This is regarding Paul Krugman's most recent column. I know there have been several diaries about it, but this one, in particular, is about the comments on that column in his blog. I don't think this has been diaried: if so, please let me know and I will delete this diary.
First off, my "credentials" (so to speak): I am an Obama supporter, and I had many issues with Krugman's column. This diary is not intended in any way to indicate agreement with him in that particular column. However, I admire Paul Krugman (still) and I think he may be right that party unity is going to be a big problem. If nothing else, I see his column as an indication of the difficulties Obama may have with Hillary supporters after all the dust has settled.
So .. to get into the meat of it. Let me say I was truly shocked to hear the anger of some Hillary supporters, if the comments on his blog are representative of her supporters to any degree. It's hard not to feel we inhabit separate universes. Some examples after the break.
Possibly the angriest:
Well Mr. Krugman, I am one of the disgruntled Clinton supporters. Let me assure you, there is nothing Mrs.Clinton or Mr. Obama can say that will induce me to support Obama in the general election. I have simply stopped reading or listening to anything he has to say. I think his campaign has been truly Rovian in nature. He has shamefully played the race card all the while blaming the Clintons. He is unworthy to be our President. He is unprepared for the most important job in the world. He is as unprepared as Bush was 8 years ago. I will never support a person who demonized a truly qualified and knowledgeable candidate as Clinton, and many people I know who are well informed think the same way. As for McCain, he at least knows how our government works and how the world works. The Democrats better wake up. Their dreams of taking the White House are just pipe dreams if Obama is the nominee. I think it is disingenious of you to say the onus is on Clinton to campaign for Obama. I know if Obama loses, according to the media, it will be Clinton’s fault. Another media dump on the Clintons. I really never realized how biased the media was until this campaign. You all truly shape how people think and vote. The Democrats did one thing for me this cycle. As a lifelong liberal, I am now watching FOX news and reading every conservative columninst I can find. The contrast is astounding. I now know why FOX news was started. People really do need fair and balanced reporting. As of today, we are nowhere close, and that includes you.
You know, I'm sixty and I've lived through a lot of campaigns. I've seen acrimony in the primaries -- but I've NEVER seen anything like this! How anyone -- especially any DEMOCRAT -- could compare Barack Obama to Karl Rove is simply beyond me.
How could she say Obama has "demonized" Clinton? How could a self-described liberal start watching Fox News???? What is happening here?
I found this one to belong in the "Department of Understatement":
You are right, of course — the incivility of the Democratic primary campaign may wind up costing Obama (and therefore us!) the election. However, it is not only his supporters who are to blame — some of HRC’s supporters are filling their blogs and web sites with hateful things about Obama which I’m sure the GOPsters are reading (and filing for future use) with glee.
Another anti-Obama rant:
You are correct in some assumptions and totally wrong in others. I am a life long Democrat who will vote Republican and not only because of the shockingly contrived, deceitful, insulting and trumped up campaign of the Obama contingent, but because I am stunned at the Democratic Party’s behavior through all of this.
Just who have we become?
Hillary Clinton is not my idol, nor is she my role model, but she has stood tall through this onslaught of attacks and mockery. Her fault of being encased in a middle aged matron’s body - and WASP no less - is not her own, just as Barack Obama’s happenstance of being young, cool and mixed race is not a plus factor to me.
Listen to what they say - and what the media says. You refer to him ’shedding’ his past persona. No duh, as my kids say. This is the man of 1000 lives. He is the perfect politician as he morphs into whatever the moment calls for.
The media continues to bang away at negative Hillary Clinton stories. Imagine today the NYTimes has exhausted the she’s a loser theme on the election and now projects that AFTER she loses, she will be a loser in the Senate, where she but certainly not Obama has worked with dedication.
Lastly, you refer to Obama’s health care plan with distain, but never mind, it won’t matter. I will tell you exactly why it won’t matter directly from an Obama campaign strategist who is a cousin of mine originally from Ohio and Carter’s administration who was brought back from retirement by the Democratic party.
Early on in the campaign after listening to why I should vote for Obama all during dinner, I mentioned that I just couldn’t understand Obama’s health care plan, but I did think Clinton’s would work. The hypocritical response I got floored me. I was told that it didn’t matter because Obama intended to use Clinton’s plan from the start - it will be his nod to her after he’s elected. As for details now, I was told that after my cousin’s experience testifying to Congress on Clinton’s health care plan, his strategy was to avoid details and just paint a picture that would sell. He said details clouded the vision of a leader with charisma and that the electorate couldn’t understand it anyway.
Lordy, lordy - this is why I will vote Republican. The Democratic party in it’s [sic] intense need to win has offered us yet another loser - only on a larger scale and I won’t buy into it - and yes, I have read his books....
(Interesting tidbit, if true, about Obama planning to use Clinton's health plan. I would actually welcome that, as I do think her health plan is better. But I don't think I buy the bit about "painting a picture that sells". I suspect that's just the view of this "strategist".)
And so on and so on. There are actually a good number of comments that take Krugman to task and support Obama (probably the majority). But there are enough angry pro-Hillary screeds that I am deeply concerned.
Instead of rejecting the Hillary comments as way off base (my first impulse), I would like to invite Hillary supporters to comment in this diary about exactly why they feel as they do -- if there are still any left on this site! This is disturbing to me -- it's clearly the "old Dems" vs. the "new Dems" -- but the problem is, there are so many "old Dems" who like the Clintons. We can't just kiss them off. This is a large and important part of the Democratic constituency.
I mean, I really, truly want to know how you guys (Hillary supporters) feel, and why -- with some specific examples, if possible. I would really like to try to see things from your point of view. I may not agree, but I want to get to the point where I don't feel like we are in separate universes.