There's a kind of intellectual trap that is very easy to fall into. Humans, for reasons of cognitive economy I believe, tend to think about each other in terms of types. This is useful but dangerous. You hear the phrases "Clinton supporters" and "Obama supporters" bandied about, for example, in diaries making sweeping generalizations about the people supporting each candidate. Spinoza called the caricatures of one another that we invent in our minds "beings of reason": entia rationis. The caricature is a creation of your mind and if you're not careful you can wind up mentally inhabiting an almost matrix-like world of only beings of reason, failing to be receptive to others as they are in reality.
With that in mind, may I suggest the following useful corrective of this tendency. Rethink your "typical ______ supporter". Block out that nasty person online that has informed your type and the generalizations you tend to make. Below the fold, I share with you the person I think of as a sort of therapy against beings of reason. I'm not saying I'm a Spinozistic Saint; I can be nasty, make assumptions, and overgeneralize with the best of them. But this helps.
How I became pro-mandate.
I had the chance several months ago to talk to a retired nursing prof who had volunteered for Hillary's campaign. We had a nice, long, respectful conversation about how the campaign had gone in IA and about the issues that motivated us each. Her issue was health care and she was pro-mandates. I figured she knew better than me. It didn't change my over-all assessment but it became one of the issues I recognized I might be wrong about.
I don't know whether wanting a woman president was also one of her motives, but I don't think it's silly for some one that has faced sexism to want to see a woman elected president in her lifetime. I can see how it could be vindicating. The woman I spoke with was an amazing person, remarkably intelligent. She might not see a woman become president. That makes me a little sad, I must admit.
I can understand why it would be important to a person. Obviously, it's not right for it to be the only criteria, but people have dreams. People who've lived long lives struggling against sexism and racism have dreams. It's sad when people's dreams get dashed.
This is my prototypical Hillary supporter: An intelligent and compassionate older woman who cares deeply about health care and believes in Hillary to deliver on that issue. She was really an extremely nice person. Her and hubby were political junkies. He had a bunch of photos and WH stuff. My wife, an interior designer had had their collection reframed and brought me with to help hang them. I wound up letting her do most of the work and talking about politics and history instead. He had gotten behind Bush after 9/11, but was seriously disappointed now. Anyway, I had a nice evening sitting and chatting with her and him about politics. They were just really sweet people and I liked them a lot. i have nothing but warm feelings for both of them.
I am really happy that Obama will be our next president, but I do feel the disappointment some one that may have faced all kinds of sexism in their life may feel now. A woman president could be a vindication for some and the emotions attached to that are legitimate. It's ok to acknowledge that, I think.
Overheard at dinner the other night. . . A group of young women, 20/30s, one pregnant, a table over were talking about the election. One said that part of the disappointment issue is generational. She said that she felt like she'd had the same opportunity as males. We forget too easily that 70-80 years ago the sons were the ones that received attention and high expectation. When I try to empathize with the anger that some of Hillary's supporters feel I try to think about what being passed over by less talented males for your whole life feels like. Think about that: a lifetime of being passed over.
I'm sure that this nursing prof is handling her disappointment with grace; you could tell that she was that type of person, closer to a Spinozistic Saint than I am. But I also think of her when I see youtube of a Hillary supporter having a melt-down outside the RBC, and some one says "Hillary supporters are crazy". First, that's an overgeneralization. Second, even applied to that one person it's unfair. You don't know what their life has been like. You don't know how they perceive things. Some one who has had a hard life and faced lots of discrimination may see sexism in this nomination process where others don't. They're going to get angry and bitter about it.
How do we deal with disappointment, anger, and bitterness? That's a big question, but I'm sure that the answer starts with understanding. That means trying, at least, to banish our beings of reason.