and an ice tea would be nice as well
I try to be empathetic in situations like these and think about what I would be doing had Obama lost the nomination. But I look at videos like this and I just don't know what to do with myself.

And maybe there's a part of that which, ultimately, is the magical thing about politics. It's so great to see, for the first time in our lifetimes, candidates in a race that can actually bring out real human emotions other than angry confrontation (we have that all the time). There's a part of me that finds it really spectacular that Hillary Clinton supporters are crying this hard.

Of course, if the roles were reversed and this was an Obama delegate crying this hard, the story would be about the Obamessiah's Cult of Personality Kool Aid Jim Jones Hah hah ahaa. But it's Clintards, so it's about Respect and Closure.

The thing is, the hard fact is, there is literally nothing that can be done for these people. Nothing. There is nothing Clinton can say, nothing Obama can say that has not been said that will help these people. The only thing Obama can say that will make them feel better is, "I'm a stupid Doodyhead and Hillary is the President forever I quit." And that would make sense, because that is the emotional level we're dealing with here.

Yes, it is sad. But, if you're a Hillary Clinton supporter, as she said last night, WHY were you a Hillary Clinton supporter? Because if it's for any, y'know, issues, helping John McCain get elected is a really dumb way of acting out. And make no mistake, this is acting out.

I mean, the thing about this video up there, and of all interviews like it, and pretty much every post at No Quarter, is that it's not like Obama is Tom DeLay or something, like the choice is between two big mean Conservative Men. This Clinton supporter up there goes on and on about how she dreamed of a greener economy and better health care and all of that is GONE NOW, GONE!

Well, it's not gone. President Barack Obama will deliver it to you. But he can't do that if you vote for John McCain, or stay home on voting day. So then you can keep crying your thousands of tears for the loss of your green economy, for the loss of your health care and your international reputation, and you'll have only yourself to blame, you selfish pig.

*****

Wow, this post degenerated quickly, huh?

*****

I can't mask it, man. This election is too important, and I try to be empathetic but the global realities being what they are it just seems really silly that we have to stand around in one place and hold these people's little hands. It's like we're being chased by a werewolf, and our eight year old son is crying because we left his blanket in the car, and he refuses to run and GODDAMMIT, KYLE, GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR BEFORE THE WEREWOLF EATS OUR FUCKING FACES.

"No. I'd rather get my face eaten off by the werewolf than live life without - AAAAH! MY FACE!! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO MEEEE!!!!"

And, like, I'd feel less passionately about this if this was some kind of a hypothetical, like we didn't have incredibly recent history to compare this to. Think of, oh, 2000, and all those selfish asshole Nader voters who said, "Gore and Bush are basically the same person". Well, idiots, they're not basically the same person. President Gore, after being impeached for allowing 9/11 to happen, would never have authorized the War in Iraq, because he was impeached. President Lieberman would have, after nuking Iran.

This isn't insignificant. I don't want to be werewolf food. The difference between supporting Obama and apathy/active support of McCain is the answer to the question, "Do you want your children to go to war against Iran, China, and Russia?" Because, make no mistake, THAT WILL HAPPEN. Who do you think is gonna be in McCain's cabinet, Clintards? D'ya think it might be Bill Clinton? Perhaps Hillary, and that nice Howard Wolfson? Or, more realistically, perhaps all the old war hawks that John McCain has been working alongside for years. Who knows? Maybe a few guys can even keep their current offices, just for convenience sake.

I understand bitterness, and I understand the loss involved and how a period of disappointment and mourning is normal. But that's about as far as I can go. Anything beyond that is just plain old selfishness or projection.

And recognizing the projection is important here. Because there is no policy reason to support Clinton and not Obama. If you're a Clinton supporter, pretty much all of your policies will still be intact with a President Obama. So what's the problem? Experience? They said the same thing about Bill, which I'm sure you ignored. SO what then?

Oh, right. The Lady thing.

Look, I'm not gonna pretend here. I know I'm not an Obama guy because of ideology (in that department I'm a Russ Feingold type of liberal bruiser). Obama is too centrist for me, but I like him for the most part, and I won't pretend - I love that he's Black. I love the idea of a minority in the White House. I won't deny that it makes me feel good. I'd love to be a Mexican with a Black man in the White House. Do you even KNOW how great it feels to be walking around Bed-Stuy and seeing Obama signs in the store windows, Obama buttons sod on the street? Obama signs and shirts being air-brushed like he's Michael Jordan or something. It's great, man. And I won't deny that, had he lost, I'd be grumbling about racism. Hell, I'm still grumbling about racism just because he's not polling as well as he should.

There is some discussion of this in some places, and I think it merits some real attention because it's important. And it's not even meant to diminish Hillary Clinton's accomplishments or the reasons people backed her. But if you look at her supporters, one demographic refuses to budge toward Obama: middle-aged women. And the most current Gallup poll showed a drop in married women.

Ladies, let's not pretend.

We know why you're mad. We know why you cry. You're not crying because Clinton's health plan called for full universal coverage and Obama's fell short of that. You're not crying over differences in Iranian diplomatic policy.

And I say that out of respect, because it's more real. Realer than the issues, even. When you see something of yourself in a public figure, in a movement, it's hard to tear away. Travis wrote an exceptional post, which I agree with entirely, on how being from San Antonio makes you identify yourself with the Spurs, so it absolutely crushes you when they lose and it makes you invincible when they win.

Without this sort of projection, we're nothing (and by We, I mean artists and consumers of art). We need this connection.

The loss of The Presidency of Hillary Clinton isn't a disappointment because her policy papers are so great, it's because she's a woman, and having a woman President would have made these women feel great. Just like I feel great about a minority President. We need to admit that and talk about that more openly. Because there is no rational, policy-based reason to not support Barack Obama. It's all personal, and that shit has to fade. There has to be a point where these PUMA's and PUMA-lites have to just admit, their girl lost. Their girl ran a shitty, 20th Century campaign and were beaten by a team of really great political strategists who just straight up built a better mousetrap.