make our case to the public. Our trolls are trying to bully us into foregoing our rights as Americans to participate fully in the political process. Which side do you want to join?
5. Be the change you want to see. Here at HH, we try to use adult debate and sharp wit to further our cause. If you don’t like people giving you a bad label, choose your labels for other people with care (something most of our regular posters already do). Eschew the crazy unsubstantiated rumors, threats, and baseless accusations. Exercise your wit, not your tin foil hat. PUMAs think wit is a big turn-on!
Finally, a message to all you heels, trolls, and assorted pains-in-the-ass: You. Can’t. Stop. Us. We’ve been radicalized by the blatant misdeeds on the part of the DNC and we’re not going to be good quiet little girls stuffing envelopes in the back while the Big Boyz made all the big decisions. Don’t like it? Tough. Go do something productive for your candidate, if you believe in him so much—that’s how you help your candidate—but take your threats and your b.s. somewhere else. You’re boring and unoriginal.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
The last time this kind of harrassment took place was during the late 60’s and early 70’s. It is time to realize we have serious problems to solve and we need serious and reasonable adults to do it. Franklin Roosevelt in the midst of the last depression said, “Without regard to party, the overwhelming majority of our people seek a greater for humanity to prosper and find happiness. They recognize that human welfare has not increased and does not increase through mere materialism and luxury, but that it does progress through integrity, unselfishness, responsibility and justice.” Great message today! Most inspiring. Thank you.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 2:30 pm
well said, minx. the intimidation and thuggish behavior of obama’s supporters makes me question their sanity and his ability to lead. their tactics will not stop us. it will only strengthen our resolve.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I’ve been on the inside of major corporations as a consultant in “talent aquisition” aka headhunting for over 20 years. I’ve worked with the largest software companies, the largest online retailers, the largest technical conulting companies. You can fill in the name–you have them on your computers, probably.
I know from this work that the “culture” of those working within these companies does not come from what is written and posted in the “mission statements” (the ones that are in the annual report and cast in brass decorating the boardroom). The culture of these companies is embodied in the leadership–in the people–who run the company.
That is why, when the candiate smirks supercilliously or makes an obscene gesture–camoflaged as a face scratching–or insists that their opponent is worthy of trash talk, their “employees” carefully and lustily emulate that behavior. that’s what, as “employees”, makes them visible to the top brass. They become good ‘ol Johnson down in the accounting department who is doing everything they can to be seen as the good “team player.”
So, whether or not the actual directives come from the top via blackberry or teleconference is immaterial. Through the unwritten rules of team playership, they still come from the top.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Princess loves manolo minx - hireheels’ fair & balanced resident sage….
To paraphrase paganpower - the wheels are loosening on the Hopey-Change Wagon … and i suspect we may have more in common with obamabots than any of us wish to admit…they’re just a little later to the party than we pumas. Maybe a very public, olive-branchy invitation is in order now…if we can woo some of the more genuine obama supporters - where will the Pied Piper of Droolin’ Dems have left to go? WOMEN? LATINOS? EVANGELICALS? CATHOLICS? JEWS? HARD-WORKIN’ AMERICANS? PUMAS? (i’d like to think we’ve earned our own voting bloc label) ….. NOT!
just how many can Harvard enroll/graduate in the summer?
(actually, justsaynodeal is getting quite a few emails ending with : harvard.edu
on July 3rd, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Woodhull,
fascinating observation. I hadn’t thought of it like that, but I get it after you put it like that.
Princess,
“hopey-change wagon”…you just made my day! I think your olive branch idea has real merit. I don’t doubt a large number of obama supporters are genuinely hungry for real, substantive positive change in this country–they just didn’t see their vendor of change couldn’t handle the order (even the k-school types pinging justsaynodeal can have their blind spots, too). Our own hireheels-puma voting bloc? Minxie hasn’t been this shivery-excited since she bought her first designer threads!
on July 3rd, 2008 at 5:06 pm
It’s been said over and over..what can you expect from an empty suit.One that’s produced and directed by David Axlerod.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Happy 4th of July and thank you for declaring independence from sexism, group-think, and sheer stupidity. enjoy your holiday…
on July 3rd, 2008 at 6:18 pm
minxie:— you’re a bastion of wisdom as always. And princess… I have no problem embracing our obama supporters who are suffering from a kool-aid hang-over. I welcome them into the PUMA fold. Those who are wise are also forgiving… Come prodigal obama kittens, your mama and papa puma cats think you should come safely home.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 6:44 pm
woodhull is correct.
Old chinese saying “The Fish Rots From The Head”. I know you are all savvy enough to know what that means.
Happy 2nd Independence Day.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Let’s have an obama supporters amnesty drive. “Drop your “racist” and “hater” attacks in the PUMA amnesty box”, come on in, get comfortable and let’s have a little chat about what’s on your minds. Should we start with where we go from here…..
on July 3rd, 2008 at 7:49 pm
This thuggish behavior is no surprise. A who’s who of 60’s radicals supports Obama, the same people who destroyed the democratic party back then when they turned to revolutionary violence. Not only Bernardine Dohrn and Bill Ayres but also Mark Rudd, Tom Hayden, Michael Klonsky, Carl Davidson and several other alumni of SDS (Students for a Democratic Society) are on board. Now Obama’s younger supporters get to feel like they’re part of a politics of instant transformation and personal liberation. They will be deeply disillusioned whether or not Obama wins or loses.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 9:13 pm
i agree with you Princess, the with obamas doing so many 360 percent changes on his stance on the issues. we should start calling obama pancake man. some of those obama,nites
are soon going to be going thru koolaid withdrawl. & will need a place to go .
stay safe Princess,
& keep up the good work
happy 4th everone.
on July 3rd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
I for one personally think it is time all of those getting threats band together and report it to the proper authorities. Making a threat is a crime, and being it also has to do with an election would more than likely bring stiffer
penalties. It is time that the rest of America knew what is happening. I encourage all of you who are being threatened to think about doing this. With all the technology the authorities have today I am sure it would not be that hard to track these abusers down.
on July 4th, 2008 at 12:30 am
Ok girls its 1230 am and its indepence day and we know what that means….see below:
Date: July 04, 2008 12:16 AM EDT
Contact: michael varvel
xxx nw xxxx st apt x
gainesville, FL 32601
xxx-xxx-xxxx
Amount: $44.44
from the hillary for president web site
sorry wanted to be first hope I was…
lets kick it up in our best puma treads-hillary financial independence day is off and rolling….
fuzzybeargville (hopefully 1st and not last)
on July 4th, 2008 at 5:02 am
I gave my $20.08. Who’ll join me?!!
on July 4th, 2008 at 7:47 am
i gave my 20.08 this morning (and 20.08 yesterday too). I even put PUMA in my name to signify that it’s us!
make sure that you use this link when donating. The big red ‘contribute’ button on hillaryclinton.com is for her 2012 political activity.
on July 4th, 2008 at 8:45 am
woodhull #3, thanks. confidence to be dumb as dubya, is replaced by the tacit approval to snicker and be smug about all the inside jokes and gestures of contempt embodied in the jay-z boppin’, preacher cadence speakin’, never-grow-up peter pan, or maybe half cloven-heeled/half man pan, http://www.theoi.com/Georgikos/Pan.html. the message sent by the “leader” is: personality trumps accomplishment. remember when studio 54 was the place to be even when few knew why? take me to the outskirts of the community of hillary supporters where at least i know my leader, rather than the inner circle of the mystery man eleusinian … my $20.08 is on the books to retire the debt. party on!
on July 4th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Minx, wonderful and insightful post. Thank You. Woodhull thank you too for putting into words in a comprehensive and articulate way what I felt to be true.
thank all of you for caring enough to be pissed off and refusing to climb on any band wagon just to be going for a ride.
I do hope some of obama’s supporters will come to see him for what he is and become puma cubs. We are all Americans and we all want what is best for our country and our people. Name-calling each other, and I am guilty as charged, is satisfying but not useful.
Happy 4th of July PUMAcrats. Pumacrats love their country. obamacrats love obama.
on July 4th, 2008 at 9:59 am
woodhull said,
on July 4th, 2008 at 5:02 am
I gave my $20.08. Who’ll join me?!!
===========================
I gave $25.00. I’m maxed for the primary so I gave to her senatorial campaign as a show of support.
on July 4th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Happy independence day my fave heels and puma cats! Thanks for your generosity to our gal. I made my little 4th of july donation as well! have a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family.
on July 4th, 2008 at 11:33 am
princess thx boogieman and loves our hireheels community - happy 4th to all - stay off the dogs….but keep on the H.o.u.n.d.s
on July 4th, 2008 at 11:38 am
lets keep the dollars comming in…1/2 million screaming Puma’s @ $ 20.08 each and we are debt free remember this was our campaign-and our debt-free hillary to act in denver!
fuzzybeargville
on July 4th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
For political reasons, I know HRC cannot come out and announce her weekend total , but I would sure like to be that fly on the wall to observe. I guess we will have to wait until this is reported in mid-August.
on July 4th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
jaym-if the debt is paid the “word” will leak out and obama will try to take credit but be assured we wont let that happen…
Oh I forgot to ask did Hireheels get on Donna braziles “list” of republican stealth groups and hysterical feminist who are worthy of contempt? if you didnot you should be offended! an email is going around wher Ms brazile is labeling puma members as such….they really must be worried since donna has not picked a winner since1976.
fuzzybeargville
on July 4th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
fuzzy if you find such an email from donna b. please forward…
on July 4th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
going to a BBQ at brothers peace out back latter keep giving to hillary to retire our campaign debt
fuzzybeargville
on July 4th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
ok sista I find the link when get back baby backs are awaiting
fuzzybeargville
on July 4th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
For political reasons, I know HRC cannot come out and announce her weekend total , but I would sure like to be that fly on the wall to observe. I guess we will have to wait until this is reported in mid-August.
Thank goodness for campaign finance reporting requirements! Of course, some enterprising reporter sniffing around the PUMA den just might ask the question before then. Maybe we should send ‘em a hint?
on July 4th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Have a safe and enjoy the the long weekend ladies and gent. I will be heading to Destin, fl in an hour with my 7 yrs old son to enjoy the water. God bless and a happy 4th, we earned it!
I donated as well…
Rey
on July 4th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I’ll also be looking at her senatorial campaign receipts for this month also when the FEC report is available. Some of us have given to that if we are maxed as a show of support.
on July 4th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Obama supporters insist that female PUMAs have to support him because of the Supreme Court and abortion. Well, he’s just changed his position, saying “mental distress” is not a justification for late-term abortions.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080703/ap_on_el_pr/obama_abortion;_ylt=aj7vr6qvuzyzr4oz61rn262s0nue
He’s sounding like Justices Thomas and Scalia.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/legalities/2008/07/obama-sounding.html
in a recent interview, obama appears to back away from his long-stated positions on abortion (and a proposed federal abortion rights law he had co-sponsored), repudiate 35 years of accepted supreme court rulings on the issue and embrace a view on abortion restrictions that has been expressed on the court only by justices thomas and scalia.
on July 4th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
If you would like to remind NARAL about the its endorsement, please let them know at the link below. You do not need a user account to post.
Link to Naral’s Blogs for Choice:
http://www.blogforchoice.com/archives/2008/07/happy-4th-of-ju.html
Then here:
http://www.blogforchoice.com/archives/2008/07/mccain-blasts-o.html
on July 4th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
sounds like pancake -man AKA obama is sounding more & more like a closet republican . one thing seems clear hes either lying now & lied in the primarys . mabey this is what he ment by hope & change . ill change my mind as soon think i get the nom. & hope they dont catch on .
happy 4th princess & the rest of THE girls at HH.
go pumas
on July 4th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
thanks boogieman….watching the jaws anthology….great way to spend a 4th — it was planet of the apes this a.m.!! princess needs a life
but i did catch no less than 5 diff fireworks displays from my window…who needs 1812 overture when you can have the theme from jaws synchronized with your fireworks!
on July 4th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Well princess could be stuck on the couch with her broken leg up like sista… 1812 overture is only a few blocks away, but I can’t go.
but can at least hear the blast from the fireworks from here. happy 4th everyone. here’s to fighting the 2008 fight for voters’ rights! hill just started a new pac btw:
http://www.hillpac.com/
on July 4th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
sista, the source is the confluence for Donna Braziles nasty email out to former clinton supporters got hijacked by someone at no quarter and it is going viral. She accused PUMA’s as a front for the repugnant party.
unfortunately cnn anounced that clinton supporters support for obama is slipping every day down from 62% to 54% (good bless wolfe blitzer) and the number staying home on november 4th has risen from 22% to 32%. looks like 9 million strong hillacrats not getting on the “unity pony” by convention it could be 15 million!
i believe that we will be holding the convention hostage not the DNC holding Hillary hostage-the spirit of independent thought is in the air-232 years later the 56 signors of the sacred document would be proud.
remember”desent is the highest form of patriotism” T Jefferson
fuzzybeargville
ps i still do not know how i feel about ing outing people but donna brazile was outed by a caller on blog talk radio…I think she had it comming-its been agood day
on July 4th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
outed for what— being an angry, wretched witch?
on July 4th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
no as a closet lesbian….appears that early in the delegate selection process she has a spat with the lgbt folks about how many lgbt dels and african american deels there should be well she said that equating lgbt rights with civil rights was an affront to the african american community(which she feels she speaks for.)
may explain her desire to move to chicago? better girl bars there than in dc.
fuzzybeargville
on July 4th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
sista do you like the cnn poll numbers? moving in our direction! if we could only get now and naral to see that they are backing a losing horse.
fuzzybeargville-
on July 5th, 2008 at 1:47 am
jaym, thanks for the links to naral’s blogs. I let them know what I think!
on July 5th, 2008 at 2:59 am
This is interesting.
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=2006102&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/
on July 5th, 2008 at 3:27 am
Ooh, hugs and love to everyone especially those on the front lines especially Diane. I hope the windy Florida interview wasn’t too bad on tv.
About threats, which quite horrifies me, bots going after youall who are clean and innocent and elegant…. As to the seriousness, do report it to the police. There was an incident last year, not campaign-related, someone from the geek publishing company O’Reilly (Tim?) got national publicity and tried to start a campaign for blog civility because a friend had gotten threats. There was quite a kerfluffle and I think the police did take the threats seriously, and there would be a lot of detail about what to expect from the police.
With that said … some neighborhoods of the internet have always been very rough in talk which comes to nothing at all. (hitting send befor
on July 5th, 2008 at 3:31 am
(cont’d)
Please don’t take seriously every rude comment or even every silly uninformed suspicion. The internet is like this. It means nothing. Some people salt their language with four-letter words, but it doesn’t mean they really feel all that strongly — same for crazy theories.
Y’all do so much good unique stuff. It’s not really necessary for you to try to make a dialog place for the bots as well or spend your energy with them. Other people, other sites can do that.
I know at least one bot who caught on early, converted, and is now a strong HIllary person and into debunking coolaid — I’ll look for him.
Take it easy on yourselves, pink bubble bath should be the order of each spare moment….
on July 5th, 2008 at 6:21 am
Diane, a sincere thank you for all you’re doing for the country.
Take Care…
on July 5th, 2008 at 7:20 am
fbg–that cnn poll is incredible news. puma/jsnd is making people realize that they don’t have to fall in line behind obama.go puma
on July 5th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Thank you all for the encouraging words. we will continue to fight for the voices of voters to be heard. I may have one bad limb (for the time being), but my fingers and my big mouth work fine! keep up the good work heels gals and guys our great country’s future depends on it.
on July 5th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Sista and I spent some quality time together this week, and let me tell ya, she’s kicking butt with one leg in a cast! I can’t tell you how proud I am to be part of this effort. You’d be surprised how many loyal Dems there are out there who feel the way we do but are keeping a low profile. If we can build enough momentum, I wouldn’t be shocked at all to find a vast body of allies among superdelegates ready for an excuse to vote their consciences (instead of what Dean, Brazile and the gang tell them to).
on July 6th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I’ve thought long and hard about why exactly women and male feminists need to continue saying not to Party Unity. Check out my blog. Please. pumaparty.com/bitterqueen
on July 6th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
I’ve thought long and hard about why we need to continue to support Hillary and defy the DNC for our own sakes and the sake of the country. I’ve written two article entries in my blog that I believe will appeal to all feminists. pumaparty.com/bitterqueen
on July 6th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
censorship, anyone?
on July 6th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Check out this site, really funny, comparing Barack Obama to Chauncey Gardener from the movie, Being There:
puma4palin.blogspot.com
on July 7th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Minx:
“I wouldn’t be shocked at all to find a vast body of allies among superdelegates ready for an excuse to vote their consciences”
but here’s a question - doesn’t this fly in the face of those who have complained about the supers (in states where the popular vote went to HRC) deciding to go with BHO?
either the supers should vote their consciences in all cases (and not just those which they support hrc) or it’s a farce/hypocrisy.
on July 7th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
JayM: thanks for the naral link - what pissed pissed pissed off comments! really fun to read (if this weren’t so serious!) and of course add to…
minx & all hheelers: great writing! wish I could do that - i’m just too angry & bitter..
and if Donna b is a lez i am warning all my gay g’friends in chicago now! please - a horrible thought!! argh - have to get that image out of my head!
quick - where’s my picture of hillary & huma…