PunkAssBlog.com

Punkassblog is about many things, but rarely would I count moderation among them. Today’s a different story, though.

Here’s my prediction for Pennsylvania Tuesday: regardless of who wins or by how much, regardless of what it means for the nomination overall, the Democratic infighting between Clinton supporters and Obama supporters will reach a fever pitch. Jill’s highlighted some of the latest lameness, and we can expect some ugly winners and sore losers by tonight. Obnoxious glee and bitter (yes, bitter) defeat are potent fuels for inflammatory rhetoric, and we’ll see it everywhere from the dinner table to the cable news round-table. We’ll certainly see plenty of it in the blogosphere.

Perhaps the most troubling data I’ve seen during this election season is the poll indicating 19% of Obama supporters and 28% of Clinton supporters would back John McCain if their preferred Dem loses the nomination. Truly, this shocked me. Clinton and Obama have damn near identical policy positions — not even the candidates dispute this! In many ways, the only reason to prefer one over the other is because you think there’s a tangible reason they’ll defeat John McCain. If you’re currently backing a candidate who’s campaigning on universal health care, a strong NARAL rating, a quicker end to the war in Iraq, and a halt to Bush cronyism — regardless of WHICH candidate — how on *earth* could you turn around and endorse McCain if your #1 loses in the primary? I realize not everyone votes on the issues, but what would these people be voting on? Wardrobe?

If I were forced to hazard a guess, I’d say a significant percentage of those polled were basing their answer on spite. The thought of their candidate being passed over is so maddening that, if it occurs, they think the would vote as far in the other direction from the person that beat them as possible. At least, they believe that right now, in the thick of things. And that’s really a microcosm of the entire problem.

Roughly half of all Democrats are going to be upset by the end of the day, and the mass media will be circling like vultures as tempers flare. And why not? We’ve already engaged in enough sexism and racism during this race to send our party back into the 19th century. Good Democrats in the progressive press/blogosphere and everywhere else will say things they’ll probably regret in 3 months, especially when the right wingers latch onto them and flog our sorry asses with them all summer and fall.

This isn’t to say we should avoid criticism of candidates’ positions or words. If Clinton attacks the MoveOn platform, criticize! If Obama talks tough on Iran, criticize! But if we’re doing it right, this never has to stray into the petty or personal or insulting rhetoric of late, whether you’re criticizing a candidate or defending one.

Everybody, including me, is expecting the worst today. But fuck them. Fuck *me*. Fuck all of us who think so little of our collective behavior lately. Prove us all wrong. On this day, let’s rise above the fray and remember that regardless of who wins the nomination, that person will stand for policies we believe in and against the very real threat of more Republican rule. Will that person believe everything you believe? Probably not. But they’ll be a hell of a lot better than the alternative.

In a few short weeks, this leg of the race will be over. If we want to win the next one, we’ll need to be able to look each other in the eye, extend a hand, and get to work. Together.