I wanted to write this diary about as much as you want to read it.
It is not a fun topic, but something had to be done, so here goes:
Each and every one of us needs to commit to being kind and respectful to Hillary supporters. This action is not about them, or what they have done. It is about who Obama is, who we are, and what it takes to win.
Will you stand up for Obama?
First, a disclaimer: I am as flawed and have been as guilty of the actions I decry as anyone else on here. It is common on the internets. Meta-Jesus forgives us, but only if we play nice from now on.
But as Obama has so eloquently stated .. This time must be different. This time, we must change. Let's forget the past and look to the future, to November and beyond. Given the damage done by Bu$hCo in the last eight years, we cannot be satisfied with simply beating John McCain. We must give Obama something to work with, or Obama will lose in 2012 and so will America.
He needs more allies in congress, and he needs more allies on the streets. He needs us to pressure Democrats and Republicans alike, and just as importantly, he needs us to stand up to lazy corporate media that would divide and distort in the name of profit.
And we can't do this alone. We need everyone on board, EVERY SINGLE PERSON that we can possibly reach. We need them. We don't just need their votes -- unlike the bobble heads on TV, I believe the vast majority of Clinton supporters will vote Democrat this fall -- but that is just not enough. We need to engage them and get them engaged in the process.
I do not have to remind anyone reading this what is at stake; the list is too long, and for each reader, the priorities fall in a different order.
You know what is at stake. We must end this nightmare.
White House photo by Paul Morse
It has been said before, but I guess it needs to be said again.
Hillary is not our enemy. Hillary supporters are not our enemy.
John McCain and the Republican Party are the enemy, and so is the corporate media, though the former is more devious and the latter is just lazy and complicit, both are considerable obstacles to righting the wrongs of the last eight years.
Obama needs our help!
Because Obama offers respect, he gets respect in return. We need to emulate Obama's successful tactic if we are to defeat the Republicans, not just in the fall, but for a generation - and I do not have to remind anyone here, that this campaign will be the ugliest, most despicable ever because never has there been so much at stake.
When Obama is president, and John Edwards is attorney general (shout out to JE! We love you!), there are people in power who be ruined, who will go to jail. For those parasites who have drank the blood of our beloved nation, this is an all out no rules cage match fight to the death.
So I am asking you, as sincerely and plainly as I can, Please Be Kind. Live up to the high standard of Barack Obama and be gracious, even when you disagree. And I do not say, be good for goodness sake, because that is not what is on the line.
Barack Obama did not just make history and enact the greatest political upset of our time based on good looks and a smile alone (those they certainly helped, and what a smile!) He engaged in a very thoughtful strategy of rising above, of elevating our national dialogue. Again and again, Obama does the most improbable act I have ever witnessed by a politician: He talks to people as if they were mature, thoughtful adults. And in my mind, this is why he wins.
But Stampy! What if they are disrespectful, irrational and/or not willing to engage in dialogue?
A: Then you say nothing at all and move on - do something more productive.
Personally, I will never appreciate the depth of pain and loss being experienced by some Hillary supporters. How can I begin to imagine what it is like to be an elderly woman, a passionate feminist who has fought all her life, and now has to come to terms with the fact that she will never in her life see a female president? How do I dare pass judgment?
Like I said, if they won't listen, then move on to someone that will. We all need to be on board, for Obama, for our Nation, for the world.
(I don't want to end on this note, but this diary is what prompted mine. What I see is a respectful author trying to engage our community being answered almost exclusively with ridicule or snark. Your snark is not funny enough- no snark is funny enough to be worth turning away even one thoughtful person who may be convinced by mature persuasion and engagement. Thank you for reading.)