A Democratic Party decision, for Hillary, Barack and all those in between

We have a decision to make as a party. Are we going to worry about the people who say they will refuse to vote for Senator Obama when he is the Nominee, or are we going to move forward.

That's the very real question we are facing here. Watch this video and listen to these people and their reasons on why they would not vote for Senator Obama in the Fall.

These are supposedly 'good Democrats', most of them have Hillary buttons on and have never voted for a Republican.

More below the fold...

{Cross-posted at DailyKos> http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/19/ 10411/6254

Who is to blame for these people and their refusal to vote for a Black man? Even though I think the Clinton campaign has stoked this fire, the fire was there long before she was a candidate and I don't know if there is anything she can do or say to change the minds of people who think like them.

Don't get me wrong. I know there are a lot of good people all over West Virginia and throughout Appalachia. Great people, in fact. But that's not the question. The question is, are we going to allow the people in this video, and those that think like them, decide on who our Nominee is based on racism?

Or are we going to reach our hands out to these people.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Many more great pictures can be found here.

I know most Hillary supporters, the vast majority of Hillary supporters, do not want racism to be in the Democratic Party. I was naive enough to believe that the people like those in the video had left the Democratic Party a long time ago, in what is referred to as the old Dixie-Crats.

I see that I was wrong. We cannot win over the vast majority of the people who think like this. I don't even think most of them would vote for Senator Clinton is she had Senator Obama as her VP. Which she would most certainly have to do if she somehow got the super delegates to suddenly swarm to her side. Which, let's face it, isn't even a remote chance at this point.

So...are we going to let sites like NoQuarter continue there verbal assassination of Senator Obama, a site so laden with racist hate speech that it makes even the conservative blogs cringe?

These are people who call themselves Democrats, and even some that claim the title of progressive Democrat.

This election will change the Party, and even DailyKos and other progressive blogs. We have to make a choice on the direction of our Party and our progressive agenda. I say let us cast aside the people over at NoQuarter, and not worry about the people in the above video. They can choose whom they vote for.

Instead, let's reach out to the suburban Republicans and Independents in the Mid-West, the rural voters Mountain West and the ripe for the taking whole South-West. Let's expand the map and include new Democrats and not worry about the so-called 'blue collar whites' in Appalachia. We will fight for them when we take control of the White House and Congress, but we will not let racism and ignorance dictate our future.

I know there are a lot of passionate Clinton supporters that are still hanging onto hope that she can win the Nomination. To them I say, take all the time you need. I understand what it's like to have your Nominee not make the cut. And I know the reasons you support Hillary have nothing to do with racism.

But I also say that we should not let the voters like the ones in that video dictate to us whom we choose. I'm sick of hearing about that as a reason to not Nominate Senator Obama.


Poll
Is it time to re-align the Democratic Party?
Yes!
Way past time
GTFO
No, we should listen to Pichfork Pat's advice
Pie

Votes: 6
Results : Vote Link : Polls

Display:


Tips for a Democratic re-alignment nt (2.00 / 1)


by DaveDial on Mon May 19, 2008 at 11:42:57 AM EST

Re: Tips for a Democratic re-alignment nt (none / 0)

Phantom mojo and rec.


Hooray for John McCain!
by ragekage on Mon May 19, 2008 at 11:47:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Me too (none / 0)

I give you a phantom mojo, since I have no rec'ing or ratings abilities either.

:-P


by DaveDial on Mon May 19, 2008 at 01:12:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Girl kisses dog (1.87 / 8)

for Obama. Quick get a pic and show that to as many people as possible.


by grlpatriot on Mon May 19, 2008 at 11:52:42 AM EST

Yowza that pic is over the top! (none / 0)

Don't know if that will help or hurt Obama. Hmm...


by catfish1 on Mon May 19, 2008 at 04:34:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A Democratic Party decision, for Hillary, Bara (2.00 / 1)

That people like this are out there is no surprise.  Obama wasn't going to get them anyway.  But there are plenty of voters in the same demographic groups (white, blue collar, etc.) who aren't opposed to voting for a black man but who also aren't completely sold on Obama, yet.

It's to be expected.  Obviously, if they voted Hillary then they're not 100% sold on Obama.  Were Hillary currently leading, we'd be having the same conversation about her winning Obama's base of voters.  So, let's avoid any summarization of her supporters as racist, because the vast majority of them very likely are not.  

Yes, there's work to be done, but there's also time to do it, and McCain's got a tough sell to make.


No way. No how. No McCain.
by freedom78 on Mon May 19, 2008 at 11:59:34 AM EST

I didn't exactly say that in the diary (none / 0)

Obviously, if they voted Hillary then they're not 100% sold on Obama.  Were Hillary currently leading, we'd be having the same conversation about her winning Obama's base of voters.  So, let's avoid any summarization of her supporters as racist, because the vast majority of them very likely are not.

I said the vast mojority of Clinton supporters are not like those people in that video, and that there are also a lot of great people in WV and Appalachia.

But I also said that the people that are like that will make it almost impossible to win WV or KY, and that we should not base our nomination on racism.


by DaveDial on Mon May 19, 2008 at 01:11:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: I didn't exactly say that in the diary (none / 0)

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that that was YOUR position.  I really didn't mean it that way at all.


No way. No how. No McCain.
by freedom78 on Mon May 19, 2008 at 01:39:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A Democratic Party decision, for Hillary, Bara (none / 0)

Wow, that video was tough to watch.

I remember when the women first because radio and TV news announcers.  It sounded odd, it didn't sound right.  Now, it just is.  It's the same with Obama, it might take some people a while to get used to the idea.

I think these people have just as much right to express their opinion and have their say as anyone else.  Following the rules, the person with the winning stats should be the nominee.  

People in WV and KY really haven't had a chance to get to know Obama, so the resistance to move from what they do know, Hillary, is high.  Hopefully, if he is the nominee, he will have a chance to let them get to know him better, so they can feel more comfortable voting for him.


by Kiku on Mon May 19, 2008 at 12:22:41 PM EST

Oh I think they know him well enough (2.00 / 1)

he is the one who called them clingy religious gun nuts.


For Obama it now becomes: Faith, hope and CHANGE! And the greatest of these is Change!
by TeresaInPa on Mon May 19, 2008 at 06:56:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]


You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.