The charge of cultism has been leveled at the supporters of Barack Obama for months now. It was as if being inspired by a truly remarkable leader was now somehow a crime, or at the very least something to criticize. This indictment has been made constantly of Obamaniacs by Hillary Clinton's supporters.
Yet, today a Gallup poll lays bear the irony of this campaign.
This result reveals the true cultism.
Given Hillary's race-baiting tactics and Religious McCarthyism of late, and given her being caught in an outright lies about her supposed and vaunted experience, it is hard to explain why Hillary's supporters continue to support her so fervently unless you consider whether her own supporters are actually and truly behaving like a cult. Indeed, in observing Hillary's supporters contorting themselves in unnatural formations in order to explain away her truly unDemocratic tactics in trying to win this unwinnable race, and seeing them, as Democrats, try to defend her destroying the Democratic Party for her own narcissitic purposes, I have to conclude that they are in fact the true cult of this campaign.
They are attracted to Hillary first, and the Democratic Party and its principles a very distant second. In fact, in reviewing that poll result above, I wonder if the future of the Democratic Party and its policies are last on the minds of Hillary's supporters. That poll seems to say a full third of Hillary's supporters intend to vote for a third term of Bush-Cheney rather than seeing a man who fairly defeated their beloved candidate, and who differs almost not at all with respect to the core policies and principles of the Democratic Party, win the Presidency. Perhaps that's not fair, and perhaps a full third of Hillary's supporters are just racists who will never vote for a black man over a white man.
And while I am being fair, of course it must be noted that 19% of my fellow Obama supporters share a similar notion, and I condemn them as vehemently as I condemn Clinton's supporters for harboring the same notion. But it is remarkable that after all the abhorrent things Clinton has done in this race, more Obama supporters are willing to support Clinton in the general than vice versa, especially considering that Obama has done nothing to Clinton and her supporters except upset an imagined entitlement to the Presidency. And that further reveals a cultism on the part of Clinton's supporters.
Now this is where I yell stop!
This is directed mainly at Clinton's supporters who would vote for Bush-Cheney rather than a Democrat, but it also applies to any Democrat or liberal/progressive minded Independent who is similarly considering the same thing.
This Primary War is brutal. I admit that I have come to hate, or to put it kindly, strongly dislike, certain people in the Party and in the blogosphere that I never envisioned hating or disliking. Not eight months ago, I, along with Booman and Susie Madrak, relaxed and blogged with Taylor Marsh in the quiet of the private blogger room at Yearly Kos in Chicago. I found Ms. Marsh to be truly delightful, funny and kind. I used to revere Ed Rendell as a skilled politician. I had a respect for Armando and an admiration for Jerome Armstrong. And I absolutely adored my President, William Jefferson Clinton. All of that respect and admiration has been destroyed by this primary battle. Perhaps these relationships can been redeemed. Perhaps we can all come together to advance again our common goals and dreams. But that will take a long time to accomplish, given the rancor.
And it is that rancor where I can understand the above referenced Gallup poll. I understand it, because I cannot see myself voting for Hillary Clinton in the fall should she steal the nomination. But that is me saying that now, and more likely than not my anger at Hillary will be soothed by the time it comes to vote for her in the fall.
In fact, if I was not to vote for Hillary in the fall, I will not be voting for John McCain as an alternative. I would leave the presidential line blank. But again, that is me talking now. And I suspect many in the poll above are just venting and truly do not intend to vote Republican in the fall.
But in case they actually mean it, those that would vote for Bush-Cheney III need to be aware of a few things.
No true Democrat, no true progressive, and no true liberal can even consider voting for John McCain in the fall, yet alone plan to do it.
So if you are a Hillary supporter, or an Obama supporter, and you plan to vote for Bush-Cheney III in the fall if you do not get your candidate on the podium accepting the nomination in Denver, then you are not a Democrat. You are not a liberal. You are not a progressive.
You are a member of a cult.
And you are a Republican.