Dividing America

by shamanic

I think this is just about right:

[Replacing Bush with Clinton] would split red America from blue America just as deeply as Rove has done. Even if you like and support her, a vote for Clinton is a vote objectively to divide the nation and distract us from the real enemy. We have a chance to break out of the pattern we're in. Clinton would prevent that for a very long time.

I had an e-mail exchange a while back with Melissa McEwan about my initial support for Barack Obama over Clinton or Edwards where I said "Both of them are fine. They'd be fine as president. But I want something more: I want to be inspired."

Much is made in the blogosphere about the reality of what we call "the right wing noise machine". And it's true that if Jesus Christ came down from heaven and won the Democratic nomination, the Limbaughs, Hannitys, Hewitts, and Coulters of the world would be all over the Chris Matthews show minimizing the wounds he received on Calvary. It's what they do. It's what pays their bills.

Because of the indiscriminate attacks to come, a lot of Democrats argue that Hillary's inherent divisiveness isn't an issue worth considering. After all, she's a centrist, a triangulator, and that very divisiveness is itself a whole-cloth product of the aforementioned right wing noise machine. The right wing hates her because... she's a Democrat... her name is Clinton... blah blah, on and on. Fundamentally, they hate her because they hate her. There's money to be made in hating her, so they market their hate and a lot of people have bought it.

And yes, they'll do it to whoever is nominated. But it remains that we live in a moment where a lot of us crave common purpose. It's why, earlier today, I asked "Do our Republican representatives and senators accept this brand of tyranny?" That wasn't to score useless political points. It's because I really want the party that approximately half of all Americans generally agree with to step up and put love of country ahead of its love for power. We're all Americans, and we all have a place at this table.

I want a leader who doesn't make half of us feel like we don't belong here in our own nation. Hillary, right or wrong, does that to people. I don't think its her fault, but I do think it's a significant reason to support another candidate in the primary.

It's also a significant reason for people like Chris Matthews to be more discriminating in their choice of guests. It's a great reason for cable networks to take a step back from a politics of bloodsport.

This is America. Quit acting like politics is a form of war. It's a method of seeking solutions--sometimes legislative, sometimes not--but it belongs to all of us. Rancor and adversarial battles are a part of it, but they aren't the part that needs amplification.