Monday, August 18, 2008

The Grownup Wing of the Democratic Party

(Cross-posted at My DD)

I confess that I like to think of myself as a representative of the grownup wing of the Democratic Party. I was for Hillary because I believed there were qualities in her that had been tried in fire, and I think passing through hard times and coming out the other end of it does something to people. I was for Hillary because I like her experience and thought she brought the right mix of qualifications to a terrible moment in history.

I confess that I like to think of myself as a representative of the grownup wing of the Democratic Party. When the numbers moved with force and finality in Obama's direction, and he had enough support from pledged and superdelegates to lay claim to the nomination, I did not pick up my marbles and go home. I know that I live in a democracy, and I know democracy often has events that I don't like. I did not go off and pout in a corner. I did not hold my breath with a threat to let my face turn blue. I accepted the defeat that I received and moved on like a good Democrat would, like a lot of good Clintonista Democrats did.

I confess that I like to think of myself as a representative of the grownup wing of the Democratic Party. Barack Obama probably will choose someone who will make me yawn long and hard, but I am going to support him and his pick. I still have my marbles (unlike some others who supported Senator Clinton), and I could pick them up and go home. I'm not going to. I could go and pout in a corner, but frankly, there's so many of my ex-fellow travelers there, there's no room for me, and besides, pouting isn't my style. And I am disinclined to hold my breath until I turn blue, because as far as I can see, the people who chose to hold their breath that way have turned really, really red. So let me tell you,

Obama-Biden '08!
Obama-Bayh '08!
Obama-Kaine '08!

I don't care, because I confess that I like to think of myself as a representative of the grownup wing of the Democratic Party. When I think of Barack Obama and November 2008, all I can say is, Just do it, baby!

2 comments:

Katrina said...

DCD - Thank you, that was so well said! The toughest test of character is how you deal with things not going your way. Hillary has handled herself amazingly in supporting the values of the Democratic Party against the national nightmare that would continue under John McCain, and so have you. So, too, have most of Hillary's supporters. They may not be as vocal as pumas, but I know they are with you because I have talked to dozens of them. I only know one puma personally, which is why I am not worried. Most of Hillary's supporters *are* grownups and *are* putting the country before anything else. Just like Hillary.

Mike Meyer said...

Thanks, Katrina. I wrote this after reading the rantings on some of the dead ender web sites.

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