How to support your candidate without being a GOP tool

[Don Claybrook]

Much has already been said about the divisiveness in General Discussion regarding the candidates. I undertook a small research project in order to see what positive things have been said by one candidate’s supporter about another candidate.

Here’s the criteria I used:
-I didn’t look in the ‘Daily Democrat’ threads.
-I didn’t choose posts that praised one candidate as a backhanded way of denigrating another candidate.
-I chose posts in which there was an indication that the poster was definitely hitched to one candidate, e.g., avatars, sig line quotes, candidate banners, and so on.

I chose 3 candidates: Clark, Dean, Kerry. I made a full-mesh, finding good things said about these candidates by supporters of each of the other candidates. I could’ve picked more candidates, but these are the 3 who seem to be mentioned the most and argued over the most (with the possible exception of DK…and he’s better than all of our candidates combined, and yes, I’m being serious, but no, he won’t get the nomination). Anyway, I really had to slog through hundreds upon hundreds of negative posts in order to come up with a few positive ones. Some iterations of this exercise were more elusive than others, but I eventually came up with the full-mesh I was after. I'm sure that not all of these posters are saints. I know I'm not. And in looking for these posts, I saw attacks by some of these folks on other candidates. No matter, I wanted to accentuate the good things they've said about the others. I thank them all for their unwitting participation in my little study.

A few more notes. I’m not advocating for people to give up their candidates, or to only say nice things about others’ candidates, I’m just extending a plea that we quit saying the stuff that’s impossible to take back at a later date. Someone is going to win the Democratic nomination, just one person. The supporters of the other candidates will need to find a way to rally around that candidate (this is a generalization…I know that some won’t support a given candidate under any circumstances, but this is a minority). Why not make it easier on yourself to get to the point where you can rally around Clark, Kerry, Dean, Gephardt, etc, etc?

When you get in an argument with your spouse or partner, do you say the most damaging things you can think of? Do you ‘play to win’ in an argument with your spouse or partner? Or do you try to find common ground? Do you hold back some of the cutting comments you could make because you want to get along with that person later and stay together? That’s all I’m asking for. Think about it, huh?

PS: Rush, I think my mom can score some hydrocodone for you if the price is right. PM me. J

Here’s what I found. Thanks for listening.


Clark supporter being gracious toward Howard Dean:
http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=913114#913212
mikehiggins (748 posts) Mon Dec-15-03 11:43 AM
4. Dean always had economic positions worth considering. He emphasised the war because that was his strong suit, especially during a primary like this one. However, there is nothing wrong with his domestic agenda with the exception of the tax thing and that is only a "sound bite" problem.

Clark supporter being gracious toward Kerry:
http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=269460
eileen_d (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-14-03 09:30 PM
4. Kerry, you rock. This is a great statement. Brief and to the point, and conveys his message, which I think has been consistent all along.

Dean supporter being gracious toward Clark:
http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=908258
RetroLounge (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-14-03 06:06 PM
35. She was such a whore today and Clark handled her well. Seeing her stammer was just pathetic. What a loser...

Dean supporter being gracious toward Kerry:
http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=912123
DinoBoy (1000+ posts) Mon Dec-15-03 12:48 PM
150. you don't have to be against someone if you're not for them… I support Dean, but Clark and Kerry are my number 2 and 3. It doesn't mean I'm against Clark or Kerry. I think Clark or Kerry would be great candidates and probably win in the general, just like Dean.
Opinion polls are based on first choice, and just because someone isn't your first choice, doesn't mean you're against them.

Kerry supporter being gracious toward Dean:
http://democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=98849
schultzee (748 posts) Wed Dec-10-03 01:16 AM
3. I like Kerry very much and think he could carry the South, but if Dean gets the nomination, I will support him. Kerry is more liberal than Dean in some ways and that is important to me. I have concern that Dean is not liberal enough, but at the same time he is not running on corporate swill.

Kerry supporter being gracious toward Clark:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=108&topic_id=99057
sandnsea (1000+ posts) Wed Dec-10-03 07:12 PM
31. (Regarding Wes Clark and what good things he has done) Improved the lives of 500,000 soldiers and their families. By supporting day care, education, better health care, affirmative action, and all the things Democrats care about; or used to anyway. And he actually had to implement these programs and make sure they worked on his bases, which is actually more than any other candidate has had to do. Clark is good, I could support him 100% in the GE.

[Don Claybrook]

1. It's shameful to bump my own thread

but here goes nothing. :)

[tom_paine]

2. I'll give yuou a kick, Don

:kick: :kick:

[Zomby Woof]

3. that's because

Those of who us who simply DO NOT LIKE another candidate scoff at being labelled a "GOP tool". That in itself is divisive, and undermines the intent of your post.

[Don Claybrook]

4. Maybe it does undermine the intent of my post

Because I certainly didn't intend to be divisive with the thread. In fact, I strove not to be.

I'd argue the point with you, but I understand that perception is reality, etc, etc. I extend my apologies that the wording of the title caused you to miss the intent of the post. I can easily find things I simply DO NOT LIKE about each of the candidates, including my own. I was trying to avoid focusing on those for a moment, but this thread seems to have taken a turn for the ironic. I believe I must've covered your position in the original post parenthetically.

Thank you.

[tigereye]

5. I think your intent is good

Looking for positives is always good, imo. What surprises me is the subtext that we are doing the GOP's job by disagreeing. I have found myself going back and forth about this point... I think that there is a bit too much vitriol at times, and I as a new person avoid those threads. But political campaigns have been nasty since the dawn of politics and it makes me wonder if the medium of the internet and the instant availability of many positions and use/misuse of same (fishbowl/cannabilization!?) contributes to a sort of paranoia about these opinions. just a thought

[Don Claybrook]

6. Yeah, I think it's the vitriol

I think it's the degree to which we argue. That's why I included the little part about how one argues with one's spouse or partner. I don't know about anyone else, but when I get into an argument with my wife, I hold back on some of the nasty things I could say. Were I to say them in some attempt to "win" an argument, I would do lasting damage to our marriage. I'd also be wrong-headed.

I don't know where the line is--I believe it to be a soft, fuzzy line. But I do think we cross that line here all the time and that it is destructive to the eventual nominee, whoever that may be.

On a personal level, I have chosen to back Howard Dean as the candidate. My politics are quite far to the left. I'm pretty much a socialist, I value Greens, I love Dennis Kucinich. But I made a pragmatic choice to back who I perceived to be the best candidate with a chance at winning. So I'm in this odd position where I see attacks on Dean from the centerist-leaning folks who say Dean is too liberal and shake my head in disbelief, for Dean is no Paul Wellstone. At the same time, attacks on Dean come from the spectrum that is to the left of Dean and I find myself thinking, yeah, maybe you're right, but don't we want to win and pull to the left AFTER the election?

And then there are those who support Dean and refuse to see anything at all wrong with him. I see lots of things about Dean and his platform that aren't ideal to me, but I still plan on voting for him. But I won't become a Howard Dean automaton. I guess I want a little more real-world nuance with my politics.

Thank you for your post.

[Vitruvius]

7. Kick

:kick: