My Fellow Democrats/Indies/Trolls if you are out there,

Let's talk about some other stuff that is really weighing on me these days.

Do you all realize that I have been KILLING MYSELF trying to get everyone to see some commonalities and to remind us all of where we have come from?

Do you all recall the days say as recent as 2004 when our preferred candidates may have been Clark, Edwards, (perhaps hopeful that either Gore or Hillary would get into it), gehpardt, or Dean?  Do you recall how disappointing it was when that candidate was eliminated by Kerry?  Do you recall how we all (like EVRY G-D election prior) rallied around that candidate even though he wasn't our FIRST or felt he was the BEST choice?  

WTF happened to us?

I think it is THIS:

1) We ALL have become more internet dependent and blogs are more used and more common, especially within the 30 and younger age group.

2) Obama burst onto the scene and immediately stirred a ruckus!  Garnering huge support.  But HRC was SOOOO strong, so well funded, and darn it...she had the same feel of GWB in 1999...she felt inevitable.  Hillary's most ardent supporters liked that young guy's moxie and though that he'd make one HELLUVA v.p.

3) Obama just got stronger, due in part to his OWN  growing prowess on the stump, a pie-eyed media, but most importantly by the internet  powered by that 30 and younger group.  $$$$ that came in JUSTIFED the media's coverage.  

Here was Hillary's 1st mistake, and I think it is high time we all be honest about it.  At this time, rather than address the coming storm that was clearly bearing down on her, she chose to ignore it, deciding to remain "inevitable".  Hillary and her people were being (it could fairly be said) a little passive -aggressive in their dismissive attitudes towards Obama.  I recall a number of posts likening him to Howard Dean.  We started to seethe.  Anyway, the underestimation born of the  believed sense of inevitability led to IA, where she came in 3rd behind BO and JRE.

4) That win caused the Barack Obama supporters ...though not ALL of us...only a small minority of theme to make THEIR first mistake:  Instead of being graceful and honorable in victory, many of us (some, not all) chose instead to "serve" Hillary, freaky style, insulting both her and her supporters...often times in ways they WOULD NEVER consider using in the non-online lives.  Rightly, HRC people (some, not all) took major offense.

At this time...it was ON.  We thought your rebuke of us was unfair, given the fact we (some, not all) "owed you one" for your dismissive toward Barack and us. Then WE  (some not all) made our second mistake, which ironically was to repeat your first mistake:

5) New Hampshire...where we believed, based on polls, Barack was inevitable as well.  We were rude, ungracious, and seemingly were enjoying your  and Hillary's certain fall.  You and Hillary WON.
Then you folks (some not all) made your second mistake, ironically repeating OUR first mistake.  You rubbed in your hard-won victory, just as ruthlessly as we had.

The blood was getting truly hot and rancid in our collective veins.  The fever was on us, and the only cure was more cowbell.  No, really it was OUR candidate winning it all.  It became not a test of candidates, my friends...we (some, not all) had allowed our animosities to define us.  WE had invested so much of ourselves in not only our candidates, but also the battles between ourselves on BEHALF of our candidates...that we lost our perspective.  We broke the first rule of politics.

...we took it personally.

By the time SC hit, it was destined that the events down there would be ugly.  As we (some, not all) had seen EACH OTHER being capable of the worst sort of politics, we saw the same in our candidates who had become US.  

Bill Clinton said some stuff that was just bad enough so as to be interpreted as being racially motivated..and we (some, not all) were ready and waiting to believe that BILL CLINTON would act so.

And so it went...on and on, each side delighting as much in our candidates wins as they did our opponents' (perhaps taking more joy in) losses.  Some, not all of us have been guilty of this.  Through SC, through the Potomac primaries and WI, through 3 a.m., through Wright, through Bosnia.

I am sick to death of it.

We are all democrats or leaners here.  I admire all of us who dedicate time and effort to blog and to share things.  I wish it could return to sharing more positive things, like perhaps a way to move beyond this absolutely self-defeating lunacy.  

If we don't...ALL, not some of us will be VERY Sorry.

Today Hillary herself said that we would ALL unite.  I think that we (All, not some) should honor this request and unite behind, if not a candidate...at least the idea that we agree McCain is the one who threatens: women's rights, the Supreme court, the economy, a continuation of Iraq/Iran, and the planet....more than the OTHER candidate.

Who's with Gunslinger?