Clinton Supporters: Get Over It and Get Off the Fence
I was a Clinton supporter. I'm now an Obama supporter. My message to Clinton supporters who are still pondering whether to support Obama; get over it, and get off the fence.
All across America Clinton supporters are licking their wounds. In Los Angeles, New York and Washington I have talked to prominent Clinton fundraisers and operatives who have told me they need a period of reflection before they can decide whether to support Obama. Some feel that Senator Clinton wasn't treated fairly. Others cite vague concerns about Obama's economic or security policy. A handful say they "just aren't sure" they can support Obama without bothering to explain why.
A peculiar self-pity has set in among Clinton supporters -- a phenomenon that threatens Barack Obama's election as president.
On a conference call with reporters this week the President of EMILY's List (a group that supports female candidates) summarized the emotional state of some Clinton supporters saying "those of us who supported Hillary go through a process of dealing with our many emotions of disappointment and sadness and some anger," she went on to say that this "the election is not today. We've got five months."
But we don't have five months. John McCain has already dispatched Carly Fiorina, the former head of Hewlett Packard (who as fired by her board of directors for the company's terrible performance in 2005) in an effort to take advantage of the sad emotional state of Clinton supporters and work to bring them to the other side.
McCain's campaign plans to hold a "Virtual Town Hall" this Saturday and has specifically said it is designed to reach out to Democrats and Independents. The McCain campaigns press release on the event even said "Many town hall participants are expected to be former supporters of Senator Hillary Clinton's campaign."
If Clinton supporters continue to feel sorry for themselves and wonder what might have been they will hand the White House to John McCain -- not the independent John McCain of ten years ago but the John McCain who promises a Bush-style economic policy, Bush-style foreign policy and Bush approach to appointing justices to the Supreme Court.
If you want the Bush tax cuts to be permanent, American troops to stay in Iraq for many years to come, Roe v. Wade to be overturned and Bush's legacy to also be America's future -- McCain's your man.
I was lucky enough to serve President Clinton, traveling across the country and around the world proudly promoting him and his policies. I have worked with his foundation on AIDS in Africa and continue to work with him through the Clinton Global Initiative. I have also worked with Senator Clinton, who has been a passionate advocate of the issues that I care the most about. Throughout their lives, both Clintons have helped me personally in many ways -- and both have embodied the best of Democratic politics.
But the stakes are too high to sit around moping on their behalf. The next American president will have a profound impact on this nation -- and the world. Anyone and everyone who has hated what George Bush did to America must come together urgently to support Barack Obama ...
Quite literally the future of the world depends on it -- and that is far more important than hurt feelings and thoughts of what might have been. It's time for Clinton supporters to get over their hurt feelings, get off the fence, and support one of the most exciting candidates the Democratic party has ever seen.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
THANK YOU FOR THIS. Old news people, move the heck on. Its over. Whoever is still flailing about has some serious emotional issues.
Every election, Republicans're busy cooking up swiftboat smears and lies to sink the Democrat candidates up and down the ballot. We know, expect this, and are getting smarter at defusing their lies with truth and strength.
Now, we Democrats are busy sinking OURSELVES with lies, smears, and disunity. How STUPID can we get????
Eight Dem candidates entered this race. Everyone knew that only one would win. As Bill and Hillary scolded, politics is a contact sport and if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Well, the kitchen imploded, and only one candidate won the delegates race.
I'm outraged that DEMOCRATS are now refusing to vote for our nominee in November. This is not about Obama or Clinton anymore. It's about ending the Bush/Cheney destruction of America and laboring to get America back on track, at home and abroad. It's about Iraq/Iran, health care, jobs, global warming, the SCOTUS, Social Security and Medicare. It's about family, friends, and fellow Americans who have suffered enough!!!
I would've held my nose to vote for Hillary, if she had won. But, I will also do EVERYTHING in my power to see that she and Bill pay for a Dem loss in November. From that point on, it will be ANYBODY BUT HILLARY. As long as it's a Dem, I will donate and vote for anyone who opposes her and do everything possible to convince everyone I know to do the same. I AM A DEMOCRAT FIRST.
"How STUPID can we get????"
It's been my experience that Democrats can get pretty darn stupid.
Look, my main issue has been, is, and will be the ending of the wars we are fighting in the Middle East and by extension, the closing down of our country’s expansive military empire. While I was (am) under whelmed by our candidates, I argued for Senator Clinton simply because she made a commitment to end the war in Iraq, something Senator Obama has not done. Where he to commit to ending those wars, I would be on his bandwagon in a heartbeat.
There is however, more to this. Senator Obama is up to his eyebrows in economists who favor world trade (See Naomi Klein’s “Obama’s Chicago Boys” here. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080630/klein) These trade agreements have decimated our nation’s working class, inhumanely exploited foreign workers, and dumped cheaply made and dangerous products into our economy. While the continuance of these trade agreements would be unconscionable, Senator Obama has said he will “Look at them.”
I do not know what I will do this November. I have in the past written in my name and voted for myself. I could write in Senator Clinton’s name and vote for her. Or most likely, I will hold my nose and vote for Senator Obama. I will however, vote Democratic on the down ticket.
I think there's one thing we can be sure of, if we get stuck with a President McCain (ugh), he has no plan for how to "win" the war, OR how to get out. It will going on for an indefinite amount of time, and all he cares about is saving face while thousands more die. But I understand your position. I'm an Obama supporter, and at first I was convinced that if Hillary won, I'd vote for McCain. But the more I heard from him, the more I knew I'd to vote for her (I don't trust her, and especially Bill). So...I would have been in that position of holding my nose to vote for her. All I do know is that McCain is as bad as it gets, and I personally believe he's WORSE than Bush.
I don't know if McCain would be worse than Bush, but he would be worse than Obama. I agree with you that the ex-president might have posed a problem, but we have to somehow get ourselves out of the muddle we've created in the Middle East. It's destroying our country! We can no longer tolerate the status-quo, we've got to begin rebuilding our country and the "free trade" agreements are in the way of that. I just wish we had a candidate who expressed the urgency about this that I feel.
Ah, the smell of desperation in the morning! You know that this empty suit conman will never be elected president, and for many, many good reasons. Get over it, people. He should have never run in the first place. He knows it, you know it, and soon, the whole world will know it.
The only one that "knows it" is you. Senator Obama will be our next President and he will make a great one. And soon, even you will know it too.
I'm with you Java. I'm sure some of the Hillary supporters will simply NEVER get over their pity party. Don't worry, like you, I sincerely believe BHO WILL be our next President. In the long run, even the extreme Hillary lapdog will in the end benefit from a Dem win, even if they refuse to admit it now.
C'mon - the daily rants against Clinton continue, especially from Obama supporters....what the hell do you expect?
Try playing nice ..... instead of being nasty. Obama stumbled in at the end and face it she did well.
Enough already.
". . . daily rants against Clinton . . . "????!!!!! Since when is disagreeing with a position, ranting?
You must be one of the 20% who choose to go down into the bunker -- or over the cliff -- for your "leader." Well, I say, that's your choice, and what do you want from everybody -- applause?
Go ahead. Stress yourself out over Hillary's dismally run campaign -- if that's what you want to do. Too much stress adds phantom years to your face and body, but, if she's worth it, then go for it.
My thought,
You are right. Lots of bitterness, but it's a two way street you know. Think about it. Hillary ran a great campaign, no doubt. This isn't even about Hillary anymore. Just peek in at what the Obama supporters are now seeing. "I will vote for McCain" alone spells traitor to me. Come on yourself. For any "true" Dem, those are fightin' words. They HRC fans are hurt I know, but they are taking it completely out on Obama and using their hurt feelings to turn traitor.
I have known from the beginning, especially when Clinton was ahead, that I wanted Obama. I tried to anticpate my disappointment if he lost (at the time the chances were pretty good). However, I planted it deep in my soul that IF he lost, there was no way I'd vote for McCain, because I kept telling myself (and still believe) that Hillary IS capable and a hell of a lot better than the alternative.
HRC & BHO positions were very similar, everyone seems to agree, and YET HRC fans are turning to McCain??? What's that if not traitorism and/or sour grapes. It's not a one sided thing here.
If Clinton supporters were not voting for Obama because they disagree with his policies, I would be fine with that. But since Obama and Clinton see eye to eye on most issues, that's clearly not the case. They want to argue that the media was sexist...how is that Obama's fault? They want to argue that the DNC created a screwed up system...again, how is that Obama's fault. Many ardent Hillary supporters even called her to task on her cut throat tactics so to have the "poor Hillary was treated unfairly" mentality is truly a mystery to me. Half the stuff that John McCain is using to now attack Obama were handed to him by Hillary on a silver platter....so you can point fingers in a lot of ways. I went to the RBC meeting and SOME of Hillary's supporters were downright nasty to us. And for what? These people had never laid eyes on us. We did nothing, said nothing to them and yet they were openly hostile. One woman stood in front of us in line and acted like we had some contagious disease that she didn't want to catch; like it pained her just to be near us. WTF??? Some of this stuff has really gotten unreasonable and out of hand.
I will not vote for Obama! Why you ask,though Hillary and Obama agree on most the same policy's there are a few they do not and the main reason for me would be"infantcide" you know the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which prevents the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion,this is an issue i can not and will not support,so yea i have moved on and i have gotten off the fence it's just not the side of the fence that serves Kool aide! But i'll come back in 2012 and support Hillary,as for now Mcain 08 .
***..."those of us who supported Hillary go through a process of dealing with our many emotions of disappointment and sadness and some anger," she went on to say that this "the election is not today. We've got five months."
I am sorry, but I find this kind of attitude just disgusting and just pathetic. It just makes me sick. These people need to grow up, they are such poor, poor losers. Elsewhere I heard it described as their 'period of mourning'.
I am usually a sympathetic person, but I have not one ounce of sympathy for people who sit about crying the blues like this when there is an election to be won. And the fact that Hillary isn't knocking some sense into them makes me think I was right in thinking that she was never fit to be commander-in-chief.
I've heard Obama and Dean are going to keep Clinton off the ballot. Considering that in the past anyone with any delegates is on the first ballot, including Dean with his 67.5 delegates, if they keep her off the ballot if will be a loud message from the party concerning not only Clinton but women in general.
We'll see what they do. We'll see if they truly want unity. We'll see if they are serious about winning the general election. We'll see if their primary goal is to insult Clinton and her supporters.
putting her on the ticket does more harm then help
I've been an Obama supporter for quite some time, but I wouldn't presume to tell Clinton supporters to "get over it now" and come on board. Many people felt quite strongly that Clinton was the better candidate. While I do not at all agree with that, I understand it will take time for many of them to warm up to Obama. And that's OK. The general election campaign isn't going to really heat up until the conventions anyway.
Clinton supporters, you obviously don't need me to say this, but you take your time.
I am a Clinton supporter who is in the process of getting over it. However, you miss some key points:
Clinton supporters have been told to get over it since February by the media, Obama's supporters and the DNC.
To combat this, many have plugged their ears to those entities.
The DNC and the media calling for us to do anything will not be heard.
The urgency seems as manufactured as the urgency that Clinton should leave the race.
I'm not saying that this is sensible or logical, but I believe it is true.
Many Clinton supporters have subsequently plugged their ears to the message of Obama.
Personally, I believe he can get through to us. But it will have to be him. His surrogates, his mouthpieces in the media will not be effective in championing his cause.
I believe that most Clinton supporters will ultimately vote for Obama. But their enthusiasm will be relative to Clinton's. They will not volunteer, donate or support his campaign unless they feel inspired to do so.
Thus, Clinton is the key factor.
The good news is that since Obama is now in charge, it is up to him to wisely use Clinton.
She will singlehandedly be able to move her masses to support Obama. If there is urgency, then it is up to him to set things in motion at his discretion.
Until then, Clinton's base is watching and waiting. They are not getting over it quite yet.
Been meeting a lot of Clinton supporters who favor McCAin over Obama.
They also stopped funding the DNC for letting the war linger on an on.
Personally I could care less about either candidate. There all bullshitters.
Obama has made certain moves like Hillary's former campaign person that had been fire, being placed in his group - sleazy/tacky/rude - and a hit in the face to Clinton supporters.
You want them to get over it? Tell Obama to stop his games - it's a turn off.
Want to bring the folks together - don't keep insulting them.
Hey - you get over it - it's still a democracy and free world and if they choose to go another direction - it's their choice. No one takes orders from a smart mouth.
"get over it" is exactly right, you're being childish. Insults are coming from both sides, let's be adults about this..yes you have a choice, and if you don't choose Obama, so be it, but please grow up. "Tell Obama to stop his games", you stop your games, there will be plenty of insults from now til Nov. Take Hillary's advice" get out the kitchen, if you can't stand the heat. Obama has run a good campaign and he has done nothing to Hillary supporters. Your candidate lost, and you can't seem to move forward.
Huh? Obama brainwashed Hillary's former Clinton campaigner staffer? Are you serious?
If he wants Clinton's rejects let him have them.
Nobody's ordering.
But the Hillary extremists insult themselves and their candidate by whining that, "Obama cheated and the media was so mean to Hillary and I don't care that McCain represents everything I hate, I'm voting for him just to spite the Democrats!"
If somebody says that, feels that, means that, and does that--well, shouldn't you join us in asking them to stop throwing a petty temper tantrum rather than doing the adult thing and making their decisions for valid, thought-through reasons?
Those who follow that path prove themselves so selfish and immature that they would sacrifice everything freedom and democracy, America, should stand for--everything their candidate stood for and represented--by letting their bitter anger rule their voting.
Obama isn't playing games--hiring those one deems best for a job is A GOOD STRATEGIC MOVE, not a personal attack.
Certainly it's more important than trying not to hurt the feelings of those Hillary supporters who have so personalized the election that they would follow the juvenile and suicidal path of condemning more soldiers and civilians to death, more freedoms to oppression, and more families to starvation and homelessness merely out of pique.
If they're so self-centered and vindictive that they would embody every negative female stereotype (such as, oh, vengefulness and stupidity), and put into power a candidate (McCain) who doesn't even believe women should get equal pay for performing the same job as a man, why would we want them to join us?
This article raises a good point - for those who are or have been leaders to any extent in the Clinton campaign, ask yourself - how many of those who look up to you might McCain steal away while you hide away in mourning?
Frankly, I think that anyone should be utterly disgusted by McCain's behavior. It's like watching a woman crying after throwing a ring back in a suitor's face in a restaurant (the woman being Clinton voters, the Democratic party being the suitor in this analogy) and then sidling up to her saying "hey baby, so I guess this means you're single now?"
Not to disparage the judgment of the 2nd wave feminists backing Clinton this cycle, but in any game dealing with 100,000's of millions of people, some will always go the wrong way. That's pure statistics. If you consider your opinion important, then step up and lead. Now. Before it's too late.
The last thing that any "wave" of feminism needs is for someone like McCain to sneak through the back door and steal Roe Vs. Wade (and God knows what else) back for the forces of evil.
Don't let it happen.
Seems like your a man of the world Trevor. Its time you learned. Never tell a woman there is something more important than her feelings.
That's insulting to this woman. Some women, feelings at all -- are logical enough to prioritize their countries best interests over their own feelings. Not all women are willing to sacrifice their own country for "feelings".
I know this sounds bad, but it doesn't serve women's rights well when some of hrc's supporters (i know they are not all women, but it's safe to say a majority of them are) act like this.
one of the worst stereotypes about women is that they are too emotional to effectively lead.
the actions of these die-hards plays very well to this stereotype.
hrc is not the first to lose a contest- get over it.
I think you're right.
I also think many of these women are Republicans (operation chaos).
Obama will get enough of the Republican vote that it'll be okay if these Hillary women don't vote for him.
They're not the educated, professional women. They would be voting (or not voting) Republican...sheeple. when did Hillary become the model feminist?
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
