I suppose I could have addressed this to the supporters of other Democratic candidates as well, but they don't seem to be the ones causing problems--and supporters of Hillary Clinton were always rare here anyway. I wanted to take a moment today and address some troubling patterns of behavior I have seen emerging in the last few weeks.
I am referring to over-the-top, obnoxious and negative political rhetoric.
The art of political blogging is still relatively new. Many of the bloggers at this site are relatively new to the practice and have never blogged through a major primary campaign and don't understand how ticklish it can be. I am a veteran of the Jim Webb campaign, including the primary fight with Harris Miller. Throughout the primary and the general election I blogged at my personal blog, The Richmond Democrat. Bloggers played a big role in Jim Webb's victory, and in his primary victory in particular. Perhaps more than in any other election to date.
I'd like to share some things I learned from that experience after the jump.
We are coming up on the two year anniversary of the beginning of the Draft Webb movement. Even now, two years later (and more than a year after Webb's trumphant victory in the general election), there are hard feelings between the supporters of Jim Webb and Harris Miller. Harris Miller himself turned out to be a stand up guy. He endorsed and campained for Jim Webb. Harris Miller wasn't the problem. The problem was that some overzealous people on both sides had gone too far, had said and written things that they shouldn't, things that are the sort of things that can't be taken back.
If I learned anything from my experience of blogging the primary between Jim Webb and Harris Miller it's this: you need to fight with your friends very differently than the way that you fight with enemies. It's something that's very easy to forget in the heat of the moment, that, for the most part, we are all Democrats and/or progressives and we agree to an enormous extent on a great very range of issues. Likewise, we have opponents--some would even call them enemies--the Republican Party and other so-called conservatives with whom we disagree on a great many things to a very large degree.
It makes no sense to treat your friends like you treat your enemies just because you disagree with them on some very fine point. Nor does it make sense to behave badly over the question of who will or will not represent the Democratic Party in an election: there will always be more elections and the person you insult today may be a necessary ally in one or two years. Learn to disagree without being disagreeable. There are a couple of behaviors I want to call out in particular.
Hyperbolic Criticism - This consists of seizing upon minor verbal gaffes or infintismally small differences in policy and blowing them into gigantic character flaws or irreconciliable differences in beliefs. I have seen Barack Obama compared with Hitler and claims made that range from his being a closet Muslim to being a closet Republican. In either case, Obama is presumed to be waiting until he gets power in order to betray the Democratic Party and progressive movement. In point of fact, the policy positions of Clinton, Edwards, and Obama are strikingly similar. This should surpise no one, when you consider that they are all good Democrats, all current or former U.S. Senators, and members of the same political party.
Taunting or Mocking - This has become more of an issue now that the primary season has actually begun. I am an Obama supporter, so I was naturally happy with the results of Thursday caucus in Iowa. Nevertheless, those results do not change the fact that John Edwards and Hillary Clinton remain good, worthy Democrats, and it certainly does not justify belittling them or their supporters. I was surprised and disappointed to see this diary. I do not recommend going to read it. Suffice it to say, it is a taunting message to Edwards supporters, daring them to literally bet on John Edwards' campaign. John Edwards and his supporters deserve better than this. If you feel the need to taunt someone, may I suggest Rudy Giuliani and his followers.
Let me reiterate something I wrote the other day.
All of the Democratic candidates for president are talented individuals. Most--though not all--would make fine presidents. Spin and puffery notwithstanding, the policy differences between most of the Democratic candidates are minor, and in some cases, non-existent. At the same time, Democrats are separated by a vast gulf from the Republican candidates, who compete amongst themselves to see who can advocate more strongly for torture (excepting McCain) and war with Iran.
There is a tendency for some people to get too caught up in the horse race. Some folks get involved to the extent of creating their own little cults of personality around their candidate of choice. That kind of behavior is unhealthy, because it leads them to do things they would normally condemn, but they feel are justified by the need to win. Push polls, false attacks, dog whistle racism, smears . . . the end does not justify the means. No matter how great your candidate is, you must resist the temptation to cross the line.
At the end of the day there will be only one Democratic candidate. It is unproductive to make extreme arguments. It is wrong to threaten to not participate in the process further if your candidate is not chosen.
Such behavior disrespects the Democratic process, in every sense of the word. The Democratic candidate will be the product of that process and will have made it through an intensive screening process lasting more than a year, involving several debates, endless public appearances and speeches, and caucuses and primaries. In the end, the winner will have earned the nomination and will deserve our support.
As I have made clear elsewhere, I am a supporter of Barack Obama. But all of the participants in the primary process, candidates and supporters alike, are deserving of respect. As participants in the process, we should all keep the future in mind. Whether the eventual winner is Clinton, Edwards, or Obama, we will need to unite as a party--and as a movement--around the nominee. Looking further down the road, there will be future battles, future campaigns. Don't engage in behaviors that will embarrass you when you need to ask someone for their help and support.
By all means, work zealously to support your candidate. To the followers of John Edwards I say, bring your best game. To everyone on the campaign trail now I say: remember, we are all friends, and at the end of the day we will need to unite behind our nominee.