Clinton Democrats Have Had Enough
In what’s a clear sign that the tight, passionate, and even aggressive race between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is tearing apart the Democratic Party, approximately 70 Daily Kos diarists have decided to strike. The author of the original post, one Alegre, who is - according to Marc Ambinder - a “prominent pro-Clinton diarist,” is fed up with the rude and intolerant behavior as displayed by Obama supporters and calls on other pro-Clinton diarists to stop writing at DKos.
I’ve noticed this tendency among progressive bloggers as well myself. They’re increasingly rude. It seems that they have decided that Republicans and the Clintons are the enemy. That’s also one of the reasons that I think that Obama’s movement is more about personality and is more liberal, than many moderates think and want to believe. These progressives are turning into little Hitlers for Obama.
Alegre is also angry because he noticed that Markos et al. don’t do anything to force progressive Obama supporters to behave like adults. Instead, Markos has become increasingly anti-Clinton and pro-Obama himself, Alegre writes. Daily Kos isn’t a “progressive community” anymore, it’s a pro-Obama community.
And how does Markos react to the ’strike?’ That’s right, by showing that he’s in reality one arrogant son of a gun: “First, these people should read up on the definition of ’strike.’ What they’re doing is a ‘boycott.’ But whatever they call it, I think it’s great. It’s a big Internet, so I hope they find what they’re looking for.”
Dude; those are the people who actually enable you to make a couple of million dollars each year. Perhaps you should show them a little respect and appreciation?
This thing could very well tear apart the Democratic base. It seems to me that if Obama and Clinton and their supporters in the blogosphere - and in the media - want to keep the Democratic Party united, they’d better treat each other with a little respect. As Joe Gandelman writes:
To those who don’t visit blogs or get their news from them (which a recent poll shows includes the vast majority of the American public) this might seem to be a provincial conflict, but it is highly significant.
In political terms, it underscores the raw, angry and bitter rivalrly between supporters of Obama and Clinton (as I noted in my appearance on CNN’s blog segment last Sunday).
The mirror image distrust, hatred and dismissiveness felt by each side towards the others’ candidates accentuates by the day — raising the authentic prospect that even in an awful economy the Democrats will snatch defeat from the jaws of victory — as some supporters of the losing nomination candidate stay home.
Joe links to pro-Clinton blogger Tom Watson who wrote:
The resentment among non-Obama backers is growing rapidly - you can see it in the comments here, and I can see it in my emails. There’s a real split among party activists, and it’s getting wider. Some of it is motivated by the media’s love affair with one candidate - and hatred for the other; Keith Olbermann’s embarassment drove many over the edge. But much of it comes from boorish, Stalinist behavior online - the kind of “you’re either with us or against us” attitude we saw so much of when the Bush crowd was flying high. It’s disturbing, particularly because so many of the targets are women. This is not the Democratic Party many of us have worked for; this is not the progressive blogosphere we’ve supported. Without blaming the worthy candidacy of Senator Obama in any way, this is not a progressive movement - it’s a harsh, echo-filled politburo bathed in faux post-racial hosannas and the gauzy camera lens of “hope.”
Are the Democrats once again eating their own?
These people are shocked to learn that Kossacks are rude and intolerant of disagreement? I guess it’s different when it’s directed against Republicans or moderate Democrats.
Can’t feel sorry for them either Michael, but from a partisan democratic perspective, this could become a very serious problem.
I certainly understand their frustration (really — even though I am pro-Obama, I have also noticed the over-the-top tone of those people at DailyKos), but the standard they are setting for their "strike" is ridiculous — ALL criticism of Hillary Clinton is deemed to be "sexist" and intolerable.
"We quit until our candidate gets a complete free pass" isn’t going to sell anyone. This has, unfortunately, become quite common among Hillary supporters. I haven’t yet encountered many who concede that ANY disagreement is tolerable.
Kos is a model of reasoned debate compared to MyDD, which is primarily pro-Clinton.
That’s not true in my experience. If you look at other people than Taylor Marsh, they’re all willing to accept criticism; yes, she is a dirty fighter, yes she is an old-style politician, etc., etc.
You can say that, but that doesn’t make it true.
Bill I checked out MyDD, and I encourage others to do the same. Then go back to Kos. It’s perfectly clear to me that MyDD is more reasonable than the extreme bunch running Daily Kos.
Then again, both are pretty extreme. But DK outdoes them all.
You’re right, Michael. My saying it doesn’t make it true. The fact that the DK "strikers" and their ilk automatically equate all criticism with "sexism" is what makes it true to say that they are utterly intolerant of all disagreement of criticism of any kind.
Really, did they? That’s not how I read the post. If they do, I obviously disagree with that, but that’s not what I read.
Much criticism was fair, but I think it’s undeniable that there has been quite some sexism as well.
Anyway, one wonders how they’ll unite the party. That could prove difficult. Will more democrats turn to mccain? that could very well happen.
"They’re increasingly rude . . . These progressives are turning into little Hitlers for Obama."
Excellent point. Hitler will be remembered for his rudeness if for nothing else.
Reading your posts makes me wish bloggers had to pass an aptitude test before obtaining blogging software and a domain name.
Yes, funny how intolerant progressives like yourself become when they disagree with something. Free speech! for liberals. As an aside, I think you should be mightily glad that such a test doesn’t exist. DK wouldn’t exist if it did.
Sounds like the - if a tree falls in a forest…….
I’m one of the strikers: owlo6. Plain and simple, Kos is a shill for the Obama campaign. He and his fellow administrators have permitted Obama supporters to bend site rules and harass anyone that backs Senator Clinton. The Obama mod was openly attempting to track us down — our names, employees, where we live — in the real world.
I now understand what the "angry left’ is; Bush hatred (although deserved) has been replaced by irrational Clinton hatred.
mob*
Tom Watson is wrong. The boorishness MvdG describes in his post is exactly the Democratic party and blogosphere the Kos-ites envision.
We already know that political junkies are a small subset of the total American voting population. The folks haunting one particular echo chamber like daily Kos are an even smaller subset. Once one takes the opportunity to step back and see things from this rather obvious perspective, it becomes clear what this Kos dust-up is. A tempest in a teapot. Sound and fury signifying nothing. These Kos folks are a bunch of unscrupulous partisans both uninterested in and incapable of anything resembling fair-minded moderate critical thinking. They usually turn such rude and pathetic argumentation upon the "others" who play for the evil GOP team. So they really don’t know what to do when their back-slapping society splits into 2 camps. The joyous unifying echo has become dissonant as two rhythms compete. As an independent and outsider, I think it’s amusing and entertaining to see them devour their own. The cherry on top is the invocation of the boycott as a "solution." Retreat to a smaller echo chamberthat holds no dissonance, that’ll fix things. :-) As more time passes, I am more inclined to adopt Mike Reynolds’ view that this is all a slow-motion rejection of the Clintons by the democratic body politic. If it were not for the fact that Hillary Clinton has so much loyal gender-based support, this would have happened much more quickly. Yes geraldine, she’s very lucky to be a woman. ROTFL.It is in some sense a shame that the DLC triangulationapproach made manifest by the Clintons is jeopardized by this. The policy approaches are in many respects worthwhile, but the Clinton tactics? Not so much. I think the rejection has much more to do with personality than policy. I can see getting behind a future DLC triangulator if he or she has some manners. In fact, my hope is that a President Obama will if elected govern as a triangulator and not as a progressive. I hope time shows me that this hope was realistic and not vain.
DON’T BE DUPED!!!
Large numbers of Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses. Because they feel he would be a weaker opponent against John McCain. And because they feel that a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ticket would be unbeatable. And also because with a Clinton and Obama ticket you are almost 100% certain to get quality, affordable universal health care very soon.
But first, all of you have to make certain that Hillary Clinton takes the democratic nomination and then the Whitehouse. NOW! is the time. THIS! is the moment you have all been working, and waiting for. You can do this America. “Carpe diem” (harvest the day).
I think Hillary Clinton see’s a beautiful world of plenty, and comfort for all. She is a woman, and a mother. And it’s time America. Do this for your-self, and your children’s future. You will have to work together on this and be aggressive, relentless, and creative. Americans face an even worse catastrophe ahead than the one you are living through now.
You see, the medical and insurance industry mostly support the republicans with the money they ripped off from you. And they don’t want you to have quality, affordable universal health care. They want to be able to continue to rip you off, and kill you and your children by continuing to deny you life saving medical care that you have already paid for. So they can continue to make more immoral profits for them-self.
Hillary Clinton has actually won by much larger margins than the vote totals showed. And lost by much smaller vote margins than the vote totals showed. Her delegate count is actually much higher than it shows. And higher than Obama’s. HILLARY CLINTON IS ALREADY THE TRUE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE!
As much as 30% of Obama’s primary, and caucus votes are Republicans trying to choose the weakest democratic candidate for McCain to run against. These Republicans have been gaming the caucuses where it is easier to vote cheat. This is why Obama has not been able to win the BIG! states primaries. Even with Republican vote cheating help.
Hillary Clinton has been out manned, out gunned, and out spent 2 and 3 to 1. Yet Obama has only been able to manage a very tenuous, and questionable tie with Hillary Clinton.
If Obama is the democratic nominee for the national election in November he will be slaughtered. Because the Republican vote cheating help will suddenly evaporate. All of this vote fraud and republican manipulation has made Obama falsely look like a much stronger candidate than he really is. YOUNG PEOPLE. DON’T BE DUPED! Think about it. You have the most to lose.
The democratic party needs to fix this outrage. I suggest a Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama ticket now! Everyone needs to throw all your support to Hillary Clinton NOW! So you can end this outrage against YOU the voter, and against democracy.
I think Barack Obama has a once in a life time chance to make the ultimate historic gesture for unity, and change in America by accepting Hillary Clinton’s offer as running mate. Such an act now would for ever seal Barack Obama’s place at the top of the list of Americas all time great leaders, and unifiers for all of history. But the time to act is soon.
The democratic party, and the super-delegates have a decision to make. Are the democrats, and the democratic party going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee to fight for the American people. Or are the republicans going to choose the DEMOCRATIC party nominee through vote fraud, and gaming the DEMOCRATIC party primaries, and caucuses.
Fortunately the Clinton’s have been able to hold on against this fraudulent outrage with those repeated dramatic comebacks of Hillary Clinton’s. Only the Clinton’s are that resourceful, and strong. Hillary Clinton is your NOMINEE. They are the best I have ever seen.
“This is not a game” (Hillary Clinton)
Sincerely
jacksmith…
Large numbers of Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses. Because they feel he would be a weaker opponent against John McCain
Well first, Obama wouldn’t be foolish enough to pick HRC as a co. and probably would be too smart to be her VP. And many repubs or repub leaning voters may not like McCain but are smart enough to realize that HRC is plain wrong for any country much less the USA. Obama, for all of his faults offers a different path, no matter how one may try to say otherwise.
I was banned by DU; and then I started to boycott Dailykos, recently. Being flamed at DU, basically was a way of life for me ?especially when I initiated the controversial tsunami HARRP theory. I think it would help people to understand that ?ultra liberalism? does not mix well with the Republican Party or the Democratic Party ?just at it did not mix well with the Nazi party.,.. read about Franz Jägerstätter, in Germany whom was beheaded by the Nazis because he refused to join the Army. And, he was very unpopular in Germany ? so with Limbaugh equating liberalism with the Dem?s — was and is — a great disservice to the English language, because most of the people at Dailykos or DU, etc., are not liberal Democrats, they are simply Democrats. JFK was a liberal Democrat, but what made him a great president was that he had the fundamental skill of a liberal, which is the ability to face difficult issues (Courage) ? todays liberals; again are not liberals evidenced by the fact the 99.9% of Liberal Dem?s are to afraid to call themselves liberals, by even uttering the word liberal. Thus, if they are to afraid to utter the word liberal , they would then be to afraid to utter the great principles of liberalism. Ironically, even supporting a politician like Hillary — as I do — forces one into traditional liberal politics. It is not difficult for me because I am a ultra liberal, but for Democrats it must be agony. All, I can say look at it like a learning experience similar to the process great minds JFK had to come to terms with.
I was banned by DU; and then I started to boycott Dailykos, recently. Being flamed at DU, basically was a way of life for me –especially when I initiated the controversial tsunami HARRP theory. I think it would help people to understand that “ultra liberalism” does not mix well with the Republican Party or the Democratic Party –just at it did not mix well with the Nazi party.,.. read about Franz Jägerstätter, in Germany whom was beheaded by the Nazis because he refused to join the Army. And, he was very unpopular in Germany – so with Limbaugh equating liberalism with the Dem’s was and is a great disservice to the English language, because most of the people at Dailykos or DU, etc., are not liberal Democrats, they are simply Democrats. JFK was a liberal Democrat, but what made him a great president was that he had the fundamental skill of a liberal, which is the ability to face difficult issues (Courage) – todays liberals; again are not liberals evidenced by the fact the 99.9% of Liberal Dem’s are to afraid to call themselves liberals, by even uttering the word liberal. Thus, if they are to afraid to utter the word liberal , they would then be to afraid to utter the great principles of liberalism. Ironically, even supporting a politician like Hillary — as I do — forces one into traditional liberal politics. It is not difficult for me because I am a ultra liberal, but for Democrats it must be agony. All, I can say look at it like a learning experience similar to the process great minds JFK had to come to terms with.