and a friend of mine last night. Most likely, we'll be in Denver at the convention together, regardless of who gets the nomination, both doing volunteer work.
The whole discussion was civil, we didn't get nasty or bitter, just compared notes and bounced our opinions and thinking off each other. We got a little loud now and again, but not in any way hostile. I really enjoyed the conversation and it widened my perspective on Hillary.
Didn't change my mind, I'm still behind Obama, but it was constructive, without becoming... bitter.
What struck me about the eventual conclusion was, when all was said and done, the policy differences weren't what the split was. She came right out and said it...
"Hillary's a woman and will do a better job."
Her opinion, of course, and not one that I find any real need to argue with. That's the lens through which she views the world.
She's quite the feminist, gay, and I absolutely love her to death. She's putting herself through school majoring in Poli-Sci. She was at YK this past Aug, mainly because I told her she had to. She loved it.
I personally prefer Obama, as I see him as the embodiment of change, of breaking the racial barrier, and likely able to pull this country together and cool off a decent amount of the partisan bickering as well.
Policy-wise, on substance, sure there's differences, but not really all that much. There's nothing I could see either of them ignoring reality and sticking to their positions dogmatically, should they see them not working as expected or needing adjustment to reality.
They're Democrat's after all.
Ultimately, it comes down to less policy, issues and substance, and more the symbology, the strategic differences for the general election, and personal biases.
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I've been around DKos here for years now and come to love this place and many, many of the people in it.
But this petty bickering, whining and back and forth sniping up to this point has kept me lurking for many months, since Aug and Chicago actually. But now... it's pissing me off. A LOT.
I swear to GOD this BS has got have even KOS questioning the feasability of a self-regulating, more libertarian operating community. I know I am.
Just running through the comments on Kos' latest diaryand right off the top it slides into passive agressive bitter sarcasam. Which has subsequently been fed and countered by more of the same.
Back and forth. Ad nauseum...
The discussion here has become more and more poisonous. Often completely disfunctional with the object of dispute is more often one or another's own ego, rather than the reality of the candidates.
I understand the intense emotional investment, I agree that passion and fervor can be powerful tools in a campaign. But when it leads to us bickering like 12 year olds, it's gone a little too far, don't you think?
So let's just lay it out simply...
I prefer Obama.
You prefer Hillary.
Nice to meet ya! Let's work out why we differ and what it is that separates those views.
We've got quite a few VERY serious problems needing to be addressed. People are dying, being thrown into poverty, the climate is changing and threatening all our common futures, our children's futures. There are criminal's infesting our halls of power, acting as parasites, leeching off profit in one form or another from the disintegration of this country and this world. They take care of their own and don't give a damn about any of the rest of us.
Does this really seem like a good time to allow your own personal emotional investment in one candidate or another determine your behavior towards your closest allies in the struggle to tackle all these truly critical threats to all our lives?
RESPECT each other for heaven's sake! The person you marginalize today, WILL be the one you rely upon tomorrow. We can't afford to alienate each other, Clinton camp, Obama camp, hell... even McCain and the right. This sort of interaction ultimately plays into that well documented media desire to create drama and conflict for thier own benefit. It serves to actually ENNABLE and perpetuate it!
Ditch the self-righteous, arrogant attitudes and get your ass focused on the solutions. While you've got tunnel-vision on the battle, we're losing sight of the WAR (meant in BOTH connotations).
This ISN'T a damn baseball game. We all lose if we don't pull this election off right. Focus on the endgame in Nov, the nominee regardless. We lose it and all the challenges we face are likely to continue their downward slide and if we're not careful, past the point of getting a grip upon.
I'm sick to death of it on ALL fronts. You can't convince or persuade someone you're too damn busy berating and belittling. Your attitude and the level of your discourse DOES have an effect. Choose the more positive and uniting tack.
Rant over. :) It's been building up for a very long time. I've no illusions that this will have much of an effect, that it'll even have that wide an audience. But frankly, this one's as much for my own mental health, as it is in hopes of providing a reality check.
And if you're still determined to have your doubts, to wade in your cynicism, well... holding the prefernce for candidates in all this in mind, I'll just say...
YES WE CAN!
We MUST!
It's really just a matter of remembering what binds us together in common cause and remaining committed to it and conscious of the realistic consequences of the level of the discourse we share to reach that goal.
If I can do it, so can every single one of us out there.
Peace, strength, and honor to us all.