Before this war is over, I'm going to kill you

by Ripley

They say all politics is local.  It is.  While the nation (and the world, I suppose) watched probably the most dramatic political news in American history, last night, I was on pins and needles waiting for local election results to come in.  I was a campaign coordinator for a State Rep. candidate, here in Smalltown, USA.  We didn't win but I like to think we changed the way people campaign here.  Actually, I know we did, because the new Democratic nominee called me this morning and told me so.  That means a lot to me, since I've never worked on any political campaign before this year. 

This experience has also brought out a great deal of empathy, on my part, for many Clinton supporters.  (Aside from the rabid idiots who are ready to tear down the party "in the name of.")  It's hard to work for something, believe in someone, give your time and money and effort and stake your reputation... and lose.  I know this.  But, my candidate and I are already gunning for the Republican opponent in the general election and thinking about what we can do to support our Democratic candidate.  This is what we must do, and we all know what the stakes are.

I have a great deal of respect for Thers and Molly as free thinkers, writers (we should be so talented!) and good, progressive people - and I love them in that internetty, "I've never met you but you're super keen!" kind of way.  Also, they're not afraid to cuss once in a fucking while.  Bonus!  When Molly says she supports Hillary Clinton, I understand that this is not some starry eyed babbling or Marsh-esque appeal for celebrity.  I know she's disappointed, as are thousands - probably millions - of other Clinton supporters.  (As an aside - I like Hillary.  I'm honestly disappointed that I didn't get to meet her when she was in Smalltown, USA.  I think the last half of her campaign was pretty dismal, but I believe a lot of that was not Hillary speaking to us, it was Hillary speaking someone else's words.  You may disagree.  Fuck off - I live in the Heartland, so you have to listen to me.)

A short decade ago, no one would have entertained the notion of a woman and a black man duking it out through the entire Presidential Primary calendar.  Hollywood couldn't have dreamed up a script to match what we've seen in the last six months.  God bless America, I say.  And I couldn't wait for June 3rd, because there was so much blood, sweat and money spent, and so much on the line.  And now... I look forward.  This is what we must do.  We have a nominee.  More importantly, we have a cause. 

I wrote, the other day, about my friend's father passing away.  My friend is a 42 yr. old gay man who'd never told his father he was gay.  His partner of nine years had never met my friend's father.  Can you imagine what he's feeling right now?  I can't.   And I want nothing more than to live in a society were my friend and his partner are given the respect they deserve, and angry bigots are mocked and jeered as the Unclean; cast out with the people who look down on us because we don't make enough money, don't pray loudly enough, don't have genetics or genealogy on our side.

This struggle for a better America is what lies before us.   This horrifically wrong headed, aggressively inhumane decade of kicking the "not cool kids" in the balls must end.  And we, who call ourselves "progressive", need to focus on making that change. Today. 

John McCain.   Our anger, our outrage, our desperate hope for something better must be focused on defeating John McCain in November.  No matter what he says, he is the enemy.  He's willing to stand before America as a Republican politician and  tell us the stench of shit must be coming from our own shoes, because Republican policies are so very sound.  He's willing to wear the mantle of Bush Failure and Wealthy Exclusivity and tell us we're just not quite good enough, just yet.  But please, come back next year, my friends, and fill out an application - we're always looking for good caddies and waitresses.

Hillary is not the problem with the Democrats.  Obama is not Kid Charlemagne meets Bruce Lee.  America is in a very, very precarious position right now, and you and I cannot afford to be distracted by the tantrums of Mary Hartman and Bill O'Reilly's love child on America's Most Fucked Up Videos - we are smarter and better than that.  We need to stand shoulder to shoulder and work.  We need to stand tall and fight for the common man.  We need to be clear eyed and have our heads on straight.

We need to send a message to John McCain and the filthy fucks he wants to represent:  Your time has passed.  America deserves better, and if you try to stand in our way...

Rip -

Comments

[geor3ge]

Well said. And this bit?

You may disagree. Fuck off - I live in the Heartland, so you have to listen to me.

That's a keeper.

[Jemand von Niemand]

This struggle for a better America is what lies before us... we, who call ourselves "progressive", need to focus on making that change. Today.

John McCain. Our anger, our outrage, our desperate hope for something better must be focused on defeating John McCain in November. No matter what he says, he is the enemy... We need to send a message to John McCain and the filthy fucks he wants to represent: Your time has passed. America deserves better, and if you try to stand in our way...

What Ripley said.

[iamcoyote]

Very nice, Ripley, thanks. *smooch, smooch*

[Ripley]

Thanks, kids!

Mighty big shoes to fill over here - honor, privilege, pressure...

Oh, and FUCK!!, just for good measure.

[actor212]

Nicely done, Rip.

For us Clintonites who are also progressives, it's the devil we know v. the one we don't know.

This was in essence why I supported Hillary in the first place and why, once things have been finalized, I will support the Democratic nominee.

But none of them, least of all McCain, represents where my heart lies.

Hillary came closest but even she was a long distant horsehoe.

[Bruce Bird]

The irony of the coming campaign is that the Republicans will run as the Christian party but their whole campaign will be based on lies, racism, ignorance, and mis-information. That is really all they have left.

[aimai]

Amen. I think its time to step back and acknowledge what a truly astonishing thing it is, and how far our party has come in such a short while, from the tumultous racism and sexism of the sixties to today, when a white woman and a black man led the pack and split the democratic primary vote 50/50 all the way to the finish line. Neither was forced to drop out early because the voters couldn't get behind them. Its astonishing, really, that it was the conventional white candidates who couldn't get traction.

aimai

[Ripley]

I loved:

1 - A woman and a black man pushing the democratic process as potential Pres. candidates

2 - A Primary that lasted long enough for people in the Summer States to cast a vote that meant something

3 - Millions of new Democratic voters, of every stripe and color

But... this bullshit "horse race" coverage. Did they ever mention Why it matters? Blacks, whites, incomes... did they ever make mention of Obama and Clinton wanting to HELP PEOPLE!!! ? Not that I saw. Polls and voter blocs, James Fucking Carville handjobbing Russert with his leftover skull wax, Stephanopulous struggling for breath inside Clinton's campaign colon, crazy black preacher!!!, women and white hard workers...

But dare to mention that people are hurting? Nooooo... Bush policies have hamstrung the nation? Noooo.... How will Obama get white voters? That's what people care about! Hillary drank some whiskey! Mark your calendars!

bin Laden's got nothing on the US media. They're killing us softly...

[Ripley]

I should say - that last comment wasn't a harsh on the Clinton campaign, specifically. Just venting about the piss poor job the media has done, in their orgasmic zeal for blowing things out of proportion and missing the motherfucking point.

[iamcoyote]

A lot of bad shit went on; I got pretty fookin' angry toward the end and had to take a break. Good thing, too, 'cos it went totally wackidoodle after that - I'd never been to No Quarter this whole time, and got curious about this "tape" thing yesterday. My stars! There is no way most of those commentors are liberal, or dem. No fookin' way! They're talking about sending money to McCain, for fuck's sake! Ugh. I worry a bit that there is a tape, but man, those people are crazy. Still, the only way for us to move forward is for thinking people on both sides to just stop rising to the bait of the whack jobs - you just know there're going to be GOP trolls hoping to keep the hate alive - don't respond to any of them. It'll take a while, but if we can all model the right behavior - trashing the doddering warmonger - eventually everyone will get over the anger and follow along. Right?

Right?

[Tom Hilton]

Amen to all of this, Ripley.

[Bert]

Hear! Hear!

[flory]

But... this bullshit "horse race" coverage. Did they ever mention Why it matters? Blacks, whites, incomes... did they ever make mention of Obama and Clinton wanting to HELP PEOPLE!!!

You know what? I've given up worrying about that. Horse race is what they do. I don't see it changing anytime soon. I'm just glad there are other outlets where those of us that care about substance can find it.

[Duncan]

I live in the heartland too. We don't all agree.

[spencer]

For us Clintonites who are also progressives, it's the devil we know v. the one we don't know.

Oh, so I guess that explains why you were over here flogging that "Obama bowled a 37!!11!!!OMG!!!!!!!" nonsense.

[spencer]

James Fucking Carville handjobbing Russert with his leftover skull wax

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

[aimai]

iamcoyote,
nice to see the iamcoyote I've always admired out and about. I really found myself spun as I bounced from pro obama site to pro clinton site on the internet. The crazies (like me!) seem to be the ones with the most time on their hands to write. I have to believe the majority of actual voters either weren't paying attention or will happilly settle for the democratic nominee in the end. I'm really looking forward to what I hope will be a sucessful permanent campaign against republicans and republicanism from now on until the end of Obama's second term and the start of someone else's democratic term.

aimai

[Robbie Taylor]

OK, it's driving me crazy - where is that headline quote from? "Before this war is over, I'm going to kill you"

[iamcoyote]

Thanks, aimai; from you that means a lot, I've admired you for years! This primary has been hell, but I think you're right - non-crazies (yes, I'm a crazy, too!) haven't been as plugged in as the bloggers have, and their emotions aren't running nearly as high as ours are, thank goodness. They are susceptible to media propaganda, though, and one thing that's hugely in Obama's favor is the fact that none of the day to day gripes we've wrassled over for months have affected his image to them. As much as people have wanted Hillary to get out, I believe she's provided cover for him by being the bad guy to his good guy. Of course, the media will turn on him, but the image in regular people's minds now is that Obama's the good guy, and McCain, even tho the media's in love with him, may very well shoot himself in the foot by attacking what a lot of people think is a good guy. Obama has found a way to talk directly to America's lizard brain, with the help of the Republican implosion, I think, just like the neocons talked to the lizard brain to get Bush into office and trick us into Iraq. As we all know, it's not really just policies that move the general public towards certain candidates, (though they count, obviously, and people aren't stupid), it's whether they "like" this guy or that guy. Obama figured that out, figured out how to work it - and he's now the nominee. I'm not as optimistic as Digby that it's going to be a landslide in November, but then, she's way smarter than I am about these things, so I'm hopeful.

Still, some of the things said by some of the people I used to admire really have me discouraged...

[rea]

OK, it's driving me crazy - where is that headline quote from?

Mel Gibson, (Google is my friend)

[Robbie Taylor]

The Patriot! Of course!

I googled it, but my google-fu was weak.