The primary battle during this cycle was a long, hard-fought campaign. There are still, and probably always will be, bruised egos and bitter feelings on all sides of the Democratic party. Some of the hurt will fade away or scar over given enough time, but time is not a luxury we can afford at this critical time in our country's history.

I've wondered for some time if there is any way we can all come together before the November election. Thinking about that question led me to take a hard look at our side of the political spectrum. The last word of the preceding sentence, spectrum, is what I want to talk about in this diary.

Much of the infighting on our side seems to be caused by a mistaken belief that anyone who doesn't believe the same way we do about all of the issues is a troll or a closet republican. We've fallen into the 'my way or the highway' thinking of our opponents. If this thinking is allowed to grow we will end up tearing our party apart.

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It's official, the Democratic Rules Committee compromised with awarding delegates for the votes in Florida and Michigan.  The method however they chose to divide up the delegates in Michigan, and the Hillary Clinton campaign reserves the right to challenge the result with the Credentials Committee, was a compromise by the party not based on the vote, therefore awarding 4 of Hillary's delegaates to the Obama Campaign, along with him received every single uncommitted vote delegate.

The two states, Florida and Michigan, are now considered counted in the Democratic Primary, now giving Hillary Clinton an even larger lead in votes.

Congratulations, Hillary!

South Dakota's largest newspaper, the Argus Leader, went on record today in support of Hillary Rodham Clinton for President.

Editorial: Clinton is top candidate for Dems

Excerpts from the endorsement:

(Clinton's) resilience and determination never should be questioned. She has met or overcome every challenge or roadblock in her way, and there have been many. Her determination to carry the nomination process through to its real conclusion has perhaps earned her a grudging respect from those who would never support her.

Obama is justifiably credited as a powerful speaker, but Clinton holds her own easily. As those who have attended her South Dakota rallies can attest, she is quick on her feet and energetic. She frames her ideas clearly in speeches and answers questions with genuine directness.

Clinton is the strongest Democratic candidate for South Dakota.

Her mastery of complex policy detail is broad and deep, and her experience as a senator and former first lady matches that.

Clinton's energy policy is forward thinking and wise. She advocates a broad federal research initiative to help solve our looming oil crisis. It's a plan that would join university researchers, private industry and individual inventors behind a common goal...Is ethanol part of the answer? Clinton believes it is but not necessarily corn ethanol...That is not precisely the answer South Dakota wants to hear. Corn-based ethanol has been a boon for farmers here. But the simple fact is that she probably is correct...

Clinton has demonstrated a real commitment to Native American issues and will have visited several South Dakota reservations before the race is over. Clinton is precisely correct when she says that people outside the region have a poor understanding of the troubling trends on our reservations...

Her truly universal health care plan would be welcomed by thousands of South Dakotans. Even on reservations, where health care is nominally universal already, such a plan would be welcome. The federal government would never be allowed to subject everyday Americans to the kind of care Native Americans living on reservations routinely receive.

The endorsement is especially gratifying to Clinton supporters given the extreme overreaction to a reference she made to RFK in the Argus Leader interview -- an incident which was shamefully exploited by Barack Obama's campaign.

And, the Argus Leader endorsement is gratifying in light of furious efforts by party elites to end the nomination process before the convention, even though neither candidate will have enough pledged delegates by then.

Thank you, Argus Leader, for confirming what 18 million people already know:  Hillary Clinton is the best Democrat to be President!

10) We don't steal lawn signs

9) Change and Hope is old

8) We have perfected the art of maneuvering...... without needing rests

7) By having gay supporters doesn't mean that HE is with US

6) You may find HER 'likable enough' but we ADORE her very much

5) Voting should not take longer than driving to vote

4) We are physically challenged to caucus

3) We were once the creative class and we gladly welcome you to join us in the near future

2) We don't spit at those who disagree with us, and we strongly condemn interracial spitting

1) Tell me what's wrong with the picture below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11116835@N0 3/2522830896/?edited=1

Democracy (Miriam-Webster):

1 a: government by the people; especially : rule of the majority b: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

Let's be very, very clear here. The rule of the majority is a big part of "democracy" but it is not synonymous. And I'm going to detail why majoritarian rule is a stupid idea, and what distinguishes liberal democracy, and particularly our federal democracy, from majoritarian rule.

The Senate is nonmajoritarian. Majority-minority congressional districts are nonmajoritarian. The requirement that supermajorities of states are necessary to change the constitution is nonmajoritarian. And the primary conventions are nonmajoritarian.

This does not mean they are undemocratic.

I'm just reposting my 2 comments that i made today. I believe these are enough to express my views.

(1)Till Obama officially received the nomination, I'll do my best for Clinton. And when that happens, then i'll do my best for Obama. As for now, the nomination is still going on. Tell me what do you think the narrative will be if 2 mil people showed up in Puerto Rico and Clinton won by 15 points? This will mean that Clinton will officially lead the popular vote regardless whether Michigan is in or not. And i would like to know by then how the Obama campaign will respond. Would they cry foul, take it like a man or try to push Clinton out of the race once more?

This nation is 9 trillion in debt, in 2 wars, manufacturing jobs are moving away, our education is  in bad shape, healthcare cost is escalating and i could go on more and more about the challenges facing the next president. So till Obama clinches the nomination, i'll still contribute and work my max for Clinton and hope that she would bring it all the way to the convention for the sake of this nation.

I have sat in and observed many of the RBC meeting mostly out of interest in the Shay Amendment. However I also witnessed first hand the jealousy and competitiveness of so many state parties who want the special status to go first and all of the political, media and financial benefits that go along with the early window. The RBC's needed to act swiftly in August and December to prevent total chaos before January. Your job was to herd cats through a minefield. You truly have my sympathies.

I have read the complete DNC Delegate Selection Rules along with the RBC transcripts for both the August and December meetings when both Florida and Michigan were ruled in violation and lost all of their delegates (I also observed the December meeting in Vienna VA).

There are a number of points worth considering.

I'm fairly new here so perhaps I should begin by introducing myself.

Hello.

My name is Dawn, and I am a democrat.  I have been a democrat since late 2003 when I awoke to my liberalness as a result of being deeply inspired by Howard Dean's campaign.  He was the first politician I had EVER donated money to.  He was the first person in over a dozen years to inspire me to even register to vote.  And I registered as a democrat so I would have the opportunity to vote for HIM in the primary.