Here’s some advice to Barack Obama’s strongest supporters in the blogosphere – well, in the higher echelons of the blogosphere: stop acting like a little child who feels ignored by his mother. No, Clinton did not concede yesterday as such. But we all know that Obama has won the nomination and that Clinton hasn’t conceded yet because she wants something for herself, which is what every other politician – including Obama himself – would do in this situation. You won. Everybody realizes that. When you win, you should stop acting like little children, and you should behave gracious towards those who have lost. Instead of going on and on about how evil Hillary Clinton and her Democratic supporters are, you guys should learn to be a pleasant, gracious winner by simply thanking Clinton for the effort, by acknowledging the fact that she too was able to inspire millions of voters (more than ever before in history), and to express your wish that Clinton and her supporters can – in one way or another – play a role in Obama’s victory (over-confident of course) come November. That’s how it is done.
And before you guys start, no, possible bad behavior of someone else doesn’t excuse you from behaving badly.
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…you guys should learn to be a pleasant, gracious winner by simply thanking Clinton for the effort, by acknowledging the fact that she too was able to inspire millions of voters (more than ever before in history), and to express your wish that Clinton and her supporters can – in one way or another – play a role in Obama?s victory (over-confident of course) come November. By the same token, she could have been gracious enough to acknowledge what you did, that Obama has won the nomination. Extending an olive branch is not a one way street. Obama did his part, Hillary didn’t.
This was exactly what Obama did in his speech, at length and without qualification.
And I wouldn’t be too hard on Hillary’s response, Pug. At worst, it is typical Clintonian salami tactics, slicing thinly while maneuvering for space to wiggle out — nothing unexpected from the Clintons. More likely, however, it is just the opening gambit in a short behind-the-scenes campaign to get the Obama campaign to pay off Clinton’s huge debts as the price of getting her endorsement.
And, of course, a role for Clinton in the administration.
Jason; I did not say Obama in this post. I said his fanatical supporters in the elite blogosphere.
Clinton wants something more? I would never have guessed. Gee, I wonder how she’s gonna get it!
Sorry for the sarcasm (not really) but after months of accurately predicting the ongoing scramble and the outcomes to date, I still get a laugh out of people just now discovering that Clinton will continue to play her own power game regardless of the nomination. That intramural partisan politics is just as Machiavellian as inter-party politics. That parties are coalitions of conflicting and competing interests, each scrambling for their own power and position and agenda, and not some Big Happy Unified Family.
Congrats to Obama, and good luck to him in keeping the cannibal’s feast toned down enough to not chew up all the voters he’ll require in the fall.
Michael,
Thank you for pointing out the fundamentals of graciousness in victory.
After writing the post that you linked to above (about Daily Kos’ false slam against Hillary last night), one commenter chastised me for “scab picking.”
He thought that I should have instead posted about Obama’s historic victory – which was on my agenda for after I woke up this morning.
The commenter said nothing about Daily Kos’ most ungracious (actually, downright bellicose) attitudes even after obvious victory.
I’m still baffled by the fact that the joys of victory weren’t enough to distract them from knifing the defeated candidate.
I’m glad that you understand graciousness and generosity of spirit.
Deb. I actually hoped (here’s my post congratulating Obama and his supporters by the way) that Clinton would win the Democratic nomination, so I’m not entirely objective on this matter. However, this continued anger is utterly amazing, at least to me. They don’t stop. They seemingly feel the need to completely humiliate the other side (which promises a lot for the general election).
Kicking a man (or woman) when he’s down, isn’t gentleman-like behavior. At least, so I have been told by my parents and those who have educated me. It seems to me that this lesson has been lost on DK, Andrew Sullivan and, of course, Matt Yglesias. Same goes for the person who commented at your post (unsurprising that he left such a comment, by the way).
Michael,
I was surprised, because the commenter tended to be nice. I responded to his comment via email, and he wrote back.
He didn’t really address what I’d written, and he wasn’t hateful, but he wasn’t as pleasant as I’d expected — given that I’d made a point of being friendly and non-confrontational while explaining my repetition of certain facts at my blog.
I tried.
Like you, I’m baffled by some of Obama’s supporters continued anger and desire to keep kicking the corpse.