Fellow Obama supporters. Please cool it.

[barack the house]

I know things can make us bolstered by successes but you don't help Obama with unnesscary harsh terms towards Sen. Clinton. Please let's debate but keep it clean. So if you want Barack Obama elected please let's be wise. This applys when making calls extra sensitivity when calling female voters, every vote is sacred. There is nothing wrong with some mutual respect. This article is one example, that's worth noting...


http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/04/14/obama_supporters/

[The Magistrate]

1. A Sentiment All Can Agree With, Sir

A pleasure to give this its first recommendation.

[barack the house]

3. Yep, just keeping it as dignified as our candidate. Not to say dignity is exlusive to Obama though.

[H2O Man]

2. Keep your eyes

on the prize.

[boppers]

4. It's over.

She lost, we won.

Until she realizes this, though, she will fling mud, and we must fling flowers.

Good luck for her in 2016, though!

[A-Schwarzenegger]

6. .

B-)

[calimary]

5. That's correct. Another poster here referred to an aging family member who never paid much

attention to politics, but sure nailed this one: she said Barack was behaving like a gentleman because he probably realizes that he's going to need all those disaffected Hillary supporters, assuming he does become our nominee. Because he can't win without them, so it's very wise not to alienate them.

[Asgaya Dihi]

7. Mutual respect would be nice

Over the last day I've seen a thread posted by Clinton supporters stating that "it takes a bitch", another about "dick move of the week", and multiple posts similar to one I answered tonight calling the party "whores" for their decision on Florida and Michigan.

The double standards around here are getting pretty thick and the manufactured outrage over things they feel free to do and say themselves a bit hard to swallow. Might be nice to see them pulling each other up on it as well, or defending others when it's obvious that it wasn't meant like that. Either works for me. Personally I find it silly that language which we've used forever to describe certian mindsets or actions and which we've freely tossed around about our opponents for ages is suddenly taboo, but only if directed at a certain candidate or their supporters. The same supporters can still call others those things though.

The major damage to their cause in this campaign as far as I can tell stems directly from that, the double standard. It has been way too convenient in both when and where we get offended and in the standards we want to be set or kept. Makes it look more like a tool of the campaign than a real issue, and that's an impression which will hurt the cause long after the campaign is over. I sympathize a great deal with anyone who actually cares about the issue but if they want to avoid further damage they've got to look at more than Obama supporters.

[The Magistrate]

8. True Enough, Sir: Both Camps Have Great Room For Improvement In Their Behavior

[izzybeans]

28. Very true my family is split, with everyone but my father campaigning for Obama. He is campaigning

for Hillary in Indiana.

His stories are the same as ours. Reactionaries on all sides.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

9. Isn't grace in victory easier than grace in defeat?

[Asgaya Dihi]

10. In an ideal world, sure

This hasn't struck me as an ideal campaign though.

Months ago we all more or less agreed that Edwards was the nice guy in the race and it showed most strongly in their supporters, both the Clinton and Omaba camps showed some signs of aggression. There has always been the potential for conflict and it's not going to work to tell one side to cool it while the other continues. I wish it could work, but it won't. Would just leave one side feeling like they've tried hard and got spit on for the effort then we're worse off than we were before.

If it's going to calm down it takes both. One won't do it. Not when we've got two aggressive personalities to start with. If it had been either and the Edwards camp that might have worked, but not these two.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

11. It's up to each individual in the real world.

As an individual supporter of Obama, I know it's going to be
easier for me to swallow my desire to rub a few folks' nose in
it, than it would be for me to swallow my desire to strike out
if my candidate would have happened to be on the losing side of
the primary campaign.

[Asgaya Dihi]

12. You're preaching to the choir on that one

Yeah, change starts on the personal level. I've been working on change and at that level for quite a while now, long trip from 4.5 years locked up as a kid, years on the streets, lots of violence and all kinds of ugly crap to where I am today. On a personal level I'm not only not what the system tried to turn me into anymore but I can take crap, all kinds of crap, from anyone and everyone, if it gives me the chance to discuss the issue. On a personal level we can set the example if we care to.

On a practical level though we can't assume that crowds who don't think like us and who don't hold the same values as us will act well just because we do. Kerry tried that with the Swiftboat thing, didn't work. If you've got an aggressive crowd coming at you for most people basically you've got two choices. Hit back or sit there and get your teeth kicked in. If they had incredible discipline they can avoid both but it takes real skill, they've got to keep it together enough to make it obvious to anyone and everyone watching just who the adult is and who the fool is in the debate. That's a real acquired skill though and not easy to pull off under attack, and harder for groups than for individuals, though it is the approach I favor on an individual level where I can control the debate myself.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

14. Congrats on turning your life around.

On the other, I see no sign Obama is Kerry in terms
of fighting back quickly, just as hard as he needs to,
and staying comfortable in his skin as he does.
The older I get, the more I value & respect a quiet strength
in people, and want it myself, and I hope Obama can continue
to nurture that in himself. If so, I think he & we
will be all right. Peace.

[barack the house]

16. Yeah, not to say everyone has done this just pass it on to any campaigners so we don't lose a single

vote is all I am saying.

[caseycoon]

13. K&R! Pleased to give the 5th rec. n/t

[NJmaverick]

15. Hillary needs to start showing some respect

Until that happens, the Obama supporters are going to be angry and the Hillary supporters are going to folllow her lead.

[barack the house]

17. Yeah not saying we can't critique each ohters campaigns just politely asking to avoid name calling

if possible.

[Olney Blue]

18. When the GE starts, and the Republicans go full tilt with their slime machine-

what Hillary has said/done will look like kid gloves. She has shown respect- you don't realize it yet.

[NJmaverick]

19. That's a different situation, we are talking about a campaign

between two people from the SAME party. What's sad, is that the REPUBLICAN John McCain has been much more respectful toward Obama, than Hillary.

[Olney Blue]

20. Even so, I would submit that this is has been a tough fight, but not

an unfair one on either side between our candidates. I know there are those who disagree with this here, but that is just my opinion.

[NJmaverick]

21. Hillary has step over the line

In primaries, you can criticize the other side, that's expected. However you should ALWAYS be respectful. Hillary has shown zero respect for Obama and that is why she has generated so much anger and animosity.

It's not a question of fair, it's a question of one candidate failing to behave in a proper manner.

[JohnnyLib2]

22. Thank you.

K & R

[Orsino]

23. Yeah. Don't lord it over other Dems and expect them to fall in line.

Be gracious and respectful in victory, and prove that the Democratic Party is the bigger tent.

Don't act all Republican. Don't be evil.

[nxylas]

24. It'll be easier once the nominee is chosen

Once one candidate drops out and the other becomes the presumptive nominee, the Freeper trolls will either leave or be tombstoned far more ruthlessly than they are at present. If the nominee is Obama, then the Clinton supporters who are left will be those DEMOCRATS who supported her because they considered her the better candidate. Those people will be depressed, just as those of us who supported candidates other than Clinton and Obama were when our candidates dropped out. They will need hugs, not grave-dancing.

[YOY]

25. I try to take the high road

But people who do nothing but post hit pieces need to be ragged on...and not in a "throw it right back at them with a similar insult way."

[sniffa]

26. Hamas and Louis Farrakhan disagree

[DevonRex]

27. Yep. knr

[meow mix]

29. be nice to the nice, but kick the rabid ones around.

[Jawja]

30. I am not bashing Clinton

as much as I am sick and tired of the vitrol and hate toward Obama. I guess I could stay away from this forum. :shrug:

[krkaufman]

31. Interesting story ... except it's been my experience that women ...

... have more antipathy for Hillary than the men, amongst the Hillary detractors I know.

[TML]

32. Mmmm, okay

The problem is that most supporters on this board, regardless of who their candidate is, are too entrenched to just say "Okay, I'll support yours." Especially when many of Hillary's supporters PUBLICLY stated they will vote for McCain. That is unforgivable in my eyes. Real Democrats DO NOT vote Republican when the GOP candidate is inferior in every way imaginable.

[kentuck]

33. But...we're just a little discussion group...we don't really matter.

Yes, you do matter. Just as the small pebble dropped into an ocean may end up creating a huge wave. We could all show a little more respect - both sides.

[crankychatter]

34. the facts are ample amunition without acrimony

but I ain't mother theresa and this IS just a dot on the internet

I do, however, give great phone

Elderly ladies love me

In fact, I should probably consider a career change

ok... I'll let you fill in the punch line

[crankychatter]

35. but why is it the "peace brethren" cry is always directed at Obama supporters?

perhaps not in this case... but in other cases... it's invariably a Clinton tactic to get our guards down for the next Sunday Punch

[ecstatic]

37. exactly! We must turn the other cheek while she continues to slap nt

[RBInMaine]

36. SHE has made it dirty, so SCREW the wimpy "nice guy" crap and let's FIGHT ! It called POLITICS!