FELLOW OBAMA SUPPORTERS

[LSK]

PLEASE THIS IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!

Most of can agree that this is just about over. What must be done now is to to bring as many Hillary supporters into the tent so we can CRUSH the GOP in the fall. To do this I am calling on ALL OBAMA SUPPORTERS TO CONTROL THEMSELVES. Please no gloating. Please try to keep your calm. Please be the better person. Please end the attacks on Hillary and her supporters.

I just saw in another thread that Hillary supporters are turned off on Obama because of the action of Obama supporters. Many do not actually hate Obama himself, but are turned off because of all the supporter attacks and bickering. I have seen this sentiment posted many times on here.

If you cannot control yourself in this board, please DO EVERYONE A FAVOR and take a timeout. You are causing more harm for Obama and the Democratic Party than any good when you continue to attack Hillary supporters and Hillary.

Hillary supporters are disappointed right now and some are in denial. DO NOT ENGAGE THEM IN A HOSTILE MANNER. Please USE YOUR HEAD, not your heart.

The goal is to BRING HILLARY SUPPORTERS INTO THE BIG TENT.

I hope all of you please THINK before you post and try to stop playing the gotcha game.

ENOUGH, WE CAN END THIS. LET US COME TOGETHER.

The goal is to defeat McCain now. Please try and focus on that and think about whats the best way to accomplish that. Turning off and insulting Dem voters is not the way.

[NJmaverick]

1. I also ask that they consider taking the pledge

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5863437&mesg_id=5863437

[malta blue]

2. I'm game....

and sorry if I offended anyone last night - posting while half asleep is stupid :dunce:

[onehandle]

3. Very important. I'm with the nominee, but if I was a Hillary supporter, DU is the last place I'd be.

Most have vacated for this silly season. Hopefully they'll come back.

I think the overwhelming personal attacks on Hillary supporters will leave scars for a long time around here.

In the end, we must be Democrats.

[FloridaJudy]

4. Amen!

Obama was extremely gracious toward Clinton in his NC victory speech. Let's all follow his example, and stick to the real issues. It's going to take all of us working together to clean up the mess the Republicans have made.

[Neshanic]

5. NIce post, but history shows that Obama supporters will become even more brazen

and show spectacular "assholeness" as they become frenzied into a group of lemmings.

[seabeyond]

7. i have seen more obama supporters come out with these threads

i have seen more hillary supporters continue to trash obama, and trash the supporters, just like this post of yours which go totally against the intent of the op.

i have not been in gdp.... but see it from an outsider eye. and the humor is the insistance of respecting hillary as she CONTINUES to trash obama and his campaign and the democratic movement.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

31. What history? Your diatribe and insults show the standards you abide by. Check the mirror.

[grantcart]

6. Many of us have been extending the hand to Clinton supporters for weeks

and this is how some Clinton supporters respond http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5865356&mesg_id=5865356

The fact is that most of us have come to Obama from other campaigns and did so willingly.

There are many Clinton supporters here who no longer believe that she has a chance and only come here to continue the vitriolic attack against Obama. They want to defeat him.

It is time for Obama supporters to be gracious.

It is also time for Clinton supporters to stand up and show their true charachter and denounce the poison among them that seeks to destroy our presumed nominee.

[LSK]

8. I was originally an Edwards supporter

Over time the attacks on Obama will be less and less and we Obama supporters must simply play look the other way when they occur. It might be hard to do for some, but it is the smart thing to do and it is also whats best for Obama in the long run.

[grantcart]

10. We should try to curb the Obama idiots but it raises a question

why are there never any Clinton supporters stepping up to call out Clinton idiot supporters?

[LSK]

13. that is the kind of questions that I ask Obama supporters to refrain from asking n/t

[Tom Rinaldo]

14. I did on one, but that's not the point today

...or even this week. Right now it is Clinton supporters who are coping with disappointment. Right now it is Clinton supporters facing the loss of all they have been fighting for. Human psychology being what it is, I know it takes some people time to come around. When a wound is still raw and open, it doesn't take much salt to inflame it. At a moment like this, there can be 5 kind posts toward Clinton supporters that help the transition that get canceled out by one really snarky one .

[grantcart]

33. Thanks for that Tom

There are Clinton supporters who are coping with dsappointment but there are some here to cause as much damage to Obama as possible. I would like to encourage you to continue to stand up and show people how classy many Clinton supporters are.

[Tom Rinaldo]

37. Thanks grantcart

I am heading out of town for work for a few days and will be scarce around here during that time, but I do plan to stick around. I believe Obama can win the Presidency and it will be great for America if he does.

[Marrah_G]

17. self-delete

Blah...not in the mood to argue.

[ampad]

9. How many of these threads

are we going to see today? You know, I think most of them want us to bend over and kiss their ass and it is not happening here. I have seen at least three threads this morning talking about Obama cannot win essentially because he is black and this is after I thought I had most of them on ignore. This cuts both ways and I refuse to coddle grown azz people who cannot handle the truth. So now we are being blackmailed? Be nice to me on the DU message board or I will vote for McCain? This is childish and ignorant. Let us finally cut the shit and be honest here: if they truly gave a damn about beating McCain and supporting the dem party then they would not allow random people on DU to make that decision for them. That decision should be automatic. Calling yourself a dem and voting against the dem candidate because someone on a message board pissed you off? What the hell kind of madness is that? If that is the case then some people need to turn off the puter and get a life. As far as I am concern I am not kissing their ass. This thing is essentially over. What happens when it is officially over? Are we to continue kissing their asses while they put down the dem nominee? Geesh, get over it already and let us all move on. Me kissing their ass is not going to change reality.

[AllentownJake]

11. I agree however

This opinion they have is that they have been angels and have done no wrong is sickening. They have been worse than we have.

[LSK]

15. here is one solution

Camp out here for a few weeks:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=115

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=114

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=389

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=203

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=209

[DCofVA]

12. I've never have been one to gloat

But, it did seem to me like the sun was shining a little bit brighter this morning.:)
I do agree with you, for a number of reasons.
You should never stereotype any group of people. Hilary's supporters are just as diverse as we are.
There are good ones and there are bad ones, and everything in between.
The way I deal with the really venomous and hateful pro Hilary post is, I just assume that they are really republican trolls trying to stir things up.
I also think that the really venomous and hateful pro Obama post are also from republican trolls trying to stir things up.

[BlooInBloo]

16. Clinton says the fight goes on. So the fight goes on. It's just fucking stupid for one side to stop

while the other side continues.

[LSK]

18. The fight might be on, but she cant win anything

So why continue it on our side? Tell me what she can win? What is the point of responding to attacks? To help Obama win something that he has already won?

Whether Hillary believes it or not, the reality is that we are entering GE mode and Obama supporters need to act accordingly, which means trying to rally EVERY Dem voter to our cause.

[BlooInBloo]

19. She can - and is trying to - actively prevent Obama from winning in the fall....

And her supporters are helping. So we fight on.

[LSK]

21. Dont you get it??? Fighting her now alienates Hillary voters for the fall

Let them have time to get over their loss. They CANNOT STOP HIM anymore and reacting to their fighting now alienates them.

We need Hillary voters in the fall to win. This is so key.

[BlooInBloo]

22. Clinton supporters are ALREADY dead-set on making Obama lose. So the fight goes on.

EDIT: Talk to Clinton supporters, not to me. The moment they stop, I'll do so. Not a moment before.

[LSK]

24. I am trying to get through to Obama supporters!!

Why is this so hard to understand? Clinton supporters need a mourning period. Some are in denial and are reacting emotionally. We have this primary won. ITS OVER. Continuing the flame wars TAKES 2 SIDES.

Go read up on Ghandi for heavens sake!!!

What do I have to do to get though to you???

Can Obama win in the fall when you have turned off Hillary supporters???

Can Hillary win anything else in this campaign???

Please think!!!!!

[BlooInBloo]

25. They can mourn all they want, free of badgering from me, when they give up.

EDIT: This is not a normal primary, where the good ol boys shake hands and accept the inevitable, although the formality of the nomination hasn't yet taken place. This is an ABNORMAL primary. Until the actual nomination formally takes place, or Clinton formally gives up, nothing is settled.

[LSK]

26. why am I not getting through to you?

Am I being too much of a killjoy?

:banghead:

[BlooInBloo]

27. :) You're asking me to stop fighting before the fight is over. It isn't gonna happen.

[LSK]

29. tell me how Hillary beats Obama?

Also theres a theory that they both agreed to let this go to May 20 so they both can win a state that day big and end it with dignity for both of them.

[BlooInBloo]

32. There is no way. Because we're going to win. Not "have won", but "going to win"...

and the way we are *going to win* is by continuing to fight.

If she and her supporters give up, or time is called, then the fight ends.

[LVjinx]

36. Then you're part of the problem.

Hillary supporters don't HAVE to vote for Obama. Many of them are moderate Democrats who are uncomfortable with Obama. They could easily swing to John McCain. This combative attitude from some Obama supporters is what has pushed many Hillary backers in that direction to begin with. Obama is the victor here, and unfortunately it is always the responsibility of the victor to reach out to the loser. It's called graciousness. It's called not being a sore winner.

If the Obama camp does not reach out to these disappointed Hillary backers (and Obama is trying very hard - it's some of his supporters who want to keep the fire burning) then I don't see any way we can possibly win in November.

[cascadiance]

20. I think for starters emphasize that we are "progressive agenda" and "democratic party" supporters...

... not so much "Obama supporters".

Yes, many of us strongly support Obama as the nominee, which arguably makes us an "Obama supporter". But speaking for myself, I'd switched from many people I wanted to run since I felt they were the right person to do so (Feingold, Gore, Edwards, and now Obama)... All of those people deserve my support, but not my unbridled "loyalty". I'm not just voting for them personally without knowing what they are going to do to make things right in our country. The most important thing is that we've fixed the mess that has been created over the last 20-30 years. Obama isn't the only person we're going to need to do that. He's the choice at this point to make this logical, and we should be loyal to help him to do this, but let's not make this like a football game where we have one team vs. the other team in terms of "supporters". Our goals are higher.

It always bugged me a little when I'd go into a thread and criticize what I thought was an obvious problem or flaw with Hillary's campaign, and then got labeled an "Obama supporter", when at the time I was actually almost neutral on supporting Obama, but I clearly wanted to point out a flaw in a campaign I thought was running counter to what I wanted as someone that wants to see the corporatocracy brought down and a sense of progressive values restored.

Let's say instead of us being "nice Obama supporters", that we're all nice and big tent Democratic Party supporters, and what many feel the Democratic Party should be in terms of progressive values. I would like to think that at some point "Hillary supporters" would rather be a group of the latter than to feel forced to surrender to become an "Obama supporter".

[LSK]

23. I was one of the most hardcore Edwards supporters here for nearly a year

This post is specifically addressed to Obama supporters who are treating this like a game who cannot resist attacking Hillary supporters. They are no longer helping the presumptive Dem nominee with these actions.

[cascadiance]

35. Agree... I was trying to emphasize they should look more at how they define themselves...

... so that everyone that who has criticized the Hillary Clinton campaign in the past isn't necessarily on the "Obama supporter team", and that we should get away from that sort of identity as much as we can.

If Hillary Clinton and her supporters graciously pull out and start working with the party to beat John McCain, I'll stop these criticisms as well, but more importantly I don't want to feel that I'm asking them to be "Obama supporters" but supporting our party and its mission to fix the mess that's out there. As long the rest of us who support Obama now don't also do that introspection as well as respect the Clinton folk who also do their own introspection and leave their "Clinton team" identity behind, it will be harder for them to jump on board to beat McCain.

We're first and foremost the "Democratic Party team", not the "Obama team"...

[LVjinx]

28. I'm a Hillary supporter, trying to adjust, and you are 100% correct

There will undoubtedly be some "poor winners" out there... And getting over our candidate being called a racist, a bitch, a corporate stooge, corrupt, a liar, will be difficult to do. It's almost certain that Obama will be our nominee, and given the anger of us Hillary supporters over the way this campaign has run it is going to take convincing for some of us to come around. Some will hold a grudge against Obama through November for the way some of his supporters have acted. Not fair, perhaps, but he could have called for a stop to it.

What's important now is that, whatever happens between now and the convention, we begin to work towards unity. Not bickering, not making up more fake, outrageous issues designed solely to infuritate Clinton supporters (post I just read today "Hillary was right: America will never embrace a black person."), not gloating. We need to emphasize the things on which we agree so that we can defeat McCain in November.

If some insist on continuing to emphasize the things on which we *disagree*, I see no hope for Obama in the general.

[redqueen]

30. K&R

Thanks, LSK.

[Melinda]

34. Obama supporters can & do address HRC supporters w/out personal attacks; DU has controls in place..

for those who violate the personal attack rules, and alert is the friend of all DUers. There are passionate and overly passionate supporters on all sides, and each and everyone are entitled to *feel* and/or believe as we do, and to express those *feelings* or beliefs here... that is what this community is about. Expressing opinions and exchanging information.

Now the points above are and should be a given, and I understand your concern. However I think you may be just a bit over-reactive in thinking opinions expressed on this tiny microcosm of the internets will harm our party or our eventual nominee and candidate. They may make it to FR or like-minded sites, but our *opinions* and *feelings* are personal, not objective, and hold no actual weight when it comes to the real world.

Ratio of attacks: subjective perception, but I think it's more than balanced. Additionally, I am convinced that there are a number of disruptor's in both camps who aren't actually here because they support said candidate, but rather to stir up shit amongst members of DU. You'll know them by their rhetoric, and they too are easily plunked into the ignore pit. If supporters of both sides did that, there would be far less hostility all around.

Re bringing HRC supporters into the fold: Senator Clinton is still in this race, and until she suspends or withdraws, or goes all the way to the convention in her quest, her supporters will continue to express their support and feelings/beliefs on DU. If they decide to alter course, they will do so on their own terms. The integral part of "bringing Hillary supporters into the big tent" is, imho, is to recognize and respect that with the loss of the candidate with whom they have vested their hopes and dreams for a better future comes the grieving process w/all 5 stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. But this must and should be on those supporters terms and Senator Clinton's time-line, not ours.

I've rambled, sorry. I agree with most of what you've expressed, but would add we need to use alert and ignore as opposed to engaging hostility. Screw worrying about any effect "we" have on the party at large. And finally, while we can respect one another and have productive dialogue despite our differences, it's a two way street where there will always be a few stray dogs walking the boulevard looking to piss all over the place. Avoid the wet spots.