Over at Iowa Independent, Jason Hancock published this story about a handful of college activists for Hillary Clinton who have either endorsed John McCain or are considering voting for him.
As regular readers of this blog know, I am the last person to sing Barack Obama’s praises. I have deep concerns about him as a candidate and as a potential president.
I am also very familiar with the feeling that the Democrats nominated the “wrong” person. I have been politically aware for eight presidential cycles, and the candidate of my choice has won the nomination exactly once.
I would encourage any Democrat who strongly opposes Obama not to box yourself in by declaring now that you’ll never vote for him.
I also hope that Obama supporters will back off and give their fellow Democrats some space. This passage in Hancock’s article seemed particularly important to me:
Jordan Levine, who served as co-president of the Grinnell College Students for Hillary, said he, too, may support McCain in the fall, but has not made up his mind. In addition to not liking where Obama stands on the issues, he also said the actions of his fellow Democrats are turning him off to their nominee.
“They are being belligerent and trying to push me into supporting Obama,” he said. “That should be a serious concern. I have every right to vote how I want.”
Many of us have heard alienating and counterproductive comments from Obama supporters, but don’t give them more power over your decisions than they deserve.
Levine said his indecision on Obama has nothing to do with emotion and everything to do with issues.
“I just don’t like where he stands,” he said. “One of my main issues is health care, and Obama’s plan has some very big differences with Clinton’s.”
Take it from Elizabeth Edwards, who also preferred Clinton’s health care plan to Obama’s: McCain’s health care proposal would be an expensive disaster. Spend a few minutes browsing the writings of nyceve at Daily Kos for more specifics on why McCain is very wrong on health care.
If nothing else, I hope you will keep the Supreme Court in mind when you vote for president. Making the case for John McCain earlier this year, former Republican presidential candidate Gary Bauer noted that six of the nine Supreme Court justices will be at least 70 years old on Inauguration Day 2009. If that’s not a reason to be a yellow dog Democrat this year, I don’t know what is.
4 Comments
Everything to do with issues??
The line about the indecision regarding Obama or McCain being all about issues is pretty hard to believe. I mean really, where are the BIG issues differences between Clinton and Obama? Even on health care, I don’t think the differences are that remarkable. Especially when you realize that Congress will need to produce the legislation that lands on the president’s desk.
This person is actually insinuating that Hillary is closer to McCain than Obama on the issues?? – My guess it’s all about emotion, and very little about the issues. At least if you look at the issues without emotion.
rf Sun 15 Jun 10:01 PM
I agree--very little difference on the issues
However, I used to get shouted down at Daily Kos when I made the same point to Obama supporters who swore they’d never vote for Hillary if she “stole” the nomination.
I think McCain has been out of the spotlight so much this year that some people have forgotten how truly scary he is.
desmoinesdem Sun 15 Jun 10:26 PM
time
I think that most Hillary supporters just need some time to heal. It is very disappointing when something that you have worked so hard on doesn’t work out. This has been a very emotional primary.
We still have four months until the general election. I know some Hillary supporters are talking McCain right now, and some will probably vote for him…but I think most won’t. But Obama people–don’t push us. We need some time to grieve, some time to heal, and some time to accept. We may never believe that the voters made the right choice in picking Obama over Hillary, but we will accept that the voters did decide and we will respect that (at least I will).
Honestly the best people to convert Hillary supporters to Obama are other Hillary supporters–and maybe Edwards supporters too. My response when I hear “I’m never going to vote for Obama” is to say, “I know how you feel, I’m disappointed too, but right now I’m looking at who’s issues are closer to Hillary’s and I think that Obama’s are.”
lorih Mon 16 Jun 12:56 PM
McCain and Clinton Supporters
Senator McCain is really rolling out the red carpet for Clinton supporters since she conceded the race. He’s shown her far more respect post-candidacy than he did while she was in the race, that’s for sure.
I hope that any Clinton supporter will remember that it was during Senator McCain’s press conference that someone asked, “how do we beat the b–ch”, to which McCain mearly chuckled in ammusment.
While I too have issues with Senator Obama’s substance, I will not reward the Republican party with my vote.
The Supreme Court, Guantanamo, “Axis of Evil”, WMD’s, warrentless wire tapping, out of control $pending… are all part of the Republican brand now. McCain is for all these things, Clinton was not, neither is Senator Obama.
That said, I hope Obama supporters carefully consider their words when speaking to supporters of Senator Clinton. Senator Obama has many good things to say about Clinton, but it is more important for the Obama supporters themselves to let us in the “club”.
When Senator Edwards bowed out of the race, may of his supporters whom we welcomed into Clinton’s camp told us that they chose Clinton because we were nicer to them than he Obama supporters. I’m biased, so I can’t judge the truth of this.
But if it’s true (or even perceived as true), it’s a problem.
johnnyschad Mon 16 Jun 4:06 PM