My new hero, and I'm not fond of having heroes. I'm listening to her speech as I begin this diary, and I'm amazed that there are so many people who realize that the choice is not between
A) Person or
B) Principles,
But that this is about B) Principle AND C) Party, and that A) person doesn't matter.
There are the Clinton partisans who believe that the rules are to be sullied, bent, and thrown in the trash heap, depending on who's asking to have the rules violated and why.
Many have posted about the fact that Sen. Clinton supported the sanctions when she was winning.
Many have posted about the fact that Harold Ickes and the other Clinton partisans voted, proudly, to strip MI and FL of their delegates.
I was proud that Alice Germond stood up and said what needed to be said, that this isn't about either candidate, it's about the respect that we either have for our party or not.
The idea that 'sometimes the rules have to be broken' is an empty and hollow position and it was unfortunate to see that point advanced, because it was ill-stated and poorly defined. Rules aren't broken because they hurt the feelings of those who are punished. They're broken when there's a sense that the rules are unfair, when they do not provide an adequate response to an inappropriate action.
I'm sorry that the Clinton supporters in the crowd can't see beyond the misrepresented promises of their candidate. I'm sorry that those who claim to believe in Democracy are only capable of accepting it only when they get EVERYTHING they want, leaving no room for compromise.
I just want those who were there in that room, today, remember
- The 48 states who complied with DNC rules.
- The nearly two million who didn't show up because they were told their votes didn't matter.
- The members of this party who've given their blood, sweat, and tears to this party LONG BEFORE there was ever a Bill or Hillary Clinton.
I'm no fan of Huffman, by the way, but I can say that I was impressed with the way she handled the crowd, as well. The discussion of unity expressed by both Germond and Huffman, two people on opposite sides of the issues, made me proud today. They gave me hope that we can and will move forward.
For the first time, I feel FREE of the dirty politics of the old ways and feel that the Democratic Party will move forward.