This morning I had the unfortunate pleasure to read this diary, in which the diarist told thousands of Democrats online as well as millions of Obama supporters across the country and abroad to "simply keep your mouth and blog shut." He dared to label us "so-called 'liberal' bloggers" and "the rookie camp", claiming that only Clinton supporters are the veterans to the party and that "we have been on it long before many of you learned how to spell Democrat".
Pardon my language, but that's the biggest line of bullshit I've heard yet from anyone, online or offline, to be used to attack the supporters of a Democratic candidate for president. EVER.
And for what end have you said, and continue to say, such things? You claim that we "have acted at times like the Republicans we are trying to beat", while ignoring the fact that it is your candidate that has employed:
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blatant Rovian fear-based advertising
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the politics of racism, distraction and division
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flat-out lies to trump foreign policy experience
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...and of course, the war vote for which she has never apologized, incstead choosing to lie over and over again about her knowledge leading up to that vote.
And you defend her to this very moment, as well as attack and swiftboat her primary opponent and her opponent's supporters, as if they were anyone who dared oppose Bush's re-election in 2004.
Then there's Florida and Michigan, whose state parties have screwed up the nomination process for the second time in two presidential election cycles. Hillary has distorted the entire issue, claiming that elections where the population was told BEFORE the primary date that the election would not count, therefore disrupting the turnout before the fact. Add in the fact that every candidate took their name off the ballot in Michigan as a show of party unity, except Hillary who now claims that this massively distorted vote should should count as-is because it was "fair play". How in the hell do you consider that a fair vote?! An even better question - how the hell do you consider a candidate who is so self-absorbed to be virtuous?
And now that all this damage has been done - to the common objectives we have had for the past 8 years as Democrats and citizens of the United States, to undo the damage done by the Republican Congress and George W. Bush - we have to add to it the animosity created by the actions and words of one of our own, and compounded by millions within our own ranks hating on millions of others because of their choice of party candidate.
And in addition, you have the unmitigated nerve to blame us for your own destructive actions because of how we rejected your negativity - with the same unity that we have come to bring to every phone call we make, every house we call on, every line of protest we form, and every stand we take. Is this what you consider the "rookie camp"? If it is, then forgive us if we see, and seek, a different path to restoring this country to its moral principles than the same machine political attitude that only gives a shit about winning at all costs.
In conclusion, I'll agree with you that it will take time to regroup and retool for the general election campaign. It took time for those of us who, like myself, supported Edwards to adjust to another candidate. However, telling us to "...keep your mouth and blog shut..." isn't going to help. You need to start adjusting your attitude, and in return we'll help bring you, and Hillary, into the fold. Don't expect us to be kind though if the insults, the rudeness, or the 'ur a Demnoob so stfu' bullshit continues. These are the things that Democrats don't need to say. We need to be better than this.