Doomsday or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Vote Republican

Hey folks,

Wading my way through the liberal blogosphere I find myself excited by the amount of passion people have for our fine candidates, but also a bit disheartened by the "fringe few" on both sides who seem to take pleasure in trashing fellow Dems. I'm not talking about the majority of bloggers who have valid policy criticisms, but the louder/more fanatacized few who constantly spew out comments that are either assanine or just down right hateful.

My question is - are we heading toward a 1968-like split in the party? Has the protracted and heated competition completly polarized our party, that no matter who wins the nomination, a large chunk of the other candidate's followers will sit out or vote for Grampa McCain? Without pointing fingers at either party, have we come to a point where the polarization is irreparable?

I'm wondering if these Doomsday scenarios are a few primaries away or figments of my paranoid imagination. With the amount of passion both sides feel for their candidates, it may be very difficult for either candidate to pull the others' supporters - especially if they feel marginalized, apathetic, or vengeful.  Take into account all of the intense feelings toward the MI/FL votes, Super Delegates, purported racism and sexism, etc...

(fyi - I'm an Obama supporter but would vote for Hillary in a General Election in a heartbeat).

•  At DKos you find all of the ...

  Hyper-Partisans...IRL there are people who look at the world in a more balanced way...we will come together...

  Go Democrats...Peace

  by dvogel001 on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 06:25:40 PM PDT

  •  I sure like your tag line. n/t

    by linc on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 06:34:58 PM PDT

  •  Oh go hug JoeLieberman......

    snark.

    by comeinpbrstreetgang on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 06:41:36 PM PDT

•  Depends

  on who gets the nom.

  We can heal if it's Obama... Clinton, I'm not so sure.  Then there is the question of whether or not the Dem party will be declared altogether dead once she loses in November.

  I'm one of those peeps who refuses to consider voting for her.  McCain would have to do something wild to get me off the couch in November should HRC be the nominee.

  by ben bang on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 06:28:41 PM PDT

  •  that is the point of the diary

    rather than talk about ways to heal, you talk about Obama would heal, Hillary won't.  It is an automatic reaction.

    by DrKate on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 07:22:22 PM PDT

    •  I'm talking about

      my feelings towards the candidate.

      And those feelings are very real and will affect my vote in November.

      by ben bang on Thu Feb 14, 2008 at 06:38:43 PM PDT

•  If Ms Clinton does the stateswomanlike

  thing and concedes to Mr. Obama and in so doing throws her full support behind him, it should be no problem. She can be a force in Democratic politics for years to come if she does this. I am sure she would bring her supporters with her.

  I am sure Ms Clinton will do the right thing.

  by shigeru on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 06:36:35 PM PDT

  •  I think they should run together

    and no, I wouldn't advise your candidate to do this now either.  It's not over.

    Oh, and Hillary Clinton will continue to be a force in democratic politics and policy for years to come, whether she wins or loses this nomination race.  She stands in her own right, irresepective of Obama.

    by DrKate on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 07:28:08 PM PDT

    •  I agree that she will be a force in the party

      for years to come and I am sure that regardless of the outcome of the nomination process she will do the right thing.

      by shigeru on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 08:06:13 PM PDT

      •  thanks. n/t

        by DrKate on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 08:21:01 PM PDT

        •  You are welcome. (n/t)

          by shigeru on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 08:23:37 PM PDT

•  i think if you

  refer to '68 are you talking about the democrats who went to chicago on the corporate dime vs the grassroots of the party?

  by TAPayne on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 06:44:46 PM PDT

•  If any party should fear schism its Republicans

  Look at the way the conservatives hate McCain.  You throw a conservative third party candidate in there and watch their votes get scattered to the winds.

  by DreamsOfABlueNation on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 06:47:47 PM PDT

•  doomsday is coming, anyway

  irrespective of what happens in the democratic party.  Talk to Al Gore, he knows about this.

  None of the candiates are dealing with this at all.

  So in some ways, why not vote to expose the whole thing, just like Bush has been "good" because his role was to slap everyone in the face, such that there could be such interest in "change"....McCain will certainly continue this awakening, in fact, he just could provoke the revolution we just might need.

  by DrKate on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 07:25:24 PM PDT

•  I read that about 30% of the supporters of

  Obama and Hillary, respectively, say they will vote for McCain if their candidate is not the nominee.
  I think McCain has a very strong chance of becoming President, which is a highly depressing though.

  by BoringDem on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 07:30:19 PM PDT

•  You're asking the wrong people

  Yes things can get a bit heated around here but in the end most folks on this site and in the party supporting Barack or Hillary would support the other in November.  The real question is to what degree would the new voters that Obama has energized, not to mention the independents and "Obamacans" be willing to vote for Hillary in November.  

  The answer is, "no body knows." We would probably loose some, but not all, perhaps not even most.  And would those loses be decisive?  Against any other Republican I wouldn't be worried, but we're up against that "maverick" McCain and his media fan club.  He could potentially beat Hillary; both because he'd get some independents and she would energize the conservative base that otherwise would be lackluster in their support of a McCain candidacy.

  In the final analysis politics is to unpredictable for any of this speculation to really matter.  People should just vote their consciences and let the chips fall where they may.

  by Thought Crime on Wed Feb 13, 2008 at 07:38:45 PM PDT