Grats to Obama, from a Hillary supporter. Can we stop fighting now?

First, a moment of honesty. Senator Obama deserves congratulations, as it's all but inevitable he will be our nominee. I'm not crazy about the idea, but barring a major disaster it's the way things are going to be. Ultimately, this is not a post about how much I dislike the idea of Obama being the nominee, or how I feel Hillary has been unfairly mischaracterized by many of his supporters, but a plea for Obama supporters to start trying to see eye to eye with Clinton supporters. This is because, come November, the things that are important to ALL of us (health care, a cessation of the War to End Ur Freedom, investigation of Bush's activities, help for students, alternative energy policy, DIPLOMACY before aggression) will be on the table. And McCain, being a moderate regardless of recent attempts to characterize him as a hardboiled conservative, is very appealing to moderate voters. Any rifts that will be healed will have to be healed from within - they won't magically seal themselves up come election day.

Obama was very polite in his speech last night - and I hope his supporters will follow suit in treating Hillary and her supporters with dignity. Because there ARE rifts in the party, caused NOT by the candidates themselves but by overzealous supporters online and in real world settings who purposefully (and I am guilty of this myself) try to infuriate the opposition.

As a Hillary supporter, and one who has been very, um, vigorous in arguing with Obama supporters, I'm very sad to see what might have been Hillary's last big chance slipping away. I believed in her, and still do, and have, in the past, sent her money I barely had because I think she was the best choice. I've been infuriated by some of Obama's more taunting supporters, and have said many harsh things myself about them and their candidate. I am sickened by some of his supporters (and I must emphasize to myself that they have been supporters, not Obama himself) accusations and tactics in the course of this campaign. I'm sure Obama supporters would say the same in reverse, but that is not the point of this post. That anger serves little purpose now, other than dragging the bad feelings out.

I'm still behind Hillary. I think it's important for us to bear in mind that Hillary is not Obama's enemy, nor Obama Hillary's. Both have weaknesses, that have been exagerated by posters here and at other sites. What's important to bear in mind is that they both, ultimately, stand largely for the very same things. Many of us have gotten so wrapped up in pushing our candidate of choice that we've lost sight of what's important here - not only ending Bush's reign but seeing to it that his policies are REVERSED. Only Senators Clinton or Obama will do that.

This may be difficult for Obama supporters to understand. In defending Obama, some of his backers have built Hillary up as some evil, racist, Republican lackey. There have been many things said and stipulated about Hillary that bear no resemblance to the truth. Now that Obama's nomination is almost guaranteed, I urge both sides to tone down the rhetoric. I've been somewhat destructive (occasionally extremely destructive) in my own comments on the forum, because I've seen what I believe as the best hope for the Democratic party being systematically villanized and misrepresented. Now I just have resignation.

How Obama proceeds in the coming days will help us Hillary supporters decide how we feel about him. At the moment, I feel very negative about him. This is largely because of the online behavior of his supporters, and not the man himself. But it's hard to see eye to eye to people who insist on spewing Rush Limbaugh-esque fabrications about the candidate I think is the best choice for America.

*Incidentally, this finally puts to rest any lingering doubts about Limbaugh's irrelevance. How he expected to influence the Democratic race, when he couldn't even influence the Republican race, is well beyond my ability to comprehend. He's definitely past his sell-by date.*

If Hillary chooses to remain in this race, I urge Obama supporters to not let their heads explode in anger. It's almost impossible for her to win now, so the only point of continued animosity will be further alienation of Clinton supporters. As it stands, 40% of Clinton supporters are unwilling to support Obama. I'll tell you why this is - the demonization of the Clintons and sheer hostility of Obama supporters is driving them away from him. This is much like what happened to Ron Paul - where many Republicans, who were otherwise libertarian in view, were chased away from him by some of his more rabid followers. None of whom, it should be said, fairly represented what their candidate stood for.

It's time to start mending those fences - and it starts with those who so vehemently insist Hillary is the root of all evil. If they continue in that, I see no way Hillary's supporters can be brought back into the fold, and most will likely support McCain in November. While some might put their hands over their ears and shout "Who needs you!" I think most of us realize that a fully united Democratic party will be required to defeat John Mccain.

So, again, congratulations to Obama and his team. I hope we can all see this as an opportunity to relax a bit.

I will be happy to fight beside such hardcore Dems. We definitely need each other.

As if Clinton supporters haven't shown the same level of callous behavior on DU? Oh, but Obama's supporters are the most to blame for the divisive nature of the board. Nice post...I recommended it...but didn't agree with the one-sided nature of it.

The point was - whatever hard feelings there are between both camps, we must start to see each other as allies if we're going to throw those bums out in the street.

I have been one of the most childish obnoxious people on the planet these last few months. I hope that the Clinton camp can forgive me and join with us in promoting a platform that is damn near identical to Clintons own.

:hug:

If nothing else... the enemy of my enemy and all that hehehehhehe

Lets get these bastards!!!!!!!!!

I welcome the Clinton supporters :)

And we're going to do some serious damage to the corporofascists.

and finally get this country going in the right direction. In Obama I trust!

forgive the other side.

:kick:

It's way past time to seriously start kicking some Republican butt!:kick:

:grouphug:

It will take a while, but eventually most people here will realize that a lot of the vitriol, on both sides, was born of a passion to see their candidate win - nothing more, nothing less.

My personal prediction: Two months from now, we'll be screaming at each other over who hates McCain more, who has the better idea for anti-McCain slogans, who donated more to our nominee's campaign, etc.

I'm not going to say I'm unhappy that Obama is now our nominee. But I am truly sorry for the disappointment that you and your fellow Hillary supporters are feeling right now. And I am sincere in that. All of you did a wonderful job in supporting her as passionately as you have, and you should all be proud of yourselves in having fought so hard for the candidate you believed in.

I believe Hillary will do everything in her power to help Obama win in November... I realize there will always be people who will weave elaborate conspiracy theories about her trying to sabotage his chances. But I hope most Obama supporters will see that, if we're going to win, it will have to be as a united party, and not a factionalized one.

... there's been plenty of that on both sides.

But I think most people here are more thick-skinned than we sometimes imagine. It will take time, sure - but eventually the level-headed ones (and I think that's a pretty substantial majority of DUers) will realize very quickly that even the most personal barbs were never really personal after all - just gut reaction in an attempt to defend a candidate we had invested in emotionally.

This has been my first primary on DU. Through the whole thing I kept thinking about the times my sisters and I called each other sluts, idiots, lyin' bitches - and there's a list too long to recount here.

But the minute the kid next door called any one of us by one of those names, we ganged up on him together and beat the crap out of him.

Again, I am really sorry for your loss - but I am confident that had things been the other way around, you'd be saying the same thing to me tonight.

Sleep well - we have work to do, together, starting tomorrow.

The thing about this primary race is: the two candidates really aren't that far apart on the issues.

Hillary made history in the last 2 years, as did Obama. How do you choose between history and history?

Only Democrats could make this happen, and I'm proud to be a Democrat. As are you.

It has been tough and ugly in the past few months, but we need to win in November, for your children and mine.

I have not agreed with everything every Hillary supporter has said lately (being an Obama supporter), but I will give you this, they have said it with a passionate fervor, and a righteousness that serves their candidate well, and serves as a call to all who hold their positions dear.

Tonight, I agree wholeheartedly with you, Unity is key from now until we take back our country. It is time to heal. i can only speak for myself when I say: We have never fought, we never argued over the message, we just disagreed on the messenger.

We both know it's about the message. I look forward to carrying that message into the general election with you.

Godspeed.

Very well said.

And isn't it something to be proud of that no matter which of the candidates came out on top, we as a party are making history either way?

Incidentally, I recommend, for healing of Hillary supporters' disappointment and dejection, Obama's speech tonight in NC. He spoke very respectfully about Hillary (Senator Clinton, actually) and said a lot of what you say in your post -- we need to work together to defeat McMoreOfBush. Also, he made the point that the only way Repubs can win is if they succeed in dividing Americans against each other. So, in that light, I would say serious supporters of Mr. Obama should face the fact that warfare with Clinton supporters is playing right into the hands of the right-wing freackos we are supposedly trying to defeat. Also, such warfare is unattractive, stinky and totally last week.

Some of his audience members weren't very appreciative of his pro-Hillary comments at first, but he stuck to his guns and soon had them all cheering. He understands that he's won, and that being a sore winner would be the worst thing he could do. He's reaching out to Hillary Democrats. Some of us will take some convincing, but showing that he respects Hillary, which is what his speech ultimately said, does wonders.

I think I am on the same page as you, as far as Obama being a little ahead of some of his supporters.

I think either of these candidates would have won easily, except for having to compete against the other of these candidates!

I really am very gratified that you listened to, and responded to, what he said. Thank you, again.

The sooner the Clinton campaign comes to the realization that you have, and adjust their approach away from tearing down the all-but-certain Democratic nominee, then I expect you'll see people have a different opinion and attitude towards your preferred candidate.

It's hardly reasonable to ask Obama supporters to be perfect little angels if the Clinton campaign continues to tag team with John McCain in tearing-down the Democratic frontrunner and likely nominee.

:loveya: :applause: :bounce:

And there's no harm in her continuing to run. Let her get more votes. Let her have her victory parties. There's no real way she can win the nomination. More campaigning means more new people being brought into the process, and that means more voters in November. But this has to be handled in a positive manner. Trying to force her out of the race won't do it... I understand Obama supporters don't realize they're being antagonistic when they say these things, but what harm is there in letting Hillary finish if she chooses to? What's got to stop is all this fighting - and it's largely not the campaigns fighting, it's supporters on websites like this one who have created an atmosphere of hostility.

Clinton has done very very well. Her supporters, me among them, believe in her. We don't want to see her forced out, dismissed, or disregarded. She has a haul of delegates that's worth being proud of, and she will fight wholeheartedly for Obama when the time comes.

What's important now is finding common ground - not more reasons to tear each other down.

...who will seek to make his mark on the Supreme Court. I think anyone who is rational and reasonable and in the LEAST bit concerned about the future can get behind this. :)

We must all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately.-Benjamin Franklin