In his post about "crazy" Hillary loyalists, Jon Chait mentions feminist blogger Amanda Marcotte's doubts about the existence of PUMAs, women so bitter about Hillary's loss that they'll vote against their own self-interest for McCain as a way to give Obama and the Democrats the finger. Marcotte thinks the idea so utterly absurd that she smells a swift-boatesque dirty trick: "I believe that the Republicans are cheerful rat-fuckers and therefore would not hesitate to set up a secretive operation of people running around claiming to be Clinton voters who are voting for McCain to keep the legend of the PUMAs alive."
Now, I don't claim any insider info about about the authenticity of the official PUMAs--much less of Republicans' carnal knowledge of rodents. I do, however, have two very dear friends still so upset by Hillary's loss that they are threatening to vote for McCain. Both women are smart, well-educated, 30-something liberals who hate, hate, hate what the Bush administration has done to this country. They share none of McCain's policy positions, and my guess is that they cannot point to a single significant difference they have with Obama on any issue. But they both deeply resent the sense that the Democratic party expects them to fall into line.
My assumption is that one or both will eventually change their minds about supporting Senator Straight Talk--even if that simply means opting not to vote at all. But for now, they are both mad enough to be making all the same noises as the so-called PUMAs. Neither is crazy. And the smart money says that they are far from alone in their alienation.
--Michelle Cottle