Reply #191: We usually can find common ground

[Tom Rinaldo]

you and I, but you are being so sweeping in your statements it makes that more difficult now. You are concerned about revisiting Primary wars but you are the first here to accuse someone of pursuing that now, and that is about the strongest generic fighting words available on DU right now. Can you see that?

I worked things through to my satisfaction at least with Padraig18 as soon as I realized that s/he (unclear on gender - sorry) viewed Dean's campaign as "crappy" also. Most people who say that about Clark's campaign do not feel that way about other Democratic candidates, other than Kerry of course. It has a whole other meaning. It is dismissive of him his efforts and us. I know when that intentional type energy comes at Dean or his supporters at DU it will bring a reply here. It should especially if you honestly think facts are being distorted in the process.

Lots of statements have been made by Clark supporters that were meant to deescalate tensions on this thread. There were acknowledgments that people can have a different reading of an event they witnessed. There were obvious statements confirming that Clark honestly lost the Primary elections. There was agreement that Clark was an imperfect candidate. But why have you not commented then on the Clark was a Republican leaning Independent for 40 years comments that have been made on this thread? There have been several comments linking Clark to Republicans. Where did they come from? Isn't that reigniting Primary Wars? Clark just spent the last 6 months doing everything in his power to elect the Democratic Ticket and this stuff is still being dredged up? Talking about Clark praising Bush? Isn't that Primary War materials.

Clarkies don't take that stuff calmly, I will agree with you about that. Deanies wouldn't take being called Kool Aiders now calmly either were someone stupid or ugly enough to trot that shit out now either. Nor would they relax if someone now claimed that Dean was only an opportunist who was manipulating grass roots activists to gain personal power. Linking Clark to Republicans, claiming that he really wasn't against the Iraq War, calling him a feeble candidate who Karl Rove Republicans would eat up, these aren't statements that get left unanswered janx. Kerry made the mistake of not responding quickly to Swift Boat accusations.

I agree that Clark supporters need to be thoughtful in responding to statements like the above in order to be most effective. We try, and for the most part I think we tried hard here. You know how with this last election one of the best arguments for some degree of fraud having taken place is that all of the errors swung toward Bush? Well one of the best ways for seeing that Clark supporters are not engaged in any Primary Wars here is that all of the negative comments made about a candidate have been made about Clark. Show me one swipe at Dean for example on this entire thread, I don't remember any.