Steps to Unity include giving Obama supporters some respect.

I was tempted to register with MyDD to answer this lovely that's been on the recommended list for three days:

why I resent Obama(Mosley Braun for example)
http://www.mydd.com/...

Yet, my main resentment is toward Barrack Obama and the media for his allowing them to "create" him.  If people would take a sober look:

Obama has done 1 thing of note in relation to Presidential politics: he won a U.S. Senate seat.  The history of that race is so unbelievable in the context of both his primary and general election opponents that those few who don't believe in God, really have a hard time with that one.

So we have a black guy, who gave a speech in 2004 that everyone (including me) loved, and now he's a presidential contender?

See?  Black.  Senator.  Speech.  The media made the rest.  All that's left is a Geraldine Ferraro type telling us that being a black senator is a huge advantage in this country.

And this is in MAY.  We've had six months of intense campaigning, and this guy can't even suspect that there's anything to Obama but a media creation.  And he's getting ANGRY about it.  RESENTFUL.  

Which would make me, an Obama supporter, an idiot in his eyes deserving of his anger and resentment.

Not very unifying.

But the real sin of Obama is that he didn't wait his turn.  He jumped the line.  Not just over Hillary Clinton, but Carol Moseley Braun.

Look at Carol Mosley Braun in Illinois for example:

November 3, 1992--Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois became the first Black woman to win a U.S. Senate seat on this day. Moseley-Braun, with support from a broad-based political coalition, handily defeated Republican Richard Willliamson. She held the post until 1998. A Chicago native, Moseley-Braun earned a law degree from the University of Chicago in 1972 and served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the mid-1970s. Moseley-Braun won a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives in 1978, serving until 1988 when she was elected Cook County Recorder of Deeds, a post she held until her election to the U.S. Senate. She later served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and currently is a Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency.

Imagine if she had given a great speech at the time, and the msm annoited her a contender?  

But wait, she did what every other politcian besides Obama has to, which was go to work.

In the process, she met scandal, and poor results, and when she stood before the people to be re-affirmed, SHE LOST.

So Obama should follow Braun's example and...lose.  That's the HONORABLE thing to do.  It's his turn.  First you're black.  Then you're senator from Illinois.  They you're out of politics.  How dare Obama break the mold and WIN something?  

In conclusion, I find the attitude dismissive of Obama supporters, finding some sort of vice in winning, putting Obama forward as a media darling because he's black, and any other qualities besides a single good speech disappear.

Look, HRC supporters, unity requires you throw Obama and his supporters a bone too.  Admit Obama gave TWO great speeches, one in 2002 against the war and one in 2004 at the convention.  That's a start.  Give us a jot of respect as adults and voters.

•  Tips, and BTW

  I voted for Carol Moseley Braun for senate, twice.  It never occurred to me that it was either her for president or no black senators ever.

  by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:19:53 AM PDT

•  I don't like their dismissive attitude

  either ... if it is going to continue once he has the nomination locked up then I say **** them and the horse they rode in on.

  by Gator1980 on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:21:01 AM PDT

  •  When do they stop blaming the media?

    Even if he wins, they media is to blame.  

    by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:21:53 AM PDT

•  time to move on - let it be

  by tbounnak on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:22:05 AM PDT

•  It doesn't matter what THEY say

  but it matters what WE say.  Obama has won so we need to be gracious.  Hillary has lost and they need time to exorcise their sour grapes.  All will be well soon.

  by llamaRCA on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:22:38 AM PDT

  •  Sadly, no.

    If Obama wins, and HRC fans write it off to him being a media creation, then it won't be well.  They'll be feeding the Republican themes and legitimizing them.

    And I think five months is long enough to figure out that Obama's got more than black, senator and one speech.

    by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:25:07 AM PDT

    •  Once she concedes they aren't going

      to be doing this anymore.  They are fighting as hard as HRC is, but it can't last just like her campaign can't last.

      by llamaRCA on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:28:20 AM PDT

      •  It doesn't matter if Obama wins if

        your theory is that the media did it, like the MyDD diarist.  Obama won't be respected for being a winner, he'll be hated even more.

        by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:29:38 AM PDT

        •  We have to ignore the die-hards

          Some of them will never accept anyone else than Hillary. That's fine, I think they are a minority, albeit a vocal one. I don't think we should try to engage them. If they actually believe in the substance of Hillary's policies, they will come to us.

          by Fairy Tale on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:34:14 AM PDT

          •  Nobody's died easy, yet.

            These aren't the die hards.  This is repeating basic HRC stuff.  HRC herself demeans democrats in even more strident terms.

            by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:38:34 AM PDT

  •  This is Wise

    We can not control what Hillary supporters say.  

    We can control what we say.

    Hillary supporters need leadership towards reconciliation.   (To reconcile not only their angst over their loss, but also to reconcile the conflicts they feel over Obama as a person and a nominee.)  

    At this point, Hillary is not providing that leadership.  Instead, she is giving them false hope.   Which is sad and is one more thing they will have to reconcile.  

    That leaves the leadership roll to Obama and to us as individuals and bloggers.  

    And all it takes is a little compassion and a little patience.    

    by ruscle on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:29:30 AM PDT

•  let me get this right - obama should have slept w

  a president to equal HRC's "things of note in relation to presidential politics?"

  it's nonsensical.  frankly, i don't give a shit whether they give obama respect or not - in fact, i wish them to continue NOT doing it, so that when obama picks someone else as the VP, we won't be hearing from those tools at all.

  by jj24 on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:24:59 AM PDT

  •  Well, I left this out of diary:

    I can get that from HRC.  That's why I still support her.  Her dishonesty is actually honest because I know she's pandering and lieing on many things.

    It's basically the SNL skit.

    by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:26:24 AM PDT

    •  that wasn't snark? oy vey.

      by jj24 on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:30:32 AM PDT

•  Here's the thing.

  Take a look at the underlying attitude; it's basically that the guy who won needs to be punished for it, along with the people who supported him. It's just another iteration of the "It's my turn" business that worked so well for Hillary in the past.

  by MBNYC on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:25:44 AM PDT

•  Respect goes both ways.

  Respect is earned. I've seen a number of comments of late that treat Clinton supporters as deficient in some way. Naturally, they're not going to appreciate such sentiments.

  If you speak to Clinton supporters as equals, as you want them to speak to you, and let them know that they will be accepted into the Obama campaign as equals... then most of them will join once Clinton stands down or is not nominated. If you treat them as chattel that cannot think for themselves... does the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" mean anything to you?

  by Tangent101 on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:26:09 AM PDT

  •  

    If you treat them as chattel that cannot think for themselves...

    This is exactly what they say about Obama supporters and have been saying since February. We're kool-aid drinkers, cult members, can't think for ourselves, etc. It's a 2 way street and we've been taking that kind of criticism not just from Clinton supporters, but the MSM and republicans as well. So, yeah, we're a little "bitter". It will take a while for some of us to put aside the resentment.

    by DJShay on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:31:40 AM PDT

    •  You forgot childish and naive.

      That basically came out before IA when HRC put college people on the shit list.  Everyone who supported Obama was a child.  Just yesterday I took to task an ex HRC supporter who put up a unity diary and yet referred to Obama supporters as "the Kewl Kidz."

      by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:33:46 AM PDT

      •  Obama's coalition is so broad...

        ....that you basically have to make a whole list of people to denigrate if you want to dis his supporters.

        by metal prophet on Tue May 13, 2008 at 12:46:49 PM PDT

•  yep

  I find it ridiculous that these people are so convinced that Obama is some sort of empty suit, even now after he put together a winning campaign.  

  Hillary, for all of her supposed accumulated experience, still voted to give George fucking Bush the authority to start the Iraq war.  Obama, naive empty suit that he is, somehow was still smart enough to know that wasn't a good idea.

  Hmmm.

  by fizziks on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:26:20 AM PDT

•  All democrats deserve respect

  It is time that we all treat each other with respect.

  The thing we have to remember is 95% of obama supporters and Hillary supporters are gracious and respectful of the other side.  There is a small minority that poison the well and we can't get suckered into their game.  

  by arogue7 on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:30:28 AM PDT

  •  Diary's been up on MyDD for three days

    and it repeats themes heard from HRC 08 and HRC herself. It's just time to drop it, that's all.

    by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:32:01 AM PDT

•  The usual jumping to

  weird conclusions based on non-existing comments.

  Inland's comment that "So Obama should follow Braun's exmaple and ...lose.  That's the HONORABLE thing to do," is such a ridiculous assumption on his/her part that has nothing to do with the point the diarist referenced was trying to make.  Nor was it even implied by what the writer wrote.

  by dfarrah on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:32:40 AM PDT

  •  Wrong.

    The writer clearly made a connection between "going to work" and making political trouble for oneself.   Braun did the it, but Obama's an empty suit.

    what do you think the point of bringing up Braun's loss is?  I'd love to hear it, simply because nobody's mentioned her since she got mugged in Obama's neighborhood a few months ago.

    by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:35:38 AM PDT

    •  do they think Obama would lose his Senate seat

      in 2010?

      Yeah, sure dfarrah, try to peddle that fantasy.

      Do they think he's not a popular Senator?

      Opinion polling in Illinois would suggest otherwise.

      And he did go up before the voters of Illinois again, this time against native daughter Hillary Clinton... and he kicked her ass.

      The myDDer's "points" are wholly nonsensical and self-defeating.

      At best, they make a case for supporting Joe Biden.

      by Stroszek on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:39:45 AM PDT

  •  right, the delusional point

    was that if Clinton had a shred of honor, she would have deferred to Joe Biden and Chris Dodd.

    by Stroszek on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:36:33 AM PDT

•  the truly bizarre thing

  is how these types act like they are entitled to Clinton's entitlement as well.

  It's not just an affront on Clinton, it's an affront on them.

  They think they "deserve to win" because they're the "real Democrats." They really don't understand that the majority of people who have actually been busting their ass in the name of this party prefer Obama.

  by Stroszek on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:32:58 AM PDT

  •  He's resentful.

    I think it was Jerome Armstrong who had a sentence discussing "black democrats" and "regular democrats".  As it became clear that it wasn't JUST blacks, it then broadened to college kids and nutty anti war activists and, well, people duped by the media.

    All I ask is enough respect to assume I'm not just being led by the nose.  If I'm WRONG about Obama, it's for a big reason, not a petty one.

    by Inland on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:53:33 AM PDT

•  HRC Supporters real gripe=Obama didn't wait...

  ....his turn.

  Wow...and here we all thought this was some sort of Democracy..where the People elect their public office holders?

  You know what...I was actually pondering what happened with HRC's campaign and it just dawned on my as I was driving to work.  She ran her campaign thinking it was "her turn".   But then I wonder...why?  Did she forget that it's the people who decide who's turn it is??

  by DRStarks on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:35:37 AM PDT

•  What He Missed

  What the die hard Clintonites and the core GOP don't get about Obama is that it has never been about experience or speeches or legislative agendas.  It's been about leadership.  It's been about electing a president that will inspire a nation and take it into a new millenium and the challenges it will represent.  It is about someone who has thrown down the gauntlet at the feet of the American people and expected from us what we claim to be.  It is about calling to our better angels and faith in us, not in government.  

  Voting for Obama is not a vote for a democrat or a black man or even a set of policies.  It is a vote for ourselves.  A vote that says we know and understand that me can and that we must do better.  That this is a time that we will never get back.  That we will change the way we do things and throw out the devisiveness and pandering of the old and make room for the opportunity of the new.

  We are the ones we've been waiting for.

  by celtic pride on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:38:49 AM PDT

  •  To them, experience is a pre-req to leadership

    I think you're right to emphasize leadership over experience, but there are many people who believe that experience is a pre-requisite to leadership. They do not give credibility to leadership unless it is "backed up" by experience. I've seen that everywhere I ever worked. I don't know how you get around that except to just keep working at being a leader until they finally give in and say you finally have enough experience to be a "valid" leader.

    A word after a word after a word is power. -- Margaret Atwood

    by tmo on Tue May 13, 2008 at 11:00:31 AM PDT

•  Yeah that Carol Moseley Braun

  comparison is valid - why?  Because they are both black?

  Because I'm from Illinois, and what I remember Moseley Braun for is being on the edge of indictment for misuse of funds - I believe there was money given to her mother?

  From Wikipedia:

  Moseley Braun was the subject of a 1993 Federal Elections Commission investigation over $249,000 in unaccounted campaign funds. The agency found some small violations, but took no action against Moseley Braun, citing a lack of resources. Moseley Braun only admitted to bookkeeping errors.

  In 1996, Moseley Braun made a private trip to Nigeria, where she met with dictator Sani Abacha. She subsequently defended Abacha's human rights records in Congress.

  In 1998, after George Will wrote a column reviewing the allegations of corruption against her, she responded to Will's comments, saying that "I think because he couldn't say n*gger, he said corrupt." She also compared Will to a Ku Klux Klansman, saying "I mean this very sincerely from the bottom of my heart: He can take his hood and put it back on again, as far as I'm concerned." Later, Braun apologized for her remarks.

  Yeah, except that Moseley Braun couldn't effectively run a campaign, and defended dictators, and used her race as a strawman to get the subject off of her corruption allegations, she and Obama are exactly the same.  They are both black, and live in Hyde Park.

  by sheddhead on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:40:54 AM PDT

•  I don't hold Clinton's fans' behavior against her

  ... but I do believe in keeping Hillary accountable for her own words. When Sen. Obama goes out of his way to be gracious and respectful to her and she makes race-baiting comments about how white people won't vote for him, in an interview with USA Today, I'm sorry, but that tears apart any goodwill I may have been able to summon for her.

  I'm not going to offer an olive branch to someone who just wants to beat me over the head with it. When she drops her selfish antagonism and stops trashing Obama as a general election candidate, then I will join the diary calling for us to say something nice about Sen. Clinton. Right now, in all honesty, I cannot do that.

  by philimus on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:44:47 AM PDT

  •  Whats interesting

    Whats interesting to me is they believe that Obama has been race baiting. I am not sure what flavor Kool -Aid they have over there but it must be tasty.

    He was the black candidate....
    Jesse Jackson won SC too....
    Hardworking whites won't vote for him....

    by mmurray21 on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:55:50 AM PDT

•  they won't change

  this may seem "unfair" but it is up to the winners to set the tone and make HRC supporters feel welcome with us.

  We can't control what they or their obnoxious surrogates do.

  CMB:  she is viewed as a complete joke in Illinois.

  Mind you, I went to one of her town-hall meetings (in Peoria in 1992) and voted for her twice.

  Note that she won her primary race when Dixon and Holfeld got in a bloody slugging match in the primary; the RNC was so sure that Dixon (the incumbent) would retain his seat they didn't even recruit anyone other than a token to run against her.

  by onanyes on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:45:33 AM PDT

•  it's impossible to respect us

  We're all a bunch of sexist, villifying, blind, stupid cultist idiots who don't understand politics, want to lose the election, and have torn the party assunder by being mean to Hillary (who has done absolutely nothing wrong) who's being robbed of the election.

  Or, at least that's what I hear from the people I'm supposed to extend olive branches to (even though they're still going to vote for McCain anyway because their petulance is more important than the blood of our troops)...

  I'm frankly at the fuck-'em point.  They're trying to brand me guilty so much that I dunno what's my motivation not to just go ahead and BE all those bad things.   If you're going to be hung as a horse thief anyway, why not ride to the gallows?

  by shadetree mortician on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:47:01 AM PDT

•  Who cares what they think

  Ignore their baseless attacks.  They will either choose to get on board or they won't.  After her loss sinks in, my bet is that they will end up voting for Obama when they can see things with a clearer mind again.

  by unertl on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:47:40 AM PDT

•  This election is too important

  it's not about Obama or Clinton or whoever. It's about america.

  It really pisses me off how unseriously people take this election. Like it's a tit for tat thing like Clinton lost to Obama or so and so lost whenever so lets vote against Obama.

  This election is bigger than that. We have the most pro war candidate in the history of this country running for president. John McCain will push for war with Russia, China, and Iran, and we sustain this much war.

  Who cares about Carol Mosely Braun or any other politician. This is about the American people. I don't care what historic candidate there is or could be, I care about making sure that a war mongering fascist like McCain is kept out of office.

  by Johnnythebandit on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:57:03 AM PDT

•  Unity will wait until they're done grieving

  There was a diary yesterday where I and a few other people discussed more or less the same thing, so apologies if anyone's read this already: I think one could read this as the Clinton campaign and its supporters are working through the five stages of grief, aka the Kübler-Ross model of grieving. This theory states that all grieving, especiallly when coming to terms with a terminal illess, goes through five stages:

  Denial
  Anger
  Bargaining
  Depression
  Acceptance

  We had denial for quite a long time. What we're seeing right now is a LOT of anger, like we see on MyDD, with a few folks moving into bargaining, where we see the calls for Hillary to be given the VP spot. Later, we'll see folks become utterly completely despondent, not just about Hillary's campaign but about the fate of the country. These folks really sincerely believe that Obama will be defeated in a landslide; it's been their honor and obligation to prevent that from happening, and now they've utterly failed themselves and their country. Reminder that these are all REAL stages and to them this is very very real and personal.

  Finally, they'll come to an acceptance, which I believe will come in two phases: they will accept that Obama is the nominee but with negative feelings and will continue to believe in their hearts that he cannot possibly stand up to the Republican smear machine. After some time, and after seeing certain things that Obama will say and do, or after getting some new information on Obama, they will have a "come to Jesus/Buddha/Gaia" moment when they will see Obama with new eyes, when they finally get that he's a game-changer and they accept him as the candidate with positive feelings. Their previous criticism that Obama isn't a tough enough street-fighter will fade once they realize he's actually a master at aikido.

  I believe you will be astounded at how many Clinton supporters Obama is able to win over. But it's very important that we let them go through these stages in their own good time. They will move through them, and when they're at acceptance, then we offer our hands in unity. Not before. Give them time. They're really wounded and they deserve a lot of compassion.

  A word after a word after a word is power. -- Margaret Atwood

  by tmo on Tue May 13, 2008 at 10:57:06 AM PDT

•  Emotions running high right now.

  Although I like to believe I wasn't this bad, I was very, very upset when Edwards dropped out, and I did vent on some HRC and Obama gloaters. All camps have a lot of passionate people and a few loud idiots. Passion is good, and the idiots will always be with us.

  by dallasdave on Tue May 13, 2008 at 11:01:32 AM PDT

•  I like to point out...

  ....to these people that Obama has just as much legislative experience as Abraham Lincoln. And a better won/lost record in Senate races.

  by metal prophet on Tue May 13, 2008 at 12:48:08 PM PDT