Though Senator Clinton claims the entire party is like a big family, my personal experience is that of the other side. Meet my friends. For the purposes of the Blog, I shall call them the Boltons. A fictitious name, of course- but the family is real. There are four members and three of them strongly support different candidates. Well, there are the cats, and the dog, who are also beloved members of the family, but they don't vote. The voting members- or the humans debate their choices constantly, but perhaps the Boltons can help us keep in perspective how battles are fought in a family of Democrats
White, very rich and in Texas. A picture of the Bolton family would cause even Rove to dub them as staunch Bush supporters. Mr. Bolton has voted Republican. Once. His family still gives his a tough time about it.
"There was Bush, and this young governor for Arkansas", he says ruefully to good natured jeers from his family. "I thought to myself, experience should trump over ideas. I was trying to be true to my "independent" registration. Then Bill won."
This time, no Republican is even being considered. But the family does support different candidates and argue about them with bonhomie.
Mr. Bolton says he supports Hillary. Completely.
"My family says it is because I have a weakness for experience, but they don't understand that I am not making a purely rational choice. I am genuinely excited about Hillary. She is smart, her knowledge of the current economic challenges is unparalleled. Surrounding yourself with brilliant people is one thing, but you need to know your stuff to spot the brilliant idea." He says, "I guess, I would be okay with Obama. I have learned that ideas can counter experience. I would however not be okay with Edwards. In my eyes, he is a charlatan."
His wife disagrees. Her life is rather extraordinary. She was a certified Debutante who spurned her conservative Georgia roots for activism in two causes that she claims probably cause her plantation owning ancestors to spin in their grave. One was the Civil Rights movement, and the other was the Pro-choice movement. She supports Edwards, strongly.
"It is cause based. He is passionate about all the things I am. Ultimately, we need to fight for the poor, and when we do, every one is uplifted- the women, the minoritities, everyone who has been at the short end of the Republican administration." She is open to Hillary, because "she is a safe choice" but scoffs about Obama. "Don't get me wrong, I understand what it is like to be idealistic and captivated with the idea of a better, united America. But I am fifty seven years old. You are not going to get there by uniting a country. You are going to get there by either fighting the system, or by being smarter than it is. Obama strikes me as too soft."
Their son interjects. "Thus speaks the woman who marched against the establishment!"
(Everyone laughs)
"Edwards is hardly estabishment!" Mrs Bolton says. "Though a good establishment is better than a Utopian ideal that is never going to work"
"Bah!" her son replies, but without bitterness. Brian (not his real name) is genuinely uncommitted because his favorite candidate Gore did not run. He says his dream ticket would be "Gore/Feingold."
"The day that happens Angels shall blow their heralds and unicorns will gambol about in glee" he says in jest.
"And pigs will fly out of my ..." his father snarks from the corner.
"That as well." Brian replies calmly. "I'd rather vote for a genuinely progressive candidate. None of the current ones meet my requirements. I will make up my mind about who is least offensive to the progressive agenda. Though Hillary's vote for the Iraq war takes her out of my consideration set."
His father says it was based on available intelligence and that no one could have anticipated that it would have the consequences it did. The son argues that she never even read the report.
"That would render a majority of politicians as incompetent!" his father says. "Look, I am reasonable enough to believe that Politicians should not be held to such standards where one vote brings their entire capability into question. Consider all her credentials and then take a call. Don't dismiss her because she did one thing that you disagree with."
"And I shall. I am not like Kelly." He says.
Kelly is the youngest scion of the Bolton family. A girl much too busy with college and work to have ever bothered with politics. And suddenly she is obsessed because of her support to a candidate named Obama. She launches into a long monologue of his stimulus package specifically citing the focussed rebates as something other stimulus packages could emulate. She then speaks about his record with Pro-choice causes. Except for Kelly, no one is actively campaigning for their candidate. She herself claims she had no time to campaign until she saw a mailer that claimed Obama did not have a strong Pro-choice Record.
"I said, okay lady. You have gone too far". She says with her eyes blazing. Not that it will make any difference in Texas- which will go Republican, Kelly still canvasses for Barack.
"Say what you want about him, but if he could get Kelly interested in the political future of this country, he has something going for him. " laughs her father.
"What concerns me is that most people have not bothered to verify if that style is backed with substance. So Kelly did, and if that is her choice- I honor it. But the idea of someone being voted because he galvanizes people on the basis of his youthful message without any further scrunity is frankly disturbing. We have had two elections dictated by wingnuts, do we want another superficial one?"
"I think you have forgotten what it was like to be young and believe in your country again, as you once did." her daughter says.
"And you don't realize that with age may come experience and wisdom." says Mrs Bolton.
There is silence as these women square off.
"I think ultimately, as long as we remember that who ever we vote for, we still are fighting the good fight- that is the biggest deal."Brian says.
"Yup." Kelly says.
Mrs Bolton starts laughing hysterically. Everyone stares.
"Y'know, I was thinking about this entire wine track, beer track thing that Rove was writing about a few moons back." She sputters. She points to Kelly.
Everyone laughs. Mr. and Mrs Bolton are drinking white wine. Brian is nursing a water. Kelly is the only one drinking beer.
"And they used to call him the Great Strategist!" Mrs Bolton says. They raise their glasses.
"To the party." Kelly toasts. They drink.
"Oh and may Rove rot in hell"
They cheer enthusiastically.
Edit: The family is real. The conversation is real, though edited for brevity. I am told that though the cats are extremely indifferent to whatever political outcome, the dog piddles everytime someone yells Ron Paul.