Can We Declare a Truce and a Full Amnesty Now That Edwards Has Endorsed Obama?

[McCamy Taylor]

Edwards has done a good thing for the party. He has suggested that it is time to come together. While neither remaining candidate is perfect (because neither is John Edwards, ha ha!), if John and Elizabeth are endorsing Obama, then I support Obama.

In a Democratic Primary that has seen more right wing, corporate media and Republican interference than any since 1972, it has been difficult to tell what the Democratic candidates have done and what the people backing John McCain have done. For instance, as I show in my most recent journal about the lies of Pat Buchanan, in January Dick Nixon’s chief CREEPster was trying to propel the myth that the Clinton’s were race baiters with this widely read article, Ghettoizing Barack :

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/01/ghettoizing_barack.html

And four months later, Buchanan cites the same evidence to “prove” that Obama and his supporters were the ones who created the racial divide in Race Cards and Speech Codes :

http://www.creators.com/opinion/pat-buchanan.html

In the second article he blames Black and liberal journalists for saying that the Clintons deliberately alienated their own African-American support within the Party so that they could drive a wedge between Obama and whites---ignoring the fact that Buchanan was the chief proponent of the theory in January.

If you go back and review all the of non-issues that divide the party—stories like Mark Penn mentioning “cocaine” on Hardball which about five different reporters on MSNBC have claimed that he did maliciously, even though he was invited (along with Axelrod and Trippi) to a one hour show devoted to Obama and drugs---a show in which Tweety did things like ask “Do things really go better with coke?”--- you will soon come to the conclusion that some members of the mainstream media have been behind the effort to divide us.

The corporate media misquoted, selectively edited, quoted out of context or just plain lied about so many things that so many people from both camps---Obama and Clinton—have said that everything we think that we know (besides their policy statements and the words that have actually come from their lips in their speeches that we have heard unedited in full ourselves) is suspect.

I have a couple of suggestions: One, if you think that you know Barack Obama, the nominee and do not like him, forget why you think that you do not like him and get to know him. Read his policy statements. Go watch his speeches or read the transcripts. Ignore anything that has been written about him, pro or con (since some people who claim to be supporters are actually playing dirty tricks by attempting to paint the Clintons as evil and therefore they are trying to paint Obama as a dirty tricks artist). Familiarize yourself with the polls, including match ups with McCain, demographic weaknesses and strength, electoral maps.

Two, if you think that you know Hillary Clinton, the Senator who will be campaigning this fall for Barack Obama and who will be on the short list of VP candidates, forget why you think that you do not like her and get to know her. Read her policy statements. Go watch her speeches and read the transcripts. Ignore anything that has been written about her, pro and con. Familiarize yourself with the polls, including match ups with McCain, demographic weaknesses and strength, electoral maps. Think about where she can be best utilized this fall as a campaigner. Hillary and Bill are one of the Democrats' best weapons in the general election, especially in areas that have been economically devastated, because they can remind Americans that under the last Democratic administration, the economy improved. That is hope that the middle class sliding into poverty can count on.

Finally, the long primary has not been bad for Democrats, and there is no reason to stop the vote. As long as everyone is cordial, and the Clintons do not mind going deeper into debt, the primary allows the Democrats to register more voters, and it gets Democrats more enthused for this fall. However, Clinton’s strength should be acknowledge as Clinton’s strength and not extrapolated as Obama’s weakness. It is possible to do this. Clinton can win a state primary and yet Obama could win the same voters in a general election if she is competing with him. All it means is that they just like her a little bit better. If he was not running, African-American’s might be voting for her.

PS I still oppose anything that divides the party, be it Obama-bashing or Clinton-bashing or Dean-bashing. Bashing the press is welcome, because 99% of the time, they deserve it.

[Deja Q]

1. Only after Gore endorses Clinton...

:hide:

[Lochloosa]

4. You need to hide...

[Deja Q]

5. I do?

[bunnies]

2. Rec'd.

:grouphug:

[ProSense]

3. Kerry knew where this was heading. Go Obama. n/t

[planetc]

6. Best of luck with this excellent initiative, and R eom

[DRoseDARs]

7. K&R While I'm certain many of us can appreciate the sentiment, as long as HRC is in the game...

...the infighting won't end. And sadly, many of her ardent supporters will likewise spite their fellow Democrats.

[RTBerry]

36. Shades of Nixon...

Richard Nixon was fond of using "some people" when
constructing straw-man arguments.  Let's try and avoid sinking
to his level*, shall we?  Statements about Hillary such as,
"'Many of her ardent supporters' will do such and
such," are both speculative and rhetorical.  They don't
help us work toward achieving our common goals.  




----------
*Level as in "Level of Hades," that is.  See Dante's
Inferno.

[mmonk]

8. Of course but don't quote Buchanon in the race issue please.

[Window]

9. K/R.

:kick:

[anamnua]

10. No, no, no, no, no

The wounds inflicted by the Obamation are indelible.

[Alexander]

13. I see you're not missing today's special on sour grapes.

[cliffordu]

18. I'm not understanding why you're interested in being here then....

If I felt the way you do I'd be gone....

I am NOT baiting or trolling - I just want to know WHY people stay in a place where they've been so hurt.

[billyoc]

11. After Clinton stops campaigning for McCain, and I get my Seven Day Hate,

I'll think about it.

[katerinasmommy]

12. Yes A Truce

Now that Hillary has DENOUNCED and REJECTED Bush and McCain over their BULLSHIT this morning, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones

[MethuenProgressive]

14. "PS I still oppose anything that divides the party,"

You? "Oppose"? :rofl:

[BlooInBloo]

15. When the game is over, the game will be over. Until then, the game isn't over...

Clinton people want it that way, which I completely respect. So we'll keep kicking her worthless ass more and more.

[AtomicKitten]

19. this is trick I tell you!

they want Obama to let down his guard so she can shiv him in the shower

seriously :D

[BlooInBloo]

20. I learned my lesson from the Bills/Oilers game...

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs98/news/1999/981230/01019467.html

[Robyn66]

27. I beleive the correct word is "shank"

you learn the best stuff on tv :rofl:

[AtomicKitten]

28. shiv, shank, harsh words .... it's all good ;)

shiv

n. Slang

A knife, razor, or other sharp or pointed implement, especially one used as a weapon.

[RTBerry]

37. Because as we all know, kicking someone when they're down is...

so in keeping with the ideals of the Democratic Party...

:sarcasm:

[BlooInBloo]

40. She can tap out any time she wants.

[grantcart]

16. I agree no more Obama or Clinton bashing but there are some in both camps

that will not listen

[Shoelace]

17. indeed, we need to focus on the media, watch the spin and attack it, them

because it's about to roll into full gear very soon. We'll need to bring forth all the tools we've got because it is all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking we've got this election in the bag, become complacent and not pay attention to how the media will slowly bring out the corporate spin machine.

That means watching Faux News (if you can stomach it)and other outlets to see what the latest spin will be. We've got to be 10 steps ahead of the game or trust me, the Republicans will burn down Rome while we fiddle!

[McCamy Taylor]

21. Exactly. Watch for the press to try to make a BIG DEAL out of race.

Like the article getting rated up about how Obama supporters are supposed to be throwing anti-Hillary parties and doing rude things to truck drivers.

This sounds like made up MSM bull crap from Seattle a city that makes its money off the military industrial complex meaning they support McCain and so they want to kneecap Obama by dividing and conquering the Democrats. A story like that could be designed to influence rural vote in next door Oregon. Or it could be designed to influence GE independents.

The MSM is going to be playing lots of race games. Dems need to be united. Edwards' endorsement should help a lot since he has been the semi-official voice for rural poverty for the Democratic Party. Hell, he got 7% in West Virginia and he was not a candidate. If he and Elizabeth are working with Obama, that is going to help tremendously, esp, if they are allowed to do it their own way and not kept on a leash the way that Kerry did things.

[Shoelace]

30. I think they'll concentrate on his "inexperience"

and if they do play the race card, I'd bet it will be on a subliminal level because if blatant, it would backfire big time. Sure, it might work in the South to an extent but not with younger voters, nor many of the older Democratic voters either. They've been doing that with HRC still in the campaign but when she's out, they are on their own and Obama's supposed inexperience will be their target. That is one of the reasons that HRC would kill that op by being the VP choice since no other VP candidates have her experience,nor are they as fully vetted as she is.

Still, we will need to resist the temptation to just sit back and watch the ballgame as I am so concerned that Republicans will play the "darkhorse" game to simply lull Democrats into thinking that Bush years have been so horrid, we can't help but win. That would be the mistake of the century and one that I can only imagine Karl relishing as he plans the next moves for their empire to continue their grasp on power.

[Jamastiene]

22. It's all part of the cycle.

[donheld]

23. A complete cycle of

[dchill]

35. So far, it seems to be working!

:hi:

[marions ghost]

24. OK well

thanks for the conciliatory gesture. That's especially important coming from a strong Hillary supporter.

It is absolutely time to come together, and I wish Hillary would get on that track soon. Her supporters might encourage her to do so. :)

The opposition is going to be fighting tooth and nail and doing all they can to divide people, as usual. We see that it can be done along race and class lines among Democrats. They are going to use it.

:thumbsup: for unity. It's the only way.

[Perry Logan]

25. Would YOU vote for a candidate whose followers call you and your candidate a racist and a sleazebag?

[swishyfeet]

26. I vote for candidates - not for their crazy anonymous supporters

[Beacool]

29. Edwards' endorsement doesn't mean a blessed thing to me.

Actually, the timing of the endorsement and the reasons he gave (he was afraid that her big win in WV would damage Obama), angered Hillary's supporters even more and stoked the fires of disunity in the party.

As Edwards was speaking, my phone was ringing off the hook with Hillary's volunteers from several states and their assertion that they would not vote for Obama in the fall. Most saw it as a lack of respect for Hillary that Edwards chose that particular day to endorse Obama. This primary season will probably end on June 3. Why not allow Hillary and her supporters to enjoy her big win?

The booing by his supporters only added to the already general disgust with party leaders that her supporters feel.

[SeaLyons]

31. The timing of Edward's endorsement was very

mean-spirited, and means zero to me.

[Beacool]

32. Alas, they won't see it that way.

Unfortunately, his endorsement caused more disunity and resentment. They don't realize that the more they kick Hillary in the teeth, the more her supporters will be less likely to want to fall into the party's fold come the GE.

[RTBerry]

38. I voted for Edwards (I live in Florida)

His timing was brilliant*, and his message was one of reconciliation between the feuding camps, for those of us who listened to more than the MSM's sound bites.

----------
He's a skilled trial lawyer, after all.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[AllentownJake]

34. People have been calling for a truce since NC

The only thing that will bring about peace is the Hillary Clinton Concession Speech.

[RTBerry]

39. For the good of the Party, she can't drop out until...

she wins the last primary she is sure to win. And even then, she might need to linger.

What's the harm?

Be patient. You seeing two skilled politicians and their respective camps wrap things up the best way they can in order to promote their respective goals.

Don't be beguiled by the easy narrative spin offered up by the mainstream media.

This isn't a football game.