I'm going to make this really short because my point is very simple. However, I'd like to preface that point with saying that I fully support Obama as the nominee, I think he will win, I've given him money, even though I can't imagine a bigger supporter of Hillary Clinton that I was.
Throughout the primary I participated in discussions on this and other websites; if you remember me, you will remember some of those hated debates. It was obvious to me that, although not absolute and total, most Obama supporters were new to politics. They took Obama's every word as gospel; any hint of criticism was attacked in a hilarious panic. Obama was the second coming...if you weren't 250% on board, according to those with this cultish mentality, well then, f*ck you! Hillary Clinton was absolutely trashed for taking such "centrist" positions and "shape-shifting". "She'll do anything to get elected," so many argued. They were indignant to her "triangulating" and her "narcissistic" drive for the presidency.
I, for one, have to say, in light of the last week or so: HA! HA! HA! It is absolutely a riot, reading, listening, hearing how indignant many of his supporters are because he has "flip flopped," "forgotten who put him where he is." Absolute rubbish! He's doing exactly what he should do, to be elected. HE'S A POLITICIAN! Just like Hillary Clinton. Just like John McCain. Just like every single person taking up space on Capital Hill and in capitals throughout the country.
FISA. Brilliant. Brave. He and his consultants knew he could take the hit, which would come from his base upon his blatant reversal. Just as they knew he could get away with reversing himself on campaign finance reform. Blatant flip-flop. He's doing what he needs to to be elected and that's exactly what he should be doing.
I just felt the need to bring this up, as I'm sure others have already (I haven't been reading much). But the way a damn fine public servant like Hillary Clinton was treated is an absolute disgrace and should go down in history as such. She was attacked, basically, by a wild cyber lynch mob that was doing nothing more than running around and screaming in the darkness.
I work on campaigns, so perhaps I shouldn't take it for granted that everyone should understand what's going on and appreciate the game for what it is. But, I'm more than happy witnessing the reality setting in with this group of novices. Consider yourselves educated on the real world of politics. Welcome!
There, of course, is a silver lining that shouldn't go unmentioned. I sincerely mean "Welcome!" I'm more than delighted to see people newly involved and engaged, it tickles me to death. But, I hope that more than a few of you will take this opportunity to at least revisit and think about your collective hysteria and the way you trashed a good woman who has devoted her life to public service; a woman who is responsible for searing the idea of universal healthcare into the modern political mind. Yeah, she'll flip-flop on something if she needs to. Yeah, she'll use carefully chosen words. Yeah, she'll fight tooth and nail to get the opportunity to lead. I never had any illusions about what a politican looks like; therefore, I'm not surprised to see Obama move to the center, as he makes such fundamental changes of mind.
Think about it!
Update [2008-7-4 18:50:43 by MKyleM]: For what its worth, an attempt to clarify. The point of my post concerned Obama's supporters online - here and on other left-leaning websites. If you didn't see it or weren't around to witness their childish outbrusts, then I really don't care to go into great detail educating you. I will say this, though. The behavior of many here and other places remarkably resembled that of religious fundamentalists faced with opposing opinions or any critical thinking that would require them to even entertain a reality that may not 100% resemble their preconceived notions. I grew up in the south, in a town with 15 churches to every stop light. So, I have a ton of experience dealing with them. When gay bashing or the like was going on, I loved to point out that Jesus saved the life of a prostitute and told the mob that only those without sin should throw stones. I can't tell you all the terrible things I've been called in response to that. I've been charged with devil worship, being brainwashed by Bill Clinton, a faggot, a sinner. I said that to one guy and he just looked at me and said, "Have fun with your eternity in hell." When a Clinton supporter even simply posited an opinion or advocated in anyway for Hillary (not even including an attack on Obama or mentioning him at all), her supporters were roundly ridiculed, dismissed, called Republicans, Trolls, corporatists, murders, all kinds of terrible names. It really was the same sort of knee-jerk, visceral reaction to an opinion of a person that only asks to be heard. Yet, that asks that you consider something outside the Obama-Oh-Wise-One bubble. I've always considered such reactions from religious nuts to be a sad sign that their faith, which they proudly tell any and everybody about, is really very weak and fragile. I have religious faith, but it is strong; I'm, therefore, not intimidated by the faith and ideas of others. This is how I felt about Clinton, my support for her. I knew she wasn't perfect; I was well aware of her history and the mere fact that she is human. I believed in core principals; I believed she would appoint the right judges and fight tooth and nail for universal healthcare - I never had a doubt that she genuinely wants and cares about that. Perhaps it was the lack of a political education that made Obama supporters react so angrily to opposing views; they really had no way to respond. So, anger is always first resort and they denounced us as against everything decent and good. And the thing is, with a handful of exceptions, Clinton supporters really didn't argue that Obama was a bad person and that his supporters were bad people. Again, I'm talking about people here, at DailyKos, and at TPM. Those are the people I'm talking about. Every Obama volunteer or supporter I met in the real world was nothing short of respectful of my support for my candidate. It was online that things were disgraceful. There are many people that should feel down-right embarrassed about their behavior. The disregard for reality in their demonizing Mrs. Clinton, in spite of all that she has done for this country, is one disgrace. Perhaps a bigger disgrace is the way this vocal minority treated others here.|
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