Update (Post-Suspension Speech): I realize that my tensions, and the tensions of many Democrats have been very high since this primary began. Supporters of both these candidates believed very deeply in them, and desperately wanted them to succeed. And while I am disappointed with the blind defiance some of Senator Clinton's supporters have shown over the last few days, I am deeply inspired by her speech today. I urge all of you to read her parting (maybe) words, and her call for us to keep moving forward as a party, and as a nation. Our nation is better for her strong candidacy, and hopefully Senator Obama will be a stronger candidate because of her challenge and (now) her endorsement and support. This speech is the speech she should have been giving all campaign, and if she had, she probably would have had my support. This was a cry for a better America - a feeling of sorrow over the way the last 40 years have gone (besides her husband's successful 8 years), but more importantly HOPE for the future, and an undying belief that we can CHANGE America for the better. These are not buzzwords, they are ideals that we must strive for, now more desperately than ever. There is so much work to be done in this country, and we need figures like Clinton and Obama, who not only understand that there is hard work ahead, but that in order to achieve our lofty (and necessary goals), we must have a President and a candidate that can INSPIRE our citizens to work with him/her. Senator Clinton is a great public servant, and although the campaign she ran was often bitter and divisive, her ideals are anything but. I strongly hope that Obama chooses her as his running mate, both to unite the party and to strengthen our White House in 2009. The following entry was an attack on fringe Clinton-supporters, not the candidate herself.
I hope you are not as crazy as the cast of Cuckoo's Nest that has taken up virtual residence at the Facebook group, "Hillary Supporters in Recovery." Please check out the discussion boards and the wall postings for reference. Now I have no problem with supporters being disappointed that their candidate lost. I know a lot of people believed that Hillary Clinton was a honest, caring politician who was going to save the Democratic Party, and that's fine. But planning to punish the DNC for its "sexism" and "stupidity" by voting for McCain???? I can't actually believe my eyes (if I were to hear this out loud, my head would explode).
First of all, there's always a bunch of losing candidates - that's the definition of a primary, where only one person gets chosen. This attitude seems to suggest that the nomination was rightfully Clinton's, when in fact that sort of arrogance is exactly why so many Democrats rejected her campaign.
Secondly, if you're going to aggressively continue to support your candidate, and oppose the Democratic nominee, even after she has dropped out and endorsed Obama, at least do so with factual accuracy. Some of the claims on this website are astoundingly misinformed. Just in case any of you were harboring the same reservations, I'm going to address them now.
--> First of all, there's the blind, direction-less anger. I've seen these supporters attack "misogynists" like Chris Matthews, the entire media, Obama himself, and Michelle Obama (??). There's one poster who was enraged by the media's claim that Clinton stole coverage from Obama on the day that should have been all about him. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT HIM - SHE WAS THE LOSER, SPEAKING TO A CROWD IN A ROOM WITHOUT CELL SERVICE OR INTERNET, WHO HAD NO IDEA SHE HAD ALREADY LOST! HE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE IN HISTORY!!
--> Then there's the few people who assert that, despite being very liberal themselves, they are disappointed that the Democratic Party continues to nominate liberals (who share their values), who they see as unelectable. Thus, they plan to punish the Democrats, and teach them a lesson by voting against the guy who best reflects their values. Brilliant.
--> Then there's the people who keep asserting that the DNC overthrew the will of the people by adhering to stupid delegate-counting methods. Firstly, the superdelegates are a reasonable part of the process, and even if they weren't, Obama won more normal delegates anyway. Secondly, Obama won more votes. Thirdly, Obama won more states. Fourthly, Hillary spent months ADVOCATING for superdelegates to decide this race, and then once they turned against her, she flip-flopped (of course something she never did at all this campaign) and decided that superdelegates didn't matter any more.
--> But now it gets good. Now we get to the people who think Hillary should run as an Independent. Besides being political suicide, this is stupid for a large reason: she couldn't win. One poster asserts that she could probably win NY, CA, MA, NJ, FL, PA, and WV - 172 electoral votes. I laugh, truly I do. She would win 0 states, and all she would do would get McCain elected.
--> And then there's the people who think the race isn't over yet. A few posters asserted that Hillary is "only suspending her campaign," not "ending" it, so she can still keep fighting at the convention. All I can do is shake my head in disgust, because you people don't know anything. "Suspending" one's campaign merely means that you've ended the race, but you can still keep raising money to pay off your (in Hillary's case: massive) debt.
--> Then there's the people who argue that Obama supporters insisted on unfairly punishing Florida and Michigan. You morons! Florida and Michigan broke the DNC rules by organizing their primaries before February 5th. "But," you cry, "Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and North Carolina were allowed to go earlier!" "Oh ho," I reply, "Those are the states that are assigned to go first, because we need small states to start the primary contest, otherwise only rich candidates would be able to compete in the nominating process. Also, if we didn't limit the number of early states, then next time around, the primary process would be insane." So Michigan decided to go earlier anyway, knowing full well that the Dems would have to punish them (just as the Republicans did). Florida we should blame a little less, because it was a Republican-controlled state government that passed the law to move up the date. But Democratic leaders didn't even put up a fight, and rules are rules. Obama's camp, at the Rules & Bylaws Committee meeting, even did its best to seek the least harsh punishment possible for these states by only stripping them of half their delegates.
--> The bottom line is that every Hillary supporter whose views I've read on the internet appears to be largely misinformed, and incredibly bitter. They have all lined up and devoted themselves to a person, instead of the ideals she stands for. Even Senator Clinton knows that the best thing she, and all her supporters, can do right now is to line up behind the Democratic nominee (whom she agrees with almost entirely), and do everything they can to ensure that John McCain isn't given four years to advance George Bush's failed policies.
--> Oh yeah, and that is a real danger - despite the huge gains we're going to make in Congress this year, we won't even come close to veto-proof majorities.
By all means, Hillary supporters, convince me you're not all this way, because you're going to end up electing a candidate that stands for everything Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama oppose.
Real entry to come later.
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