Calls to End Race Turn Violent

Forget the fact that Keith Olbermann, Howard Fineman and the NY Times (which was singing a different tune the day before the PA primary) are completely inaccurate in their assessment of who went negative first and who’s been the most negative, especially in Pennsylvania. Forget the fact that Olbermann’s “analysis” of Hillary’s TV ad was inaccurate. Forget the fact that they are essentially calling for the ending of the primary race before the remaining, now 11, contests are counted, and that Olbermann referred to the current state of the race as “over, over, over time…”. Forget the baseless personal attack leveled by Fineman, that “she wants to win on any terms she can win on.”

The exchange between those two men clearly discussed and advocated violence against Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. 

Keith Olbermann, MSNBC commentator and host of “Countdown” and contributor Howard Fineman have seriously crossed the line. 

“Threats of retribution“…”Talks of retribution…only beginning behind the scenes.”

“Someone who can take her into a room and only he comes out.”

Finemann is clearly saying, at Olbermann’s suggestion, that members of the Democratic party are plotting against Senator Clinton…a fellow Democrat and Former First Lady!!  They are apparently making threats. This alone is disgusting, and baseless behavior and suggestion.

But the part that is the most frightening and disturbing, is that Olbermann advocates, and dare I say, suggests, that some big “super duper, duper, delegate” takes her into a room, and that only HE comes out. 

This is clear a threat of violence. 

As a woman, who has been in the unfortunate circumstance of being alone in a room with a male who was physically larger and more powerful than myself, and fearing for my safety, Olbermann’s comment struck a nerve. Apparently he believes that some male superdelegate needs to get her in a room alone and “do what needs to be done” to her to force her out of the race…since she obviously will not go willingly. 

This is disgusting and deplorable. “Professional journalists” should not be advocating violence against a Presidential Candidate as though they were sitting at a bar or hanging out at the fraternity house. 

Some will argue that it’s just an analogy, while failing to grasp the sheer amount of women [and men] who are victims of this sort of intimidation or violent crime. The imagery alone of Senator Clinton alone in a room with a larger male, being intimidated or worse, to the point were only he emerges, is sickening. 

The “I Wish Hillary Married OJ” slogan wasn’t funny or harmless.

The “Wanna See Hillary Run? Throw Rocks at Her” slogan wasn’t funny or harmless.

The claim by a Washington Post “journalist” that she “needs a radio-controlled shock collar so that aides can zap her when she starts to get screechy” wasn’t funny or harmless.

Using violent imagery against a Presidential candidate is wrong, and even more disgusting when it’s gendered or racially based.