MSM Mostly Ignores Surge of Anti-Obama PUMA Democrat Activity

Original Link: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/p-j-gladnick/2008/07/26/msm-mostly-ignores-surge-anti-obama-puma-democrat-activity

By P.J. Gladnick

Imagine if a bunch of disgruntled Mitt Romney supporters were currently stalking John McCain or Republican events loudly demanding that their candidate be nominated. Think the national press would be featuring it bigtime as an example of Republican party disunity? Well, the same thing is happening except the people are disgruntled Democrats expressing their opposition of Barack Obama while loudly continuing to support Hillary Clinton. They are known as PUMA ("People United Means Action" or "Party Unity My Ass"). PUMA was formed last month in the aftermath of Hillary Clinton conceding the Democrat nomination to Obama. However, contrary to being just a desperate last gasp by Hillary's supporters, PUMA activities seem to be surging lately despite the overseas trip by Obama which was widely heralded by the mainstream media. In fact, the official PUMA PAC website has today announced, in a message directed towards Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod, their view that the Obama trip was a "flop":

So if you fancy yourself the Democrats’ Karl Rove — an unbeatable master of politics and strategy, how come the Grand Tour was such a flop for your guy? Sinking in blue swing states, tanking in red states. . . Most Americans believe the Ego Trip, I mean World Tour, hurts or doesn’t help his chances in November. Your guy can’t even make a dent against an old guy who hasn’t even begun to campaign against you in earnest. You’re losing during the warm-up? Oops. Groan.

Don't think the online PUMA activities are restricted to mere online grumbling. They are actively protesting in public what they feel is unfair treatment of Hillary by the DNC. Here is what happened to Howard Dean while visiting North Carolina yesterday according to the Charlotte Observer:

About two dozen Hillary Clinton supporters, some carrying signs saying “Dump Dean,” shouted down Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean during an appearance Friday in Charlotte.

The protesters, who described themselves as members of a group called “Charlotte Front and Center,” shouted and waved signs as Dean spoke to an otherwise enthusiastic crowd of about 150 at a voter registration rally on West Boulevard.

The demonstrators, mostly women, were protesting a rumored decision not to put Clinton's name in nomination at next month's Democratic convention in Denver. At one point, Dean was drowned out by shouts of “I own my vote!”

You can see examples such as the previous story and this article in the Austin-American Statesman about dissatisfied PUMA Democrats cropping up with increasing frequency in recent days (emphasis mine):

...an uncounted swath of Clinton backers, including voters who see Clinton as a groundbreaker mistreated by the media and national party, is taking a hard line in step with a national Web-driven effort dubbed PUMA (Party Unity My Ass).

Some say they will never cotton to the first-term senator from Illinois. Some fume at the way Texas delegates were chosen via the March 4 primary election and primary-night caucuses. Clinton won the primary, but Obama took more delegates because of caucus turnouts.

...Frances Morey of Austin, a Clinton delegate to the party's June state convention, noted that Obama lacks the 2,118 delegates needed to seal the nomination. (Projections put him over the threshold based on surveys of superdelegates — party dignitaries and members of Congress who don't have to commit until the convention.)

"So why is he prancing around in Europe like he's the president-elect?" Morey said this week. "I cannot vote for him. I cannot bring myself to vote for this poseur."

Morey said she'll likely skip the presidential election on her fall ballot.

Despite being ignored for the most part by the MSM which desires to present the view of a Democrat party united for Obama, more and more stories such as the ones above are seeping out with increasing frequency.

For a surrealistically bizarre look at one of the prominent PUMA types on YouTube, check out this video of Perry Logan who was previously best known for slamming Republicans but has now switched to attacking Obama. Warning: You might need to have your brain scrubbed after watching the incredibly eccentric Perry Logan who was recently banned from the Democratic Underground for switching from attacking Republicans to slamming Obama. On the plus side you will also have some good laughs although you will be laughing more at Perry Logan than with him.