Unity and Division.

[Chichiri]

Unity is now our watchword. This is now our mantra. All discussions about whether Hillary is the best nominee are now moot; she is going to be the nominee. Treating it like a fait accompli won't make Bernie supporters happy, but we all know that that was never going to happen anyway. But there is satisfaction to be found in unity, provided they're willing to see it.

"If Hillary wins" is now "when Hillary wins."

"Why Bernie is better" is now "why Bernie would have been better."

"I'll never vote for Hillary" is now "I'll never vote for the Democratic nominee."

Skinner has elected to delay enforcing this, and we don't have the power to enforce it on his behalf, but that doesn't make us obligated to treat the primary as a question mark.

To be clear: all this is assuming we don't all spend the next few months on our asses doing nothing. We do need to keep donating, phone banking, canvassing, volunteering, giving car rides to voters, and so on. We may lose if we don't do these things. If I see complacency around here, I reserve the right to withdraw all my statements of certainty.

But I won't, will I? No I won't.

Now, what's the opposite of unity? There are several antonyms to the word, but the one I think most appropriate is "Division."

The factions on DU are no longer Hillary and Bernie. The factions are now Unity and Division. A good number of Bernie supporters have already proclaimed their membership in Unity -- and unfortunately, I've seen one or two Hillary supporters proclaim their membership in Division. The good news is, not only can you change your mind at any time, but I'd argue it's much easier to switch from Division to Unity than from Bernie to Hillary.

I am not suggesting, and I don't want to see anyone here suggest, that Bernie supporters should stop fighting for the policies and ideals for which Bernie stands (and perhaps one or two that he doesn't, such as meaningful gun control). They should keep fighting, and we should help them. But that must take place within the context of uniting behind the common goal of putting Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee, into the Oval Office. Once she's there, if Bernie supporters want to march outside the South Lawn demanding prosecution of bankers, I intend to march with them. And this is not a demand -- I'll be marching with them even if they don't support Hillary in the general election (although I'll have to do a lot of tongue biting).

Unity and Division. To put it another way, Democratic or not. These are now the factions, even if not everyone recognizes it. But the sooner Bernie supporters do realize it, and join the Unity faction, the less painful their transition to the general will be, and the stronger all of us will be.

Time for Unity.

[Walk away]

1. I have a hard time feeling unity with a group of people who have signed a pledge to vote for Trump..

...at a web site filled with hundreds of rabid anti-Hillary posts. I'll just have to try but DU's front page appears to have not gotten this message!

[Chichiri]

2. Well that's why we need to spread the word! nt

[Walk away]

3. Well, then you go first! I feel a little silly going out to GDP and telling folks....

who routinely call Hillary words I refuse to type and have been comparing her to Hitler for months, that we need to unite. Good luck and I'll do my best.

[Her Sister]

4. thanks! Chichiri

It is a wise message! Yet I think we need to stay hungry! Stay thirsty! Cannot get complacent...

But do like your message:

https://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_brooks_a_conservative_s_plea_let_s_work_together

Conservatives and liberals both believe that they alone are motivated by love while their opponents are motivated by hate. How can we solve problems with so much polarization? In this talk, social scientist Arthur Brooks shares ideas for what we can each do as individuals to break the gridlock. "We might just be able to take the ghastly holy war of ideology that we're suffering under and turn it into a competition of ideas," he says.