A note to Obama Zealots about respect.

[mrbluto]

This message is for Obama Zealots only

I'll warn you reasonable Obama supporters that I'm not going to respect the delicate sensibilities of the zealots, so you might want to stop reading right now.

If you're not an Obama Zealot then none of this applies to you.

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The reasonable people gone? Just me and the zealots? Good.

Look - I was practically in the "Anyone but Hillary" camp at the beginning of the primary season.

But reading this http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4850793&mesg_id=4850793">thread and watching so many people straining their parsing skills and yearning to take offense is nauseating.

Hillary was asked if she thought Obama was a muslim - she says "No, of course not. I take him at his word." Does that leave a bit of room for doubters? Perhaps. But the reaction and invective on the thread is way out of scale for what is essentially a very, very, very minor comment. While we're at it I'd like anyone who thinks differently to look back over all your own interactions, all your workplace conflicts, and then tell me you've never, ever, ever left a wee bit of room in any of your comments about a competitor that was similar to what Hillary may have intended.

Nah don't answer that - I'm sure none of you ever have.

So we're all on the same page when it comes to this: you're all without sin and are allowed to cast however many stones you like. I get that.

You people can keep calling her a "bitch", "evil", "worse than Nixon", "worse than Cheney", etc. because I'm sure you have no doubt about how justified you are.

But there's a practical problem with all that: charisma

Obama may have it - you guys surely don't.

You guys got a big case of anti-charisma you're all working on.

This is what really worries me about an Obama presidency - not that he's going to have a tough time, or that he's going to give the re-thug-nicans too much of a honeymoon.

No.

It's the steamroller-like, purposefully aggrieved zealots that have to peck at absolutely anything that could conceivably be twisted into a cause for offense. You guys are creeping me out like a bunch of snake-handlers. I read your posts and I hear an unflinching gleam in your eyes. (to mix metaphors a bit)

This behavior and all the "victim" tones of righteous offense you guys waft off only fulfills the caricature that Republicans have been trying to pin on the Democratic donkey since time immemorial (or at least as far back as I can recall).

Have a little class - your guy is winning.

I would say "think about preserving the chance of party unity" but I doubt any of the culprits would listen.

Do any of you see how similar your attitude is to that of the worst of the Republican's worst members?

Where unity means former skeptics or people who disagree are expected to just capitulate and denied the dignity of perhaps having sincerely disagreed?

No - it's "Any one who disagrees is stupid and slimy and evil and wrong! How can they live with themselves?"

You know who you are. You're not doing your guy, nor the party, any favors.

I see an future Obama presidency as OK, not spectacular - embattled from day one, but a welcome relief from Neocon idiocy. Then again Bill Clinton wasn't my favorite guy to begin with either - but it turned out to be not so bad.

I have the same hopes for Obama, but if the party is going to have a bunch of a**hats in it that either purposefully or inadvertently replicate a Democratic version of a media echo chamber I'll only be a visiting member of that party.

She said "Of course not.", "I take him at his word". Of course she has to parse this crap. Just like Obama does on a dozen other things you won't allow yourselves to see.

People aren't perfect. Candidates aren't perfect. Don't let your imaginary perfect be the enemy of the practical good. There's a chance that, in the future, you'll be glad Hillary is a democrat - or you'll wish you hadn't alienated her and the people who support(ed) her. Pick your battles carefully - choose them so you can win the war. The war versus the Radical Right.

There's a saying that "it's better to be lucky than be smart", well, leaving aside the question of whether Obama has the best platform, or whether you guys are right to be indignant at how Hillary answered, I'm going to offer you guys a bit of advice:

"Sometimes it's more important to be liked than be victorious."

One of the most insufferable things right after Bush was elected was how smug all the republicans I knew were. You guys are in spring training for the same league.

There are skilled people, committed people, people in the Democratic party whose help will be of great use once there's a Democratic president. They don't think Obama is the best thing since sliced bread like you all, but they'd work with him. If all the Obama people were like the ones on this board then many of those will be packing their bags and quick.

Right now is the point when you say "good riddance", right?

Really?

Are you saying "Love Obama, or leave the party"?

No?

That's what all this sound and fury says to me. It all sounds very Republican.

Keep it up and I and a lot of other people aren't gonna let the door hit us on the ass on the way out.

It's a matter of respect.