The Cult Accusation: What's Next - The Blood Libel?

[TomClash]

There's a lot of silly mudslinging on both sides, but the new Clinton theme attacking Barack supporters as succumbing to a "cult of personality" is especially egregious.

Some posts remind me of the arch-conservatives who called Democrats Communists at every turn or the old Stalinists who called people Nazis for speaking out for the inalienable rights of the individual. Lee Atwater and Karl Rove would be proud. It makes you wonder if Mark Penn and his buddies in the Madison Avenue advertising crowd will "subtlely" accuse Barack supporters of drinking blood from sacrificed animals. I only jest but if it might get three votes in Nebraska . . .

Perhaps the Clintonites who spout this slander - the vapid Jeff Jarvis comes to mind - should consider the what a cult is. The least offensive definition is "an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers." No one venerates Barack Obama, though a lot of his supporters admire him, regard him as refreshing and see him as fulfilling their hunger for a candidate who will drive the country toward a better, more humane and progressive future.

You tried to paint him as a sure loser early on and he won. You tried to paint him as the "Negro" candidate and his support among whites has grown. How many of his supporters will you win over by calling Obama supporters cultists?

[H2O Man]

1. It seems

rather desperate.

[Lerkfish]

16. it has that appearance, certainly

I am constantly dismayed at the decision made in the clinton campaign.

[cali]

2. hammer meet nail head

though in all fairness there's some pretty ugly stuff about Senator Clinton here.

[TomClash]

9. But no one calls them cultists nt

[panader0]

3. Bullshit semantics

It's just a word, and the same word could be used for Hillary's supporters.

[TomClash]

10. But it's not and words matter nt

[QC]

4. At least 3/4 of the cult threads are started by the Obama crowd.

Like this one.

[KittyWampus]

13. not up until yesterday. Then it was all assholes from Hillary's camp. We should just bend over?

here's a hearfelt FUCK YOU to anyone who thinks so.

[TomClash]

17. Not true nt

[mrreowwr_kittty]

5. It really is awful. Another DUer nailed it: Media Heathers.

It's a way to ridicule and marginalize young voters and others who are engaged in the political process for the first time. It's like who are these people and how dare they invade our private sandbox?

What really cracks me up is the stunning irony of how quickly the meme of cults and groupthink spread amongst the hipsters in the media and blogosphere, becoming it's own form of groupthink. Notice how much the "Obama cult" posts on DU resemble each other.

[TexasObserver]

7. It's true, and it's not a new phenomenon. That's the irony.

The very people who are crowing the loudest were part of the generation that smoked dope, dropped acid, and tried to take over the Democratic party 40 years ago. Their grandparents thought they were hippie, dippie cultists, too. They weren't, but that didn't stop grandma and grandpa from hyperventilating over those young whippersnappers.

When you've become your grandparents, it's time to consider the possibility that it might be the year to let the next two generations do the heavy lifting from now on.

[fishwax]

19. another irony: all the complaints over the years on DU about how young people are apathetic

and yet it's no surprise that when a candidate creates excitement among that crowd, the fact is used to attempt to marginalize him.

[Windy]

11. Marginalize the kids who would be the ones to die in a draft started as a result of poor judgment

Pretty sad!

[Crooked Moon]

6. given the road ahead...

is still virtually guaranteed to be a long one, one wonders how much lower either side can go. like any relationship, once honest disagreements descend into nasty comments and accusations, there is established a point of no return, past which reconciliation becomes increasingly unlikely.

if the campaign for a nominee goes on for months longer, what are already deepening fractures will fester into irreparable inter-party warfare.

[K Gardner]

8. Bingo and welcome to DU !

[TomClash]

12. And this has happened before

in '68, '72, '80.

We should win in 2008 but this talk makes the healing that much harder.

[Crooked Moon]

14. the '68 analogy is indeed an apt one.

[cooolandrew]

15. For a better world it's better when we forgive so I forgive their negativity and invite them to a...

..positive new future with Barack Obama. :)

[niceypoo]

18. Most of the 'Obama Cult' threads are started by Obama Supporters