Mud? Sling, Sling, Sling!

[WillyBrandt]

I can't believe the snotfest I'm seeing here. Normally the hate posts are popular, but certainly a minority among honest discussion and intra-campaign rah-rahing.

But I stop in after an absence, and it's like a goddamn brainless death match. A few reminders:

* Clark and Dean are both excellent candidates, and excellent men.

* They both have real virtues, and real drawbacks. They've both succeeded and fucked up in various ways: they're human beings, not political demigods.

* Not only do they both have crazy supporters, but even their sane supporters sometimes go crazy. Supports are human, too.

* Clark supporters are proud to be part of a campaign to elect "the President we were promised when we were kids," and to thereby do right by our nation and its ideals. Dean supporters are proud to be part of a campaign to elect a politically very qualified, and very brave Doctor who has revolutionized the way American political campaigns go--and they are proud to thereby do right by our nation and its ideals. Their work and their feelings are essentially noble: it is ignoble to crap all over each other, and denigrate a fellow patriot with whom you differ.

* Both sets of supporters truly believe in the Democratic Party and in the necessity of the moment. They are two decent groups of people who have arrived at two different opinions. Why this hatred, whether it comes in the form of pre-gloating ("Yah, I'll be laughing at you once we have the Wes Wing!") or utterly baseless contempt ("So, I guess now Clark has the slut/whore vote"--who knew so many hated Madonna?)

* We look like a bunch of goddamn children. Make yourself a Manhatttan, toss in a lime, read some Cheever, and come back. It's ridiculous how this place looks.

* So many of the "reasons" we suggest are, at best, rationalizations of gut instinct, of prejudices we internalized upon becoming committed to our respective campaigns long ago. Glib, stupid comebacks are easy, but even substantive, careful reasoning can be totally wrong. Have some respect for those who have different conclusions: it is really hard to know who is right. Our judgments now will look naive and shortsighted a year from now, regardless how well our predictions turn out.

* It's stupid to pose dishonest "honest" questions. Like: "I don't mean anything again Dean, really, but isn't he just some centrist-cum-liberal fink?" or "I have an honest question--please no flames!--but isn't Clark just some war criminal? What kind of people support this warmonger?"

* Remember your Flannery O'Connor. Smearing and slinging shit at a candidate is no way to get your jollies. "Some Fun" said Bobby Lee. But it's no real pleasure in life.

[rumguy]

1. this place has become a god-damned looney bin tonite

[WillyBrandt]

2. No kidding

It's a little unbelievable

[hellhathnofury]

3. We make them smile...

[kayleybeth]

4. Great post!

and props for quoting A Good Man is Hard to Find. One of my favorites.

[WillyBrandt]

5. Remember: E-A-T!