Back in August, I wrote a short diary in response to a diary that claimed that they would not vote for Hillary Clinton in the general election. At the time, I thought it was a foolish notion to harbor: I wasn't enamored with Senator Clinton or her campaign, but she and her surrogates hadn't done anything to really offend my senses at that point.
That was then. This is now. And I have a hard time wondering if, in good conscience, I can step into the voting booth in November and vote for Hillary Clinton should she be the Democratic nominee.
Because since then, there has been plenty of offensive material coming from the Clinton campaign, Bill Clinton, and the candidate herself.
It's the insensitive remarks coming from Andrew Cuomo, Bob Kerrey, and Bob Johnson.
It's Hillary Clinton demeaning Martin Luther King's role in the civil rights process by saying, "It took a president to get it done."
It's Bill Clinton insinuating that Barack Obama's position on Iraq is a fairy tale. Or Clinton alleging voter suppression, even though firsthand accounts posted here at Daily Kos by thereisnospoon make it much more likely that it was the Clinton campaign engaging in dirty tactics.
It's the push polls in South Carolina, along with the robocalls in Nevada. They aren't officially linked to anyone yet, but I would bet plenty of money that it's coming from a pro-Clinton 527 that hasn't been put in the spotlight yet.
It's Hillary Clinton, in just last night's debate alone, bringing up right-wing talking points about Antoin Rezko and continuing her husband's blatant lies about Obama's remarks on Ronald Reagan.
-----
I'm an Obama supporter, having already cast my vote for him in New York and having volunteered for his campaign in New Hampshire the week before the primary there. But I'm also pragmatic and recognize that he has a tough path to securing the nomination, and that right now, it's more likely that Clinton will be the nominee.
But after seeing a Democratic candidate resort to such low tactics - and targeted against another Democrat, no less - my appetite for voting for Hillary Clinton in the general election is close to nil. I literally have one reason for doing so: the Supreme Court. If she is elected president, I have no illusions about anything transformative being accomplished. The DLC will reign supreme once again in the Democratic Party, and the country will continue to reside in a bitter red state/blue state divide. The only reason is that, at the very least, I can trust a President Clinton to nominate reasonable people to replace Justices Stevens and Ginsburg, who I am certain will retire should a Democrat be elected to the presidency.
But it's difficult to evaluate if even that is worth holding my nose for. Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, and her campaign have run a campaign worthy of the sleaziest Republican operation.
How do you feel?