Wow, lots of Edwards supporters sure are vitriolic and bitter

[WildEyedLiberal]

I've actually seen quite a few Hillary people being gracious about Kerry's endorsement, but aside from benny05 and a handful of others, the vast majority of Edwards fans have been nasty, hateful, and spiteful about today's news. I have to admit that this has raised my opinion of Hillary supporters in general, although she remains the last Dem candidate I would ever vote for. But Edwards supporters, as a whole? Jesus. I love how they're scrambling all over themselves to assert that this will be a "negative" for Obama and that Kerry's endorsement is either irrelevant or a detriment. If it means so little, then why waste so much furious energy on 1000 threads in GD? Idiots.

My apologies to the nice Edwards supporters, including those in the JK group, who have not partaken in this petulant pout-fest. You are good people.

[ginnyinWI]

1. I noticed that and it's sickening

Especially because their candidate is being very gracious about it. It's the nature of the atmosphere at DU I guess. Makes me stay in here all the more.

:hide:

[politicasista]

2. Thanks for the heads up

Is it possible for the senator to get his popularity from the blogsphere back? I thought he was making progress, but the negative reaction on the Obama endorsement is not good at all.


Did anyone ever say they were done with Clark or RFK Jr, after he endorsed HRC?

[Mass]

4. Nothing to do with him. If anything, the reactions show that his endorsement is seen as important!!

And yes, some people said that they were done with Clark and RFK. May be less, but this is a sign that Kerry's endorsement is more important. I would not worry for that.

[politicasista]

7. I wouldn't either. I think the bitterness

is that Obama will get his e-mail list, if that is true?

[Mass]

11. I do not think it is the reason (and I do not think it is technically true, even

if it is likely that the database will be used to help the Obama campaign).

The only problem is that Kerry did not endorse their candidate, whoever their candidate is. There is nothing to do against sour grapes.

[politicasista]

12. Exactly n/t

[karynnj]

8. Clark took a hit too

The reaction of the Clarkies was interesting. A large % of them drifted to HRC although they had been negative a month before. What is interesting is that some are transparent in their belief he will be the VP and are supporting him based on that. There are also some of the strongest, reasonable intelligent Clarkies who are now making arguments for HRC (such as Tom Rinaldi) and some (like Frechiecat are strong supporters of others).

At the risk of being attacked, I think of the three candidate, Edwards has more who seem younger or at least more likely to be drawn by personality. Another thing going on is that the Edwards people bizarrely seem to think Kerry owes Edwards something - when in fact Edwards owes Kerry gratitude for the VP offer (which should have been refused if he didn't want the number 2 job - including accepting any slogans Kerry decided on!) Both Edwards have repeatedly attacked Kerry.

My guess is that part of Kerry's motivation is because of the Clinton use of negative campaigning. As to Kerry's popularity on the blogosphere - it is increasing. If he was not important, I doubt that anyone would care. The case that Kerry made in the endorsement is very interesting - he is suggesting that Obama has the ability to instantly change the US interaction with the world. Kerry, as well as Gary Hart and others are giving Obama their approval as a world leader. Given their gravitas, Kerry may be saying as he did in 1971 that he intends to help with the turning. More than almost anything else - this puts Kerry on the side of rejecting hate and lies.

[politicasista]

10. I now remember that too n/t

[Luftmensch067]

13. I think this sums up JK's reasons for endorsing Obama very well!

Well said, karynnj:

The case that Kerry made in the endorsement is very interesting - he is suggesting that Obama has the ability to instantly change the US interaction with the world. Kerry, as well as Gary Hart and others are giving Obama their approval as a world leader. Given their gravitas, Kerry may be saying as he did in 1971 that he intends to help with the turning. More than almost anything else - this puts Kerry on the side of rejecting hate and lies.

I agree that this is very much about "helping with the turning." Very moving.

[Pirate Smile]

25. I found some more details at The Swamp blog - "How Kerry came to endorse Obama today"

How Kerry came to endorse Obama today
by Jill Zuckman

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The meeting of the minds between Senators Barack Obama and John Kerry took place slowly over the course of the last year, resulting in today's endorsement.

According to a source close to Kerry, the 2004 Democratic nominee for president, the two senators began getting to know each other with a dinner back in March, several meetings in Kerry's Senate hideaway, and many talks on the phone about the issues of the day.

But the pivotal moment came when Kerry returned from a November trip to Africa. At that point, the senator from Massachusetts told aides what a difference it would make "to have a United States president who could talk to the whole world in a different way."

The men talked often in the days leading up to the Iowa caucuses, with Kerry committing to join Obama on the campaign trail at whatever time he and his advisers thought would be the best moment.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2008/01/how_kerry_came_to_endorse_obam.html#more

I thought you guys might be interested. :)

[Vektor]

3. Also, like clockwork...

The frothing "Skull and Bones Blaque Majique Voo-doo Tazer ZOMG FASCIST!!!11" crowd has once again resurfaced, en masse.

I was almost enjoying the circular firing squad of the presidential primary hate-fest, because the usual suspects had forgotten about Kerry for a while, and he wasn't in their rancorous limelight for once.

Ah, well. I guess the "piss-stained pajama crowd" is at it again.

It was a nice break for a while.

[Mass]

5. I find the "old" Edwards's supporters are a lot less vitriolic than others.

May be because they are more politically savvy and were not expecting the endorsement anyway.

[WildEyedLiberal]

6. That's true. The ones who've been in his camp from day one are pretty level headed.

Of course, they probably followed Edwards well enough to know that he and Kerry weren't exactly close and therefore not shocked, as you say.

I'd also like to take this moment to point out that Edwards himself was very gracious and his statement was nice. It's a pity some of his supporters are behaving childishly about this when their candidate is not. This whole ugliness almost makes me glad that Kerry isn't a candidate this time around. Almost.

[politicasista]

9. After listening to Tom Joyner yesterday, I feel the same way

Though Kerry wasn't mentioned, it was a debate about Hillary and Obama with no mention of Edwards.



:hi:

[rox63]

15. WEL, I can vouch for Benny, as she's a long-time friend of mine

She's one of the good ones. :) :hi:

[benny05]

14. Greetings

Apparently not all of the Clinton supporters at other blogs took the news very well.

Taylor Marsh was pretty upset and she backed Kerry big last time. I'm not certain exactly why she took up for Edwards considering how angry she has been at him in the past few weeks.

http://www.taylormarsh.com/archives_view.php?id=26808

I agree with some of you that the die-hard JRE supporters may know about the relationship of these two, and some of us are aware a few of you gave support to Edwards this time. The timing and place for this endorsement were odd, but I'm not angry.

I think overall, the Kerrycrats are a pretty good bunch. I still hope some of you will consider voting for Edwards in the primaries ahead.

My support for Edwards is very strong and I will not be backing other candidates.

WEL, we live in the same area and still have not connected. PM me sometime if you'd like to get together.

Pax, Benny

[saracat]

16. Thank you BennyO5 for this

"My support for Edwards is very strong and I will not be backing other candidates."

Me too!

[LittleClarkie]

17. You are a credit to the candidate you support

I must admit this endorsement by Kerry will have me giving Obama another gander, but I'm still deciding between him and Edwards, even with this endorsement. I just hope I can figure it out before our primary. And that my primary will even matter by then.

[PresidentObama]

18. I'm a Kerrycrat who supports Edwards, and I wouldn't say we're bitter.

Obviously, we would have loved Senator Kerry's endorsement.

I'm actually going to support Obama if John drops out, as you can see in my sig, so it really wasn't that big of a deal personally. We have great candidates running, and John Kerry had quite a few to pick from to make his final decision. He gave Barack his big break, so it's appropriate he endorse him years later.

[ProSense]

19. Hey

take my poll.

[Democrafty]

20. LOL!

"feel good because Kerry is great"

That sums it up perfectly!

[ginnyinWI]

21. That's how I voted too!

The more Kerry, the better!

I just had a funny thought: what if Edwards concedes and then endorses Obama? Heads are going to explode at DU! :)

[Democrafty]

22. If that happens, it's clearly because

of Skull and Bones!

[Luftmensch067]

23. Oh, I think you just made me break something laughing! n/t

[Inuca]

24. That would be great fun

Unfortunately it's not going to happen (and if by some miracle it does, the afore mentioned potentially exploding heads would still blame Kerry for stealing the nomination from him, it was in the bag before the endorsment, after all, wasn't it?).

[karynnj]

27. me too

[sandnsea]

26. I think Edwards can't win and that's kind of clear

I think Hardball has this right. This is lining out the Clinton vs. Kerry/Obama wing and Edwards will not be part of the former, I don't think. I don't understand why the Edwards people can't see the bigger picture. This isn't a slam at Edwards at all.

[karynnj]

28. I think that Edwards has no easy way to bow out

His supporters still see him as viable because he is doing about the same as he did in 2004. In places like, Elizabeth Edwards's book, she writes that had Dean bowed out before Wisconsin, endorsing Edwards, he would have won. The numbers really don't bear that out. They would see him dropping out now as a betrayal - giving up rather than trying. The other thing is he may be hoping that either will implode and feel that that could give him a shot. (Given his stand that he would have fought conceding in 2004 - this would seem to hurt his chance of ever running again for anything.)

The other thing that might make it harder is that unlike Dodd, Biden and Richardson he does not have a place of power to return to. I seriously doubt he will be chosen as VP and I doubt he will be appointed to a cabinet. (I've seen AG - but he was a trial lawyer. I also don't get the sense that he is, like Kerry, a very meticulous lawyer who would take great care in not bringing spectaular high profile cases unless he can prove them. Without that he is a landmine.) The others have a shot at VP or the cabinet, but even without that they are in high offices.

The other thing is their personal situation. It may be that the campaign is what keeps them going emotionally. Not that it keeps them from dealing with her health, but that in a sense, it keeps them focused on something else.

[sandnsea]

29. They really aren't in a good place

You have directly hit on the emotional aspect of it and I feel for that family so much. I don't even want to talk about it, it's so sad.

It seems to me they are hoping for some sort of misstep too. I wish his supporters could get a handle on that.

You know, it just occured to me that if it's true Hillary won from backlash, well that kind of puts the kaibash on their whole "gotta fight" these people rhetoric. His turning on Hillary didn't work at all. The thing DU can't grasp is that not everybody hates Republicans the way some of us do here. There's proof that ranting and railing at people doesn't work, and their candidate may well have been the one to do it. If he'd kept his mouth shut, he may actually be in the running right now. Although I personally didn't see any of this as piling on, she's a candidate for goodness sake. What do they expect when a candidate is losing?

[ginnyinWI]

30. Good points

Both of them seem to enjoy the process--the fight--and don't have anything to lose by staying in. The others have had their day jobs to go back to. Richardson says he loves being governor--so why did he even run?

And your last point is especially interesting. You might be right--having this to focus on helps them get through it.

[JI7]

31. Skinner post made sense

at least when it comes to those claiming it was unfair to Edwards.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4021761&mesg_id=4022238