by Damozel | First, this disclosure: I was a Hillary supporter, and now I support Obama. In my opinion, that's what all Democrats should do. For me, a McCain presidency ain't an option. I'm even going to donate money to Obama's campaign as soon as that debt of HRC's is retired.. I know for a fact he's going to need money.
But the name 'Democratic National Committee' is a hissing and a byword here in Florida and I am not even close to being over their shenanigans during the primaries. So even though I agree in principle with the 'party officials' who wrote this letter, I would submit that Donald Fowler ('DNC member-at-large...who was one of Hillary's most prominent supporters') and 'Alice Germond, the Secretary of the DNC) struck just exactly the wrong note (see TPM). Lambert at Corrente has a different shorter version of their email.
I don't want to be rude to the DNC but it's the donors' money. They don't owe you a dime. Even though the party emblem is a donkey, that doesn't mean you should act like jackasses to other party members.
I mean, I hope they'll come around too so we can rebuke the GOP the way it needs rebuking for the Bush administration, but at least if I were sending the letter, I'd have the sense to ask nicely.
TPM has the email, but Greg Sargent's summary hits the salient points.
I supported Hillary Clinton and am proud and pleased that I did," reads the email, which was written by Donald Fowler, a former DNC chair and DNC member-at-large who was one of Hillary's most prominent supporters. Alice Germond, the Secretary of the DNC, is also a signatory.
"But she lost," continues the email, which was sent our way by a source. Barack Obama won. It's over."
"It is time for all Democrats, supporters of Senator Clinton and all other contenders for the nomination, to stand with him to secure his election and the election of Democrats at all levels of competition," the email continues.
The email also laces sharply into Hillary supporters who remain embittered by the primary and are demanding things in exchange for their support.
"I must confess a bit of fatigue and irritation with people who continue to carp, complain, and criticize the results of the primary and lay down conditions for their support," it reads. "It is time to act in a mature and resourceful fashion. It's time to put the primaries behind us. It's time to support Barack Obama without conditions or demands." (TPM; emphasis added).
Huh. That's funny. I must confess a bit of fatigue and irritation with party officials who continue to carp, complain, and criticize Democrats who are using financial leverage to (1) express discontent at a result they think---whether you agree or not---was foisted on them, or (2) negotiate for a result they can stomach. I guess I always thought the voters were the ones who got to decide these things, not the party.
At that, the DNC should be pleased that some people are willing to negotiate. It'll be a cold day in hell before the DNC gets any of my meager funds. That's not negotiable.
The high-handed lecturing tone didn't work when the party wanted to shame Hillary into dropping out, and shame Dems into not supporting her, and I kind of doubt it's going to be the way to persuade donors who are angry about the primaries to get out those credit cards.
Once again, I can only ask myself in re: the DNC, what are they thinking trying to tell Democrats they have to march in lockstep with the party's wishes? Who do they think they are, Karl Rove?
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A-freakin'-men. I wasn't a supporter of Hillary, nor, in the beginning, of Obama. When I looked at only the issues, only Kucinich was aligned with my beliefs. And he had a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected. But I've never been a supporter of the DNC. They can go pound sand, as far as I'm concerned. I will vote for Obama, with my eyes wide open as to who he is, and who he is not.
Posted by: Politics After 50 | July 20, 2008 at 06:39 AM