Legal Commentary

Cheerleaders Wanted, Clinton Supporters? Not So Much

By Big Tent Democrat

I've been getting some e-mails that are upset that my support for Barack Obama for President is not blind. Nothing new there, but I was struck by a particular pitch I got from one Obama fan:

I find it disheartening that you contantly choose to bash [Obama] on www.talkleft.com. It is as if he hurt you personally. . . . I have phone banked and attended voter registration. People are a lot more informed of the issues than you think. It is about voter registration to make up for the 10% Clintonites who won't vote for him and getting them out to vote which is what unfortunately what Bush did in 2000. After watching the media bash Clinton and distort her I am seeing them do the same to Obama. He stays consistant, registering more voters, and on message. I know it was hard for me to see Clinton lose but I have met some wonderful and active Obama supporters who will come out and guarantee a win. Please don't believe the media hype. You know what they did to Clinton and what they will constantly do. We don't have any wedge issues to drive out the GOP so we can win it. He is not John Kerry. I have never seen supporters like he has.

(Emphasis supplied.) The e-mailer claimed to have been a Clinton supporter in the primaries and I have no reason to disbelieve that but I was struck by the idea that instead of trying to appeal to other Clinton supporters, this Obama supporter is confident that Obama can ignore them because of his great ground game. I just do not get that - why is there this insistence among certain Obama supporters - I call them "anti-PUMAs", to not try and win former Clinton supporters to Obama. It is an interesting phenomenon.

By Big Tent Democrat, speaking for me only

Full post as published by TalkLeft on August 18, 2008 (boomark / email).