Like many on this site, I've been watching the HBO John Adams miniseries recently, and Ben Franklin's sentiment "Join, or die" (later "Unite or die") has been running through my mind. Especially since now some of the vitriol between the Clinton and Obama campaigns is starting to die down (I hope).
Originally this sentiment was a cartoon, but later it was turned into a flag, and used during the revolution, and in subsequent wars. We are now approaching a point in the democratic nomination where we can either unite, or die.
We have two choices, and they roughly are:
- Unite
or
- Die
I'll weigh the costs and benefits of each option below. In doing so, I will prove beyond a reasonable doubt that all other things being equal, uniting is preferable to death.
Benefits of uniting
- We will be assured victory in November.
- The democratic nominee will win a landslide election and have a mandate to implement a progressive agenda.
- We can finally end the war in Iraq, and prevent more death of US Soldiers.
- We can at long last have a reasoned, principled approach to foreign policy.
- We will have a president who actually protects the constitution, instead of trying to ignore it.
- Democratic control of the legislature and executive branch
- Get to pick ~3 supreme court appointees
- Economic prosperity
- Bragging rights for the next (at least) 4 years that you can use against any republican you know
- Thousands, upon thousands of new green jobs
- Universal health care
- Open and accountable government
- An education policy that encourages learning over test taking aptitude
- Stem cell research
- Historic presidency -- either an African American, or a Woman. This will have a large, positive effect on our national identity
Costs of uniting
- Either the Clinton supporters or the Obama supporters will have to swallow their pride. This is no small thing, I know -- but this has to happen if we are to unite. I am an Obama supporter, but if fortunes were reversed I would feel exactly the same way.
Benefits of death
- Tax immunity, for eternity!!!!
- Get to skip the next 8 months of the Bush administration
Costs of death
- Pain
- Don't get to vote in the general election
- Infinity + 1
Calculations
Net cost of uniting = benefits_u - costs_u = 15 - 1 = 14
Net cost of death = benefits_d - costs_d = 2 - (infinity + 1) = -(infinity+1)
Best choice = max(net_cost_u, net_cost_d) = 14 = UNITING!
As this calculation has proven it is infinitely better to unite than die!
How to unite
Some things we can do:
- Find a supporter of the candidate you oppose and try to empathize with them. They have put a lot of money, effort, tears, etc. into their candidate, and so their sense of reality may be slightly warped. This is true on both sides.
- Apologize to somebody you've offended from the other side. This is irrespective of whether you've offended them rightly or wrongly.
- I would love to see a direct debate question on one of the upcoming debates that would be something like: "You've said that we will have a united democratic party for the general election. Will you commit right here that if the other candidate wins the nomination that you will endorse them, encourage your supporters to vote for them, AND campaign for them?". If anybody knows how to get this question into one of the debates, please do so... I think it would go a long way in hearing both candidates give affirmative responses to this (which I think, or at least hope that they will).
- Once it is certain who the nominee will be, please don't rub it in the face of the other candidate's supporters. Offer them an olive branch. In fact, offer them one now... it will seem cheap if you do it only after your candidate has this thing sewed up.
- Obama supporters: You think you've already won? Fine, then you don't need to go around criticizing everything Hillary Clinton does. Instead spend your time working on attacking McCain.