Obama's and Clinton's supporters on DU desperately need to emulate their candidates.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

Over the past few days, Senator Obama has been doing a fine job of paying tribute to Senator Clinton and her supporters, and appealing to them for their support.

Senator Clinton has announced her intention to end her campaign and endorse & support Obama.

Unfortunately, the message doesn't seem to have properly filtered down to DU yet, especially on the winning side (I'm pleased to say I have yet to see a post expressing an intention not to vote for Obama, and while I'm absolutely positive there are some out there, this probably means they're rare. I have seen some pretty damn grudging expressions of support, but grudging support is better than none).

For those of you still bent on branding Clinton and/or her supporters "DINOs", "traitors", "divisive" or similar, or directing other forms of active or passive aggression at them, ask yourselves this: why isn't Obama doing the same.

[jasmine621]

1. Well said. nt

[papau]

2. I said a month ago that not all Clinton supporters would follow her to Obama -esp if not VP - Obama

is the one that has to deal with that since simply saying ALL Clinton supporters should now move to Obama gets none of the angry ones on board.

Hillary will bring the vast majority of her supporters aboard - but Obama has work to do.

[yourguide]

3. I would humbly suggest

That HRC has not been gracious or unifying through out this entire process, even now. Please check the official HRC blog on her web site. The mods there permit hate speech against Obama, they permit their posters to claim Obama stole the election. They permit their posters to rally to support McCain. They permit their posters to call Obama a racist.

I suggest the message has not filtered down to her own supporters which is why the Obama supporters are STILL having to defend Obama on this board.

So I would venture to guess that it's the losing side that is still stirring up garbage as much as some on the winning side.

If you want to make a plea for unity, try and make it fair.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

4. No, the plea for unity has to be aimed specifically at the winner.

Clinton and Obama have been fighting tooth and nail to win the responsibility to unify the Democratic party.

Obama won, so he and his supporters are the ones who now have to make the effort to reach out to Clinton and hers.

[yourguide]

5. Bollocks.

That does NOT mean that supporters need to keep taking this abusive garbage and lies from the losing team.

How has HRC tried to unify the party? The night she LOST she was introduced as "The next President of the United States".

How is it unifying to allow her own supporters to post hateful garbage on her blog? Every single post is approved by a campaign staffer before it's allowed to be posted.

The fish stinks from the head down.

The HRC supporters can choose to support the dem nominee or cherish their bitterness and vote McCain.

Sorry, the effort has been made, the losers seem to enjoy being bitter.

[Window]

7. That's it in a nutshell.

[ampad]

10. Yup

You know we are expected to take shit from some of them one of them TS after months of posting racist bullshit against Obama. That is how I put this all into perspective. Those of you that keep posting Nanny threads really need to stick it where the sun don't shine. Those Hilly supporters that keep bitching that they are being abused really need to stick it where the sun don't shine; especially if you ever posted a rev. Wright thread, sweetie gate thread, finger thread and took up for Hillary for assassination comment. Some of them are so fucking blind to their shit that they are quick to pick on a newspaper article that had the word Ho in it but had the nerve to say they never read anything racist from the openly racist BenDavid who got his walking papers a few days ago. We had to put up with that asshole for months yet we are expected to still put up with abuse with a smile.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

17. Take a look at the speech she made on Saturday.

That's as clear an example of a plea for unity as you, I, or anyone motivated by anything other than blind hatred for Clinton could possibly wish for.

As you say, HRC supporters can choose to support Obama or McCain - you're rather making my case for me. You and I have a massive vested interest in persuading them to do the former. And you don't do that by abusing their candidate.

Obama has indeed made, and will continue to make, an effort to reach out to Clinton's supporters. Some of his supporters are doing likewise. You appear to be actively trying to alienate them.

[yourguide]

18. Please step down off your high horse.

before it throws you off.

I am not actively alienating the sane and rational ones. As is evidenced by HRCs own blog, noquarter, his44.org, some on DU, etc etc there are some supporters with completely irrational demands, deep seated bitterness, and no amount of reaching out with anything other than a bat will knock some sense into them.

You might want to check my posts. I have not branded any HRC supporter as a traitor, dino, divisive, or any other garbage or nonsense unless they are continuing to actively trash the nominee or worse, supporting John McCain.

I will not be held hostage to supporters like that, I will not make efforts to coddle their hate and I do not care if they go vote McCain. If they vote McCain they were not dems to begin with.

Your suggestion that this divisiveness is one sided after I continue to have to defend the dem nominee against garbage on this board is absolutely ludicrous. I suggest you take a step back and check yourself. The Obama supporters welcome the HRC supporters with open arms and offer support during a rough time. However we are not here to kiss their ass, we are not here to cater to their demands, and we are not here to beg them to support the dem nominee if they are screaming Ayers, whitey tape, McCain etc.

[EstimatedProphet]

6. That's the truth!

[OzarkDem]

8. Thanks!

Hopefully we'll see some equilibrium restored soon, but there's reason to be concerned that we'll see an increase in GOP disruptors working to keep Dems divided.

Watch closely for those trying to split women voters from the party. McCain has already targeted women voters in a big way, so we can expect the GOP to attempt to capitalize on some of the horrendous mistakes the DNC and its candidates have made re Dem women voters during the primary.

[EFerrari]

9. That trust in Mrs. Clinton is not very high here only reflects

the issue she had with many voters. When she follows through today, that should improve.

And, most DUers have been making an attempt to distinguish between Clinton supporters and those nutty people at that hate site, for example, who only seem to be using Clinton as a hook to hang their insanity from.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. May I refer you to e.g. post 10 in this thread as a counter-example to your last point?

Also, it's *vital* to remember that just because something isn't a direct attack on somebody doesn't mean it won't offend them - a lot of posts nominally addressed to only a small subset of Clinton's supporters will have the *effect* of offending and alienating a much larger subset of them.

Also, the reason I made the point about the popular vote mattering is that it demonstrates the massive levels of hatred ("distrust" is much too mild a word, I think) for her here on DU are not representative of the Democratic party as a whole.

[EFerrari]

14. If you are pointing me to ONE post on your thread, my point is made.

And you seem to be conflating a bunch of different kinds of posters who range from the mildly annoyed to people who harbor deep animosity.

[Darth_Kitten]

11. It's sane, well-thought out posts like this that should be recommended!!

n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

13. I had a thread about this locked yesterday.

Good luck.

[JVS]

15. I don't think it's very nice to tell Clinton supporters to disappear for 4 days like their leader.

[intaglio]

16. Sorry but the Clinton supporters

That is "Supporters" as opposed to "die-hards" are not tardy and would be on time for an appointment - so they would not emulate Hillary

The die-hards? In a few years they will catch on that Obama became President dispite their petty rage.