Every one of our candidates is flawed. Every one of our candidates is immeasurably better than any of the Republican candidates. Every one of our candidates is getting more aggressive, as we approach political high noon. Some supporters of every one of our candidates are getting more irrational, as we approach political high noon.
I've said this before: as an undecided voter, the candidate-bashing is not convincing me of anything. Maybe it's working on other undecideds, but I doubt it. All it really does is make some of you candidate-bashers look bad. Because I like some of you, I'm trying to take it all with a big grain of salt. A comet-sized grain of salt. I hope others are, too.
Those of you who are continuing to pummel each other, and each other's candidates, ought to spend some more time reading diaries about the Republican candidates. Perspective is increasingly needed, right now. Criticism of each of the candidates is justified. Mostly on the issues. But much of the criticism is going far beyond that. Much of the criticism is personal, and is of such a level of animosity that I have a hunch a lot of people will leave this site, and leave the cause, once we have a nominee.
I'm not thrilled with any of the candidates, but I will support whomever we nominate. I'm just one small person. Each of you is just one small person. But a congregation of like-minded small people creates a movement. We need to win, next year, and we need to win big. We need to utterly destroy this iteration of the Republican Party, so it can remake itself into something at least minimally sane. Beyond that, we need to remake the Democratic Party, so it champions the best of what we all consider to be Democratic values. That's not going to come easy. It's not going to come soon.
If you're not ready for the long haul, you're not ready. The movement needs us to be ready. Every one of us. Even if we are frustrated by the pace. Even if we are frustrated by the candidates. If you've been paying attention to the IPCC and UNEP, you know that the survival of our species may be at stake. We all know that the survival of our democracy may be at stake. We cannot afford to allow the Republicans to win again. Vent your wrath at them. Work to defeat them. Work for your candidate, but if your candidate doesn't win, be ready to suck it up and help whichever Democrat does.