I’ll admit, most of you probably don’t know me, but I’ve been in and out of here for a while as an active poster. Regardless I’ve always been a voracious reader of the site, mainly because it has been filled with really smart people who have a talent for writing. Sometimes I drop in a comment, less frequently a diary (it is amazing how being in college gives you more time to write). This is the first time I’ve been particularly moved to write a diary in at least a year (if not more). I’m sure many of the points in this have been debated out in comments and other diaries, but this is mine, if you want to read, go for it, if you don’t, hit the leftward facing arrow at the top of the screen.
The Kantor story has set me off. First off, by way of full disclosure, I voted for Hillary in the Virginia Primary, but I will be perfectly happy voting for Obama come November. I am a Democrat, a word that seems to have been lost on this site. I’m used to hypocritical calls of purity from the right, that is nothing new, but the level of pettiness shown by both campaigns and groups of supporters has reached a mind bogglingly embarrassing level. No higher point than this week with the dueling Rev. Wright and now Mickey Kantor story.
First off, I have severe doubts over what is actually said, I can make out the words "people" and "shit", anyone who claims they can hear Kantor using the N-word, killing children, etc is hearing what they want to hear. And the question must be asked, why do they want to hear it? I understand the right’s fascination with Rev. Wright, they love making spurious connections. I less understand the left’s desire not only to debate about candidates on issues and electability, but on what someone a candidate knew said over a decade ago.
Rev. Wright is a just that, a reverend. I’ve had clergymen say things I disagreed with, and then have gone back to the same church. I’ve had friends and family who I love dearly say things that honestly creeped me out, it happens. I don’t care what Obama’s pastor said, it has no effect on me or whatever.
Similarly, I could give a shit what Hillary’s "informal advisor" said in the middle of a campaign nearly two decades ago. Let me give you a rough way to measure this amount of time. I was 9 years old when that scene was filmed. I now have a master’s degree, a wife and am buying a house. That’s how long ago it was.
And to that extent, I’ve said things in the last 16 years I regret, and I couldn’t give you the context for each statement a year later, let alone 16 years later.
So calm down and stop acting like someone is destroying the party, or threaten to blow it up yourself if your candidate of choice doesn’t win. The Democratic nominee (who I admit will 99% chance be Obama) has plenty of time to knock down the senile old man running on the other side. The fact that the "general election campaign" starts a month or two later doesn’t matter. If anything, I think the election apparatus of the Dems is getting a good workout. Both candidates are being forced to do a test run on their ground game in every state, not just NH and Iowa. I think it is a help.
So again, calm down and stop trying to play "gotcha." It is below what this site has accomplished over the years and it has become tiresome to deal with. And if you’ve made it this far, thanks for indulging my rant.