WARNING: IF YOU ARE TIRED OF UNITY TICKET DIARIES, AVOID SELF-SCRUTINY AND/OR HATE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS, YOU MAY WISH TO SKIP THIS ONE, the fourth and last in a series of diaries exploring attitudes of voters supporting one of the Democratic primary candidates, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton, toward a "unity ticket" of Obama for POTUS and Clinton for VP. Unscientific polls of DKos readers were taken at a time of maximum discord between the two camps, just ahead of yesterday’s meeting of the Rules & Bylaws Committee to address the problems of the Michigan and Florida primaries.
The results show similarities between Obama and Clinton supporters on the issue of a unity ticket. Additionally, the intense emotional reactions of many commenters to these diaries provide a window into the dark side of idealistic movements.
The author is a 56 yr old, lifelong Democratic voter and involved supporter of Obama who has been quite disgusted with Clinton's campaign. He is a clinical psychologist by day, writer and Strat Cat by night.
Statistical results of polls. Voters included 589 DKos readers who prefer Obama and 176 DKos readers supporting Clinton for President. Summarizing the major results:
Clinton Obama
supporters supporters
75% 82% overall would vote for the unity ticket
46 69 overall would vote unity reluctantly
29 13 overall would vote unity happily
7 3.4 would vote third party
5 1.6 would vote for McCain
13 13 would boycott the election
Of only those voting for the unity ticket
61% vs 84 would do so with reluctance
39 vs 16 would do so enthusiastically
Similar percentages of Clinton (75) and Obama voters (82) currently would vote for the unity ticket. However, the percentages of enthusiastic vs reluctant supporters differs- 39% of the Clinton voters who support the ticket were enthusiastic vs only 16 % of Obama unity voters. Equal percentages of both camps (13%) would boycott the election rather than vote unity. However, the percentage of Clinton supporters (7%) who would vote third party was twice as high as for Obama defectors (3.4%); and, the percentage among Clintonistas who would vote for McCain (5%) was 3 times as high as Obama GOP defectors (1.6%).
The results (while unscientific) are fairly positive as far as the beneficial effects of a unity ticket on GE votes for Obama. If only 18% of Obama partisans (Kossacks) would abandon the ticket with Clinton added, and 75% of Clintonistas would vote for it in the GE, the net result would be beneficial. I believe the Obama results are valid because DKos readers are informed and very partisan: A scientific sample taken in the general population would probably be no more negative toward HRC. However, the Clinton sample is questionable in that it's hard to say who the Clinton people that read DKos these days are. They are probably informed, well educated, "elite" progressives with few working class, white, Appalachian men. Comments from Clinton supporters on this issue would be appreciated.
Finally, the diaries were written with clear understanding of the Obama partisan perspective but in a manner that challenged Barack loyalists to consider their own behavior and attitudes. Followers of idealistic movements are prone to project negatives onto those they perceive as against them and use this to justify actions much like those of their objects of scorn ("But when you want money for people with minds that hate/All I can tell you is brother you have to wait" John Lennon). In this regard, I was variously informed by some readers that I am a troll, a Clinton supporter, self-righteous, a meddler, ridiculous, afraid to fight, and that I should consider joining the GOP because I seem to like telling others how to live and that's what Republicans do. I may be self-righteous, meddling, and ridiculous, but... thanks for your interest.