Isn't It A Pity

[H2O Man]

24. Thank you!

You made some interesting and important points. I respect and appreciate that. I'd like to respond to a few of them, though I have just read your post and so my thoughts are not organized.

Right now, Joe Biden has about twice the support that Bernie Sanders has, which is substantial at this point in the primary contest. In both groups, there is a range of people, spanning those who recognize that attempts to unite are necessary right now, to those who have closed their ears and minds to anything that people on the other side thinks. We've seen similar splits before, and by no coincidence, when the divide is harsh, we lose. Indeed, the Democratic Party can not win when it is divided this way.

We've seen several examples how emotional reactions, rather than rational thinking, creates hostile divides. One of the most interesting, at least to me, examples is found in the Tulsi Gabbard campaign. Hostilities from 2016 saturated most of her 2020 run. While she is a bit outside of the mainstream of our party's leadership, and had zero chance of being the nominee, her focus on protecting the people in the military sent to kill and be killed in the Bush-Cheney wars was sincere. Certainly the foreign policy in the Middle East demands a thoughtful discussion within our party.

Yet there were bitter, often ignorant attacks on her -- she was a Puton mole, she'd run third party, etc. Since she dropped out and endorsed Joe Biden, hopefully those who engaged in such stupid attacks can recognize they were not only wrong, but they were actually doing Putin's job of dividing our party for him, free of charge ....although there is a price to be paid.

There are individuals who sincerely support either Joe or Bernie who are wise enough not to engage in the such nonsense. There are those in each camp that do. And, in the middle, there are those who simply want the divide resolved as soon as possible, no matter if they prefer Joe or Bernie.

Most of us have our own opinion on how the divide is healed, including many who share your view that it requires that Bernie drop out immediately before the healing process can begin. And there are many others who recognize that the healing process can and must begin now, in order to smooth the transition to the eventual and unavoidable nomination of Joe Biden this summer. Everyone has the right to their own opinion on that.

The problem, in my opinion, is that a minority of supporters from both camps are escalating the shrill and histronic attacks on the other candidate and his supporters. One need look no further than this forum for proof positive of this. And too often, in times of tension, it is those voices that get the most attention, and do the most damage.