Is Healing the Democratic Party Possible? One Citizen Journalist's View

In the weeks that have passed since Hillary Clinton suspended her presidential campaign, the Democratic line has been all about unity.  Clearly, the Barack Obama campaign needs to bring Senator's Clinton's supporters back into the fold.  I think that rumors of mass numbers of Clinton supporters who will now support McCain rather than Obama are, frankly, bullshit created by the McCain campaign.

However, the Democrats need all the support they can get during this race.  Frankly, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are nearly indistinguishable in their platforms and either of them would be a substantial improvement over the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Neither the Obama nor the Clinton campaign has been blameless in this primary created division, so why not let bygones be bygones and work on what's important: putting a Democrat in the White House.  It really shouldn't be a problem.

Or so I thought until yesterday.

During Virginia's convention yesterday, I roamed the coliseum corridors between sessions, checking out the vendors with t-shirts and buttons, and stopping to talk to people who looked interesting.  (Incidentally, my favorite was a toss up between two t-shirts.  One said "Vote Republican: Eat tainted meat, breathe poison air, drink nasty water, help only yourself."  The other read, "Democratic Women are the Life of the Party!")

I happened to see a knot of 10 or so women about my age who were obvious Hillary Clinton supporters.  They all had Hillary campaign materials sticking out of their bags and in their arms.  I walked up to introduce myself and said, "I've found some of the Hillary supporters!"  Their apparent ring leader said, "Yeah, we don't talk to the press," looking pointedly at my press badge.  Floored, I explained that I was a blogger for a DEMOCRATIC blog made up of both Clinton and Obama supporters.

Ms. Ringleader still wasn't buying it, and asked me, "Well who did you vote for in the primary?"  I certainly wasn't going to lie, so I told them I voted for Obama.  Her response: "Your people haven't treated us well.  We aren't going to talk to you."  And they all marched away.  I managed to give one of my MOMocrats cards to a straggler and asked her to check out our website before passing judgment.

I worked my way through a chain of progressive reactions to that exchange.  The first was, "What do you mean you won't talk to me? I'm one of you!"  Looking down at my press badge it occurred to me for the first time that I was not one of them.  Women who would normally talk to me about politics in the line at the grocery store or if we met at a party were wary of that pass hanging around my neck. They were wary of me and my power to humiliate and scorn.

This was a first for me.  As a blogger, I have never really considered myself a journalist.  Yes, I am a writer, but I write about politics in a way entirely different from main stream journalists.  I give people my reactions to what I hear and observe.  I tell you what I think; I don't simply dispassionately report the facts.  People read what I write because of the way I write it.  If they just want news, they'll go to the New York Times.  If they want to be entertained with death match tax throwdowns between Obama and McCain, or a full course of tasty political questions, they come to MOMocrats.

This atypical approach to political "reporting" is what made bloggers struggle for access and legitimacy in the eyes of the political world.  Now we have it.  So I can't really complain that we're "press."  We're in the press section to stay, for better or for worse.  (Note to the press covering the convention: get the hell over it!)

My second reaction to the Clinton supporter snub was anger.  Anger at being lumped in with those who admittedly have given Hillary Clinton and her supporters a hard time in this election.  While few in the MSM will admit it, sexism is rampant in journalism and many in the MSM took aim at her during the primary season.  Her supporters were, unfortunately, collateral damage.  Then, of course, there was the mud tossed back and forth between Obama and Clinton supporters on the Internet.  I certainly never engaged in it, but I saw it happen often enough - on both sides.

Of course I did realize that the Clinton supporters I encountered were not snubbing me.  They were snubbing what I stand for in more ways than one: press and Obama supporter.  That's when I began to get worried.

During  Governor Kaine's speech, I paid attention to the crowd.  Kaine talked about his friendship with the Obamas and the Obama presidential campaign quite a bit.  Of course, he also worked the Obama theme - change - into his speech quite a bit.  As I walked around photographing the delegates and guests, I realized that something problematic was happening.  I could easily tell who the Obama and Clinton supporters were in the crowd, simply by watching their reaction to Kaine's sound bites about Obama.  Some people in the crowd were less than enthusiastic.

Apparently I wasn't the only person to notice this.

As an idealist, I can understand the reluctance of Clinton supporters to suddenly switch their loyalties.  After all, I, and the other original MOMocrats, were in a similar position several months ago when John Edwards dropped out of the race.

As a Democrat, however, I want to tell Senator Clinton's supporters that it's time to put on the big girl panties and support Barack Obama as the next president of the United States.  Unless you'd prefer to be watching John McCain's inauguration on CNN next February.

Think about it.  Republican John McCain as president.  Four more years.

That thought scares me to death.  So, Clinton supporters, give us a chance and come back to the party.  We'll still respect you in the morning.  I can guarantee that John McCain won't.

Other posts from the Virginia Democratic Convention:

Raising Kaine in Virginia

McCain Could Learn Something from Webb

From Red to Blue in Virginia?

When Stephanie isn't chasing after Hillary Clinton signs on the convention floor or elbowing her way into a press scrum, she writes non-political stuff at Lawyer Mama.  You know, in her "spare" time.

Comments

[PunditMom]

You know you and I have been very respectful of each other's positions on the candidates, but this really isn't about big girl panties.

It's about the attacks that so many HRC supporters feel they wrongly suffered from Obama supporters. Clearly not all, but remember when the HRC supporters at Daily Kos all quit because they were tired of the venom they felt was being tossed their way by the Daily Kos Obama people? Ultimately, when some Clinton people get over their anger and really focus on the issues that are important to them, they will move on. But just as I had to get over my disappointment about Edwards dropping out of the race, I think Hillary's voters need time. Having said that, no one likes being attacked and there clearly was a good portion of that from some Obama supporters throughout the campaign. And maybe it didn't start with Obama himself, but he's going to have to make up for it if he really wants those votes.

[Queen of Spain]

'Time' I get. 'Time' I can handle. 'Time' seems warranted. But as I watch the McCain campaign woo Clinton supporters, and really start breathing down their necks...I'm about ready to hit the buzzer on the clock.

[hibikir]

Being mad at someone because his supporters didn't treat you the way you like makes about as much sense as hating Mexico because your high school teacher gave you detention, or hate Christianity because Tomás de Torquemada was a Christian. It's a natural response for some people, but it is in no way rational.

Someone with a lot of time in their hands could spend some time healing the wounds by pretending to be a McCain supporter and start insulting Hillary. Such a person should also claim to be a racist, love high credit card debt, and hate mathematics. That way we'd see long term gains past the November election.

[TX Poppet]

Time ain't enough. As an HRC supporter I've been called everything from moron to racist. To say I have chip on my political shoulder would be an understatement.

Obviously singing the refrain "Their platforms are nearly identical" did nothing to answer my conviction that HRC had the better policies to get that platform through.

When his supporters stop speaking in pretty soundbites and broad sweeping statements and start getting down to the nuts and bolts of policy, my heart will be back in the race.

[Daisy]

It is such a bittersweet time for Clinton supporters. I feel excited about Obama - excited enough to stand in line and get my daughter tickets for an Obama rally even though I couldn't go. I feel disappointed that Senator Clinton did so well for so long, yet fell short. Perception is reality, and the perception is that Hillary got a raw deal. We Hillary supporters need to continue our support of the party. We must be supportive with our voices and our votes if we truly expect to see the changes we need in Washington.

[jaelithe]

TX Poppet, I understand that some Obama supporters stepped over a line, not only in their criticism of Clinton, but also in some cases with personal attacks on her supporters.

But, let us not forget, first of all, that many Obama supporters, such as myself, have a great deal of respect for Clinton, her accomplishments, and the movement of women behind her. And let us also not forget that some Clinton supporters crossed lines, too. As a female Obama supporter, I was told repeatedly during the primary that I was a self-hating woman and a traitor to feminism. I've had neighbors stop talking to me because they know from the sign in my yard that I'm voting for "that Hussein guy who went to a madrassa and won't say the pledge of allegiance" (in case anyone reading this has been living under a rock, BTW, NONE OF THOSE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE RUMORS ARE TRUE, but you wouldn't know that among some folks around here *sigh*).

However, just because some Clinton supporters have acted ignorant and/or petty in my presence doesn't mean I have jumped to the conclusion that most Clinton supporters are people I won't want to talk to. On the contrary, many good friends of mine supported Clinton in the primary, and I completely respected their support of her.

I'm still hurt by the accusations I've betrayed feminism, but I'm trying to get beyond it. Of course it's easy for someone whose candidate won to say, hey, let's let bygones be bygones. I understand that.

But, really, what we all need to focus on, together, more than anything, is getting the neocons' claws off of the executive branch.

[reno.Muse]

One is only "attacked" if one buys in to victimhood. Be zen. Rise above it. Be the change you want to see in the world. Being a victim should not be that change.

[Scheherazade Khan]

As a woman, it was almost a forgone conclusion that I would prefer HRC. Settling on BO struck people here (Guyana) as irregular, and somehow a betrayal of my "womanhood". More than anything, an actual betrayal of the values and issues of HRC would be a vote for the Republican candidate. Whatever you may think of BO's supporters, and their occasionally buffoonish or boorish actions (which he is clearly not responsible for) GET OVER IT! The right to choose, civil liberties, families losing their homes, the non-ending war, these are the real issues. Don't be fooled into voting against the interests of women, moms, kids, and, well, people in general...

[Karoli]

Supporters on both sides were horrible. I could show you some comments from Clinton supporters that would curl your hair. The one that stands out for me is the one promising me that the "scorched earth" plan was in effect that would ruin Barack Obama's presidency and clear the way for Hillary in 2012.

Larry Johnson did her no favors either with his horrible race-baiting over on No Quarter -- posts that shouldn't even have seen daylight much less made it to the top of Memeorandum day after day after day.

There were horrid Obama supporters, too. There was much frustration about the fact that respectful dissenters' comments were purged from the Hillary blog alongside the disrespectful ones, leaving visitors with the impression that no one disagreed. Over on the Obama blog, very little was ever deleted, so his supporters were always on the edge of their seats toward so-called Clinton trolls.

Neither group behaved like angels. I even said I would not vote for her if she received the nomination, but I would NEVER, EVER have voted for McCain or in any way supported him. The extent of my protest would have been to simply leave the Democratic party, vote the rest of the ticket and write in or skip the Presidential vote.

Truth be told, I might have left the party, but I probably would have held my nose and voted for her in the end.

As aggravating as it feels, I'm actually glad it's happening, because this is the inevitable result of the Clinton triangulation strategy, and if the Democratic party is ever going to leave the old guard behind, they need to start with a clear definition of what they are. This is why the Bluedog dems are refusing to endorse Obama, and why some Hillary supporters will switch to McCain.

I respect their choice to do it. I'm less impressed with their efforts to disrupt the party. It certainly weakens any little bit of support I might have for putting her on the ticket as Vice President.

There are some women who don't care whether Roe v. Wade is overturned, and who don't really care as much about domestic policy as they do about having at least the illusion of feeling 'safe'. They supported Hillary Clinton's candidacy because of their hopes to have a woman in the White House, but not because they necessarily embraced her policies. I think that's still true, and without the female factor, their next inclination is toward Republican policies.

That's certainly their choice, and they have one vote with which to do it, just as I have one vote to undo theirs. Hopefully when all is done and undone, there will be a majority voting to put a Democrat in the White House.

[Peter]

My favored candidate has never won a contested Democratic presidential nominating contest (dating back to 1980 and running through 2008). Some of those who lost I supported with a level of ambivalance, knowing whoever won would be good. In other cases the feelings weren't so easy and I ended up voting against the Republican rather than for the Democrat.

I suspect that's where a lot of Senator Clinton's supporters will be this year. Asking folks who committed their time, heart, and soul to an incredibly strong candidate who would be an incredibly strong president to get over it can feel like asking a bit much.

Hopefully some will throw themselves fully into the Obama campaign - some already have. Hopefully all of Senator Clinton's supporters will vote against McCain or for Obama in November to help ensure so much of what Senator Clinton fought for her whole life - and will continue to fight for - is not swept away by lifetime court appointments, inaction (or worse) on health care, and extension of the disastrous Bush war and economics.