Alegre's detractors must recognize that she is not interested in debating the relative merits of the candidates at this point or of the potential impact of the race on the party and its agenda. Her one and only priority resides in advocacy for Clinton's candidacy. Or rather, she is so utterly committed to her candidate that she sees all of these questions through the lens of that candidacy. Her supporters admire her for this devotion and unflinching advocacy. Her detractors refuse to respect her right to hold this position. Ultimately, whether intentional or not, the mutual outrage serves her central purpose. Nothing galvanizes a constituency like the perception of being wronged and under siege.
Neither side is about to convince the other. Generally both sides repeat the same arguments over and over. If this site's owners have no objection to her posting these entries for these unmistakable purposes, she has the right to do so. On the other hand, those who disagree with her have the right to present opposing viewpoints with regard to particular claims. Even if there is no hope of persuasion, voicing disagreement can be an end in itself. I strenuously object to the way the narrative of this race is portrayed in these posts, the way they paint Obama supporters with the same brush, and the deeply unfair and inaccurate ways in which I think they depict the candidate I support. At the same time, no sooner does a diary go up than Alegre's opponents pounce, voicing disagreement and frustration often through the most unproductive and uncivil modes of denigration and personal insult.
There must be a better way. First of all, I am confused as to why the redundancy of these exchanges fails to bore participants. I understand the imperative that leads my fellow Obama supporters to confront what many of us feel are distortions. But how do the taunts help? Clearly some participants are invested in the outrage game for its own sake. But if we can change the tone in the comments sections of these diaries, I believe it will benefit us all going forward. I call on Alegre's attackers not to cease responding, but to find a new mode of response. I call on both sides to refrain from throwing past slights in each other's faces when an attempt at reestablishing civility is put forth. It also will serve nothing but the perpetuation of destructive and injured feelings if any attempt to respond differently meets with a dismissal of sincerity. I emphasize to Obama supporters here that whether this is intentional or not, that perpetuation serves the purposes of your opponents. If commenters on both sides cannot break free of the cycle of negativity, perhaps stepping back and placing arguments in other diaries for a week will facilitate a cooling off period. I refuse to accept that this is beyond the point of no return. It may be so for particular individuals. It should not be for the community and the party.
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