What I say below is based only on an examination of my own psychology, motivations and reactions. Nothing I say below is meant to characterize anybody else.
About a week ago, this former Edwards supporter finally, and after long thought, became a Clinton supporter. At about the same time, I read a candidate diary that was excoriating her. Until then I had mostly avoided those diaries and never expessed support for a candidate other than Edwards on the few I did read. This time, I reacted to what seemed to me unsupported and insulting discourse by posting a message saying that the discussion had pushed me to support of Clinton. That was not strictly true. It had driven me to a declaration of support for her. That declaration prompted several unpleasant comments, including one calling me a liar.
With that start, I became a commenter favoring Clinton and questioning Obama. After about a week I quit participating and returned to my avoidance of candidate diaries because I disliked where I saw myself going: I was feeling increasingly anti-Obama, despite having no major objections to him as a worthy candidate. As I thought about the dynamics of my experience, I realized that participation in those fights was rapidly converting me to the kind of partisan who might have difficulty supporting the Democratic candidate in the GE. That is a position I had not considered possible for me, and one I consider a danger not only to our party, but also to our nation.
So, what happened during my week of active participatipon as a commentator on candidate diaries?
Two mutually reinforcing dynamics pushed me toward excessive partisanship toward one of two very good candidates.
- The diaries and comments express the most extreme possible sentiments. This pushed me to responding with extreme statements that in retrospect, I do not even believe. The consequence for me was an increasingly intense search for negative material concerning Obama. I used dismissive comments about other sites as a guide in that search. Not surprisingly, I found excellent material to support my position.
The only possible conclusion I could reach was that the diaries were not meant as persuasive documents. They had become magnents for partisans on each side whose primary motivation seemed to be continuing the fight.
I concluded that my continued participation only expressed approval of a process that could only harm our need to unify in the GE.
- An aspect of the process that I had not forseen was the tremendous positive reinforcement site procedures gave to this process. On some of the days I participated, I collected more mojo than I usually collect in an entire week or more. Here was a truly easy way to collect tips!
Still, I can no longer participate in a process that might help, if only in a small way, make John "Hundred Year's War" McCain the President.