Reply #65: I can remember years ago,

[H2O Man]

my mother asking me about how people could walk down the street, and not recognize, for example, a needy child. I explained to her that many human beings have a built-in psychological filtering process, which allows them to only see people who are pretty much like themselves.

The same process allows some to believe that the supporters of one candidate are the only "real" base of the democratic party. In this thread, it happens to be someone who is a Senator Clinton supporter.

I think that the people who support John Edwards, because he recognizes those needy people along the streets of America, are also part of the democratic base. It is probably safe to say that the people who are involved in the Obama campaign are part of the democratic base, as well. In fact, I think the party is best viewed as involving all the people who are invested in all of the different primary candidates' campaigns. Heck, I's even include the people who are hoping that Al Gore gets into the race.

When the voters decide who the democratic party's candidate will be, I hope that the nonsense about the "real base" stops, and people can focus on winning the 2008 elections.