Anyone who has read my many pro-Obama essays on the Huffington Post knows that I believe that Senator Obama will make a great president. They also know that I've been less than kind to Senator Clinton. Clinton's supporters have responded with their comments.
Those of us who voted for Obama and who are still working hard to get him nominated, have done so because we believe in the truthfulness and decency of his character, the sincerity of his words, the power of his compassion and intellect and have been inspired by his call to move beyond politics-as-usual in order to save our country from the aftermath of Bush, war, greed and stupidity.
Now--and I'm including myself here--it's time to act as if we actually believe in what Senator Obama has been saying and act upon his inspiring vision. As the nominating process plays out it's time to stop vilifying Senator Clinton. America needs her. America needs her supporters.
We Obama and Clinton supporters are like kid brothers squabbling in the living room over the TV remote while a predator is breaking into the house. The squabble is petty compared to the real fight ahead. Let all sane Americans concentrate on saving our country from the looming disaster of a Bush/McCain presidency.
Note: I say this as a former lifelong Republican and someone who, in 2000, worked hard for McCain when he was running against Bush. I went on numerous conservative talk stations--at the request of Religious Right activist Gary Bauer--to argue for McCain. And McCain later wrote a glowing endorsement of one of my books on the military.
The once "straight talking" McCain that I did my bit for in 2000, has become a mere shadow of his former self, and has tragically (and bizarrely) morphed into a semi-coherent Bush clone trying to force a third--make war, cut taxes, pander to the religious nuts--Bush term down our throats. To do anything to jeopardize a Democratic Party win in November isn't just bad politics--it's bad citizenship.
McCain knows that Al Qaeda wasn't in Iraq until we opened the door to them. He knows that we'll lose in Afghanistan, if we stay in Iraq. He knows Bush has severely damaged our military, not to mention our standing in the world, thus endangering our country. But McCain is now so bent on ill-defined post Vietnam-syndrome "victory with honor" that he's even agitating against Senator James Webb's new GI Bill, which would (at long last!) improve college benefits for soldiers.
McCain parrots the Pentagon's dishonorable and silly claim that the terms are too generous and that the new GI Bill would make it hard to "retain troops" for Bush's never-ending war that McCain now proposes to keep fighting. (Speaking as the proud father of a United States Marine who fought in Bush's wars, McCain and the Pentagon brass have it wrong. A good educational benefits incentive would be a great recruiting tool. It also is the right thing to do for our troops.)
The confused and calcifying McCain is also kissing up to the lunatic fringe of the lunatic fringe--the far right of the Far Right. He's in bed with the charlatan TV preacher vermin he once called "agents of intolerance." And these agents of intolerance are about to launch a disgusting lies-driven campaign against Obama (they would have done even worse to Clinton) the likes of which hasn't been seen in America since the fascist leader, priest and radio personality, Charles Coughlin, went on a 1930s pro-Nazi smear tirade against FDR and the New Deal.
A "vote" for McCain--by fomenting and continuing disunity in the Democratic Party--is also a vote against a viable and sane Republican Party. It's a vote for the poisonous lunatic fringe that's taken over the heart of the Republican Party, and driven people like me--and tens of thousands more--out. (Of course the inspirational attractiveness of Senator Obama has also inspired we former and/or dismayed, Republicans to vote for a Democrat this year.)
This Republican fringe--the unholy alliance of warmonger neoconservatives, fundamentalists, and other ignorant haters, has made the Republican Party into a reactionary, know-nothing habitat for an odd collection of racists, pro-torture sadists, advocates of eternal war, rubes persuaded Jesus is about to show up and/or making lots of money selling books and TV programs claiming same, and the instigators of a skyrocketing national debt exacerbated by a failed imperial dream of Middle East "democratization."
Both Republicans and Democrats have a stake in working to make sure the Republicans lose this year. They need to rid themselves of some very nasty folks then rejoin diverse, tolerant, compassionate and vibrant America.
We Obama supporters don't like the way Senator Clinton conducted parts of her campaign. Clinton's supporters don't like us either. Get over it! And if Obama is the Democratic Party nominee we Obama supporters and Clinton's supporters alike must swallow our pride, swallow our temptation to gloat and/or our temptation to sulk, that or learn to love a Bush/McCain presidency.
Frank Schaeffer is a writer and author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back.