The primary is over. Everyone has voted. Sen. Clinton will soon be endorsing Obama and we're finally turning our attention toward beating John McCain in the fall.
Everyone who's managed to stick it out here on Daily Kos knows that there have been more than a few flame wars, some pain and heartache, and other bumps on the road during this primary. Honestly, at times it seemed like it would go on forever.
But it has ended, and before we turn our eyes forward, I thought I'd ask what everyone's favorite moments were.
Below the fold, I've got a few of my own.
"The campaign goes on strongly."
Like many people here, I hold John and Elizabeth Edwards in the highest regard, even though I did not support Sen. Edwards's candidacy. In March 2007, when it was announced that John and Elizabeth would be holding a press conference and the rumor was Ms. Edwards's cancer returned, I held my breath. It was heartbreaking to think that these two wonderful liberal voices and staunch supporters of working people would be forced to prematurely end their campaign.
John Edwards, the North Carolina Democrat, said Thursday that his wife’s cancer had returned in incurable form. He proclaimed that he would continue his bid for the presidency, saying, "The campaign goes on strongly."
....
"I’m absolutely ready for this," Mrs. Edwards, 57, said. "I mean, I don’t look sickly, I don’t feel sickly. And I’m as ready as any person can be for that."
Elizabeth Edwards is a strong compelling, woman, and her presence in this primary was welcome. The grace she has shown under pressure is remarkable. I would (obviously) much prefer that Ms. Edwards not have to face this challenge, but that she and her husband didn't let this stop them was courageous.
"I found my own voice."
Okay, okay, Sen. Clinton isn't a favorite of Daily Kos, and yeah, her New Hampshire come-from-behind victory was probably necessary for Sen. Clinton to drag this campaign out to June, but I can't help it. While I'm not happy with Sen. Clinton's behavior during this primary, it was beyond wonderful to watch a female candidate win a primary. That she did it in such dramatic fashion made it even more fun.
"'I Am Here Because of Ashley'"
I remained pretty much undecided until Barack Obama's speech at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. I was sold with this:
There is a young, twenty-three year old white woman named Ashley Baia who organizes for our campaign in Florence, South Carolina. She's been working to organize a mostly African-American community since the beginning of this campaign, and the other day she was at a roundtable discussion where everyone went around telling their story and why they were there.
And Ashley said that when she was nine years old, her mother got cancer. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. They had to file for bankruptcy, and that's when Ashley decided that she had to do something to help her mom.
She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches. Because that was the cheapest way to eat.
She did this for a year until her mom got better, and she told everyone at the roundtable that the reason she joined our campaign was so that she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too.
So Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they're supporting the campaign. They all have different stories and reasons. Many bring up a specific issue. And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. And Ashley asks him why he's there. And he does not bring up a specific issue. He does not say health care or the economy. He does not say education or the war. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He simply says to everyone in the room, "I am here because of Ashley."
I had been impressed with Sen. Obama's opposition to the war and his background as a community organizer, but this speech struck a chord with me and I finally made a decision.
The Los Angeles Debate
The final debate before Super Tuesday made me proud to be a Democrat. This was the first debate after Sen. Edwards dropped out of the race, and just watching Sens. Obama and Clinton walking across the stage to take their seats was an event. Knowing that for the first time-- no matter who won-- the Democratic presidential nominee would be a qualified, intelligent individual who wouldn't also be a white man was great.
The Draft Gore Folks
Not that there's anything wrong with being a white man. Had Al Gore chosen to run, I would've supported him wholeheartedly. I thought that he would be the best person to run this country, that he is delightfully prescient, and would've made a damn fine president.
Of course, as pretty much any Draft Gore member could tell you, I remained firm in the belief that he wouldn't run and pestered the heck out of people making that known.
Many, many people worked their tails off to get their guy in the race, however, and I will always have a ton of respect for those who work to make something happen. This diary by NYPopulist is a great example. People organized demonstrations, held meetings, gathered signatures, and much, much more.
Plus, it was in those Draft Gore diaries that I finally figured out how to post pictures. And I think we can all agree that Daily Kos is a better place with photos like this sprinkled around:
Mark Penn Crashes and Burns
I hate Mark Penn. I find him to be a loathsome little hack. I took all kinds of pleasure and glee as he went down in flames during this primary. He mismanaged Al Gore's 2000 campaign and after Gore fired him and hired a new pollster, Gore managed to finally take a lead in the polls against Bush and go on to win the popular vote. Despite my love for Gore, that's not the reason I can't stand Penn. I've got a graduate degree in a social science, and Penn does nothing but make a damn mockery of the field of social research. When people say you can't trust statistics, or social sciences aren't real science or they don't have real methods, they can point to people like Penn as proof. He comes up with his theory first and finds/manipulates facts to support it. He's "earned" more money during this primary than I will ever see in my lifetime, but he's still a fucking hack.
I've posted this clip and this commentary from Ezra Klein before, but it really is my favorite moment of the primary.
Notice, among other things, that Trippi and Penn are standing in the same room, and Trippi clearly finds Penn an almost unbearable repulsive presence. Notice that Penn is the only man on earth more disheveled than Trippi, making Trippi, for once, "sheveled." Notice how everything Penn says ends up sounding like a plaintive, "but they started it." Notice that Axelrod comes off almost seeming like a statesman. Notice that consultants, in general, seem a little loathsome, as it's simply weird to hear people speak in message, rather than in more traditional languages, like "conversation." Politicians are good at making message sound like conversation, but consultants are not. They just make it sound like bullshit.
So, kossacks...
As we wind down the primary season, what moments and stories will you remember fondly?