I know the primary wars can get very ugly around here. I'm told the tone is better than in 2004 and 2008, but I would still like us to get through the 2016 primary without anyone leaving disgusted or getting banned. I think Daily Kos has lost enough people over the years. Yes, traffic is up and that traffic increasingly comes from Facebook users. But the old community participates less. Did either faction win? No.
I have been supporting Bernie Sanders. Personally, I don't care if someone is supporting Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. I value people here and building bridges far more than I value if people agree with me. I think it is a given that we won't always agree.
Everyone has a right to support the candidate they choose for reasons they choose. Nobody has the right to tell you the issues most important to you should take a back seat to the issues most important to them.
My mother and I are both strong Democrats, but we often support different candidates in the primary. In 2004, she was for Howard Dean due to the Iraq war. She grew up in a war torn country, and that's part of why Howard Dean appealed to her.
The most important issue to me was universal health care. Almost all the Democrats had a viable health plan. That plan would need to pass Congress. Therefore, I focused on who I thought was most electable. I was undecided between Dick Gephardt, Wesley Clark, and John Kerry. Howard Dean was my least favorite candidate because I thought he was the least electable.
In 2008, my mother supported John Edwards due to his anti-poverty talk. I supported Barack Obama. I didn't think there was any real difference between Obama and Edwards on poverty issues. I thought Edwards was just trying to carve out an electoral niche.
Was my mother a better progressive or Democrat than I was or vice versa? No.
There's usually a story behind the issue(s) we are most passionate about. That story isn't always something a person shares on a public blog so what right do we have to judge??
In this diary dopper0189 used a Venn diagram to illustrate different voter groups that make up the Democratic Party. The diagram is lower down in the diary - worth looking at!
He writes:
The Democratic circles are:
Liberals: Self describe liberals, environmentalist (example: Sen. Russ Feingold)
Populist: Pro-union, fair traders, economic progressives (example: Sen. Sherrod Brown)
Moderates: Social moderates, economic moderates (example: Sen. Mark Warner)
Civil Rights Voters: Discrimination. immigration, LGBT issues, feminism (example: Rep. John Lewis)
Establishment: Major fundraiser, elected officials, etc (example: Rep. Chris Van Hollen)
If Daily Kos is functioning as it should, people from ALL these groups - especially liberals, economic populists, and civil rights voters - should feel welcome.
If I had to pick one circle, I probably fit most in the pink economic populist circle, but I define economic populism to include not just union and fair trade advocates, but health care and anti-poverty activists.
There's a reason Bernie Sanders is doing better among liberals/environmentalists and economic populists. He speaks their language. He's talking about economic issues in a way I don't recall any other Presidential candidate doing in my lifetime. The same is true of the environment.
There's also a reason Hillary Clinton is doing better among civil rights voters. She speaks their language. She is talking about issues important to people of color such as the war on voting rights, the criminal justice system, and immigration far more than I remember any other Presidential candidate doing.
Maybe both Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are running exciting new campaigns depending on who you are?
Maybe the Democratic Party and the country needs the best of both campaigns??
So can we all get along??