Reply #21: Human nature will never change

[Tom Rinaldo]

Look around DU, almost half the threads deal with the VP choice. The issue is alive, and even though none of us (I assume) have any direct influence in who Kerry will select, lots of people want to talk about it. And partisans will be partisan. If that weren't the case Democratic Underground itself would not exist.

When Edwards won the CNN poll, Edwards supporters started threads to talk about that. When Kucinich picks up a few delegates, even though the race is over, Kucinich supporters start threads to discuss that. When someone starts a draft Dean for VP movement, Dean supporters start threads to talk about that.

The problem isn't that partisans are enthusiastically partisan. What the hell do you realistically expect in politics? The problem is underhanded attacks on either candidates or their supporters. Yes I know it gets old to watch the supporters of those candidates who are still in the running for a prize (in this case the VP nod) being all worked up over the possibilities. But a baseball season goes on even after your own team is eliminated from contention, and somewhere fans are screaming their heads off. Human nature.

But I would appreciate it if you would review some of the prior posts on this thread. I don't know what's been written while I was composing this reply, but I have not seen one derogatory word written about supporters of any other candidate other than Clark, but I have seen plenty of those. And don't think just by saying "some Clark supporters" that it avoids all difficulties. Not when "some Dean supporters", or "some Edwards supporters" or whoever are simultaneously given free reign by you to say whatever they want, and are using that freedom unchallanged to be directly insulting and/or highly provocative to others. If you intend to be critical of a behavior, fine. But critize it wherever it appears then.

The MSNBC poll, accurate or inaccurate as it may be, either now in week 11 or previously in week 5, is what it is, and it was just updated. That is what this thread started out announcing. Everyone was free to ignore it. What I read instead was insulting to me as a Clark supporter, and those are the comments that you made no note of.