The cult of personality

[youknowmenotdlc]

Over the last few months I have seen a disturbing trend on this board for posters to so strongly relate to their chosen candidate that they overlook obvious misdeeds or defects in their candidacy or worse invent self serving reasons to dislike the opposing candidate.

I see glowing tributes via sig line and avatar to Obama and Hillary, stylized pictures that are in some cases reminscent of Soviet era propaganda where the "leader" is presented not as a human being but as some idealized meta human.

Both sides are guilty of this childish hero worship.

This close personalization of the poster's chosen candidate is a dangerous fantasy since such unadulteraed and unconditional love causes one to forget that both candidates are human with flaws, both are Democrats with policy positions that are far more similar than disimilar, and either if nominated would be far superior than John "4 more years" McBush.

Hillary is not a racist.
Obama is not a sexist.

They are both Democrats.

We need to get past this artificially created primary antipathy towards each other and each candidate and unite or we will simply get 4 more years of Bush.

DU is an outlier, it's a microcosm of the progressive wing of the Democratic party, if we can't or won't realize just how damaging this continued hatefest will be how will the rest of the party?

I implore all of you, we need to STFU and start closing ranks or we will all lose.

[TheDebbieDee]

1. I agree. What you say makes lots of sense.

We need to stop attacking each other and start working together to unite the party, no matter who the nominee will turn out to be.

I wonder how many posts this thread will get before..........

[ccharles000]

2. I agree.

[patrice]

3. Some of us WANT to STFU, but we need to hear something that indicates that HC understands

how WE see her vote on the IWR, not her campaign's manufactured "reasons", but what OUR problems are with what she did in order to be able to say "I am strong on defense" in her candidacy for pResident. She has never demonstrated that she understands what that vote looks like to US.

[patrice]

4. P.S. If HER basic principle is to never give up, then how can WE give up in re the IWR? nt

[JoFerret]

5. "Some of us WANT to STFU, but ..."

only if we get our way?

??

[patrice]

10. Some things are more important than politics. nt.

[Symarip]

6. I haven't said anything inflammatory since Super Tuesday, part 4

We have a presumptive nominee. And a potential Vice Presidential nominee. Both are great politicians and I think when their forces are combined we're going to see a political powerhouse not seen in modern times.

And really, there's nothing to get angry about at this point in the process, anyhow. Sure there were some wrong doings, on both sides. Politics is a rough game. I keep hearing that one is 'dividing' our party, but when you're running your own campaign, you have to set yourself apart. They both did it, just one was a bit more effective.

We're going to win in November. Think about how nice this sounds:

President Obama
Vice President Clinton
Attorney General Edwards

I don't know about anyone else, but a line up like that makes me a pretty happy fellow.

[John Q. Citizen]

8. So you think Obama is lying about change, about a new direction? I think if

that's the case, then he's going to lose the Presidency, and Clinton will lose the Vice Presidency.

I can't see how a de facto public declaration by Obama that his whole primary campaign is a lie will be a winning idea.

Why do you think that is a good idea?

What you think "sounds nice" and what is politically possible are two different things, in my opinion. I think a Gore/Kucinich ticket "sounds nice" yet I would argue long and hard against it, because it would lose. Still, it "sounds nice."

[Fresh_Start]

7. I'm afraid that it seems that the democrats

are as capable of idol worship as the GOP was of their idol worship.
Wake up people. They are all politicians. They are not Mother Teresa.
Prepare to be screwed no matter who is in office.
Because the party (and its elected officials) are the only things they will fight to protect.

[Marrah_G]

9. Nice post!

I like both candidates. I think one is a better choice for President. That doesn't make the other one my enemy.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. I disagree, Clinton is a racist.

If Obama were telling superdelegates not to vote for Clinton because she is a woman, I would concede that he was being sexist.

[ShortnFiery]

12. No.

Both Bill and Hillary Clinton are racists ... and even worse = bigots.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oRwZQLdhEw