Well, yes, we are supposed to be gracious.

[auntpurl]

As a Hillary supporter, I say yes, we should be gracious. We don't have to curtail our celebrations one bit! I know I won't.

But we don't need to target Bernie or his supporters anymore. There's no point. Those who will support Hillary will support her, and those who won't, won't. We're not gonna be changing any hearts or minds here by going after Bernie.

We MIGHT change minds by giving both Bernie and his supporters some space to calm down and start thinking long-term. I know that helped me a lot in 08, when Obama's supporters just got out of our FACES for a while and let the anger and disappointment abate.

Also, we won. We can afford to be the bigger people.

Finally, the litmus test I give every post I make on DU is, "Will this help or hurt Hillary getting to the WH?" Of course I don't always rise to my own standards, but I try. Otherwise, what am I doing here? I'm supposed to be helping Democrats get elected.

Hillary supporters, who's with me?

Congratulations to Senator Sanders for a hard-fought campaign. Now let's eviscerate Trump!

[boston bean]

1. I could go along with this. But to read sexist bullshit is another thing.

And there a wide array of it rearing it's ugly head.

Yet, nothing ever gets done about this. whatever. My values spark me to speak out against it. I think Hillary would agree.

[auntpurl]

2. I completely understand.

People say stupid things when they're hurt and angry. Sexism is not something I've ever engaged in, but I've said other kinds of stupid things.

But there's a way to refute sexism and stay civil, I think? Believe me, it pisses me off too! But if I respond to a reactionary post with a reactionary reply, then we're all just screaming at each other.

[boston bean]

3. I don't think I'm all that reactionary. It's pretty thoughtful actually.

[auntpurl]

4. I'm definitely not talking about you in particular!

Just general thoughts.

[boston bean]

5. understood.

[HERVEPA]

7. No, not really.

[Matt_in_STL]

10. People are posting sexist bullshit here today?

Please link to it and I will make sure I alert on it, or at the very least leave strong admonitions.

[Logical]

15. Alert them, votes will start getting more fair, and next week thier gone. Nt

[NCTraveler]

6. I'm with you.

[pangaia]

8. We are... ".........thinking long term."

That's the whole fucking point.

[ecstatic]

9. I think the deadline is the 16th,

I think everyone will be on the unity train by then.

[Codeine]

11. Hard not to link to those posts where they smugly insisted Bernie would dominate California.

I just backed myself out of that, but damned tempting. . .

[NurseJackie]

12. I know exactly what you mean… But then I figured, what purpose would it serve?

[Logical]

14. But you still commented on it??? Nt

[Codeine]

16. Baby steps?

I do not claim perfection here.

[PeaceNikki]

17. I just did.

[Logical]

13. Nice post, thank you! Big picture mode! Nt

[auntpurl]

24. I was partially inspired by yours yesterday.

Which, I'll have you know, I had to take you off ignore to read - someone posted a link to it (with supportive commentary) in the Hillary group. I can't remember why I put you on ignore in the first place - maybe you were being rude or maybe I was just having a very sensitive kind of day! Sometimes I have those.

But I was super impressed by your post yesterday. Really, I could never have been so gracious after Hillary's loss in 08. Well done.

Glad to be on the same side!

[Logical]

26. Me too, and I don't blame you for putting me on ignore! :-)

[MohRokTah]

18. On DU, we have until the 16th to "get it out of our systems"

So long as I see the CT crap, the word "indictment" and the sexist bullshit, I'm going to gloat the fuck out of this pace all the way up to the cutoff.

If they stop before then, so will I.

Skinner made the rules, not me.

[hrmjustin]

19. I will do my best to be gracious. Sanders needs a little time and so do his supporters.

[JSup]

20. I've been with you on this...

...all primary season. Sure, I snarked occasionally but I was never cruel.

[auntpurl]

21. No you haven't been cruel!

I've engaged in a bit of mild snark occasionally myself. But never rude, I hope. I've seen your posts around and never seen you be rude or cruel. There have been incentives to rudeness around this place too!

[LexVegas]

22. Thats a two way street. nt

[auntpurl]

33. Sure, but you know that old saying about the whole world going blind

if everyone takes an eye for an eye.

Lookit, I hear you. Totally. There are some very nasty things being posted here about Hillary and her supporters, and there have been for MONTHS.

This is really kind of selfish on my part. I feel better about myself as a person if I can be the bigger person. It builds my self worth and lowers my blood pressure.

Anyway, it's not a lecture or anything. Just posting my own humble opinion.

[azurnoir]

23. IMO Clinton's supporters are doing just fine - better than I had hoped for in fact

[auntpurl]

25. I don't think it's been too bad, either.

There's been more gloating and snark than I would have liked, but very very few are being deliberately mean. I cringe when I see the bad posts, but you're right, they are few and far between.

[azurnoir]

29. yep

only 3 threads on the same tell all article from Politico and so far only 1 asking for donations to put Sanders out of his Vermont Senate seat and some others but ya I guess that's few and umm far between

[auntpurl]

35. Ha ha! I think it will abate as time goes on.

The Politico article - I read it. I don't think there's anything in there that wouldn't be true of any losing campaign. Everything is a freaking mess in the end. You have to produce superhuman energy and belief to survive a national campaign. Of course everyone's going to be exhausted and fed up by the end. I could never do it, not in a million years. I certainly didn't take it as an assassination of Bernie's character. I think he sounds exhausted and fed up. He's 74 FFS. Fair enough! I'm 30 years younger and would never survive it.

[Trust Buster]

27. I couldn't agree more auntpurl. Let's show Skinner that we can do this of our own accord.

Nothing can be gained by attacking Senator Sanders and his supporters at this point. AND, vice versa.

[auntpurl]

47. The new rules are gonna help a LOT.

[PJMcK]

28. K&R for a good post

Yes, be gracious in victory. Statesmanship is shown by one's behavior in victory as well as in defeat.

Time to target the existential enemy: all Republicans need to be voted out!

[Bobbie Jo]

30. I have a low tolerance

for poor sports and sore losers, but I agree with your sentiments here.

Good post.

[democrattotheend]

32. Sore winners are worse

And there are a fair amount of them here.

[Bobbie Jo]

34. Not even close

AFAIC, but whatever...

Next week will be better.

[democrattotheend]

31. Thank you

I honestly don't understand why some of your comrades here are more focused on Bernie than on celebrating Hillary's historic achievement. It was the same way in 2008 - some of my fellow Obama supporters were more focused on bashing Hillary for not conceding right away than on celebrating. You won, enjoy it.

[Surya Gayatri]

36. I'll take the pledge, although the post-mortem articles on the Sanders implosion are very

discussion-worthy material.

If only the die-hard downers could stay away and leave us Hillary peeps to talk about how it all went down.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12512154745

The above OP, for example, has some very pertinent insider info. and contributions from HRC DUers. But, some Berners just can't help butting in to hecktor and harass.

June 16th can't come soon enough!

[auntpurl]

37. Here's the thing, and I said this above.

EVERY losing campaign is a complete clusterfuck shambles at the end. They have to put literally every ounce of energy and belief they have into WINNING, for months and months. And political strategists still have to get jobs after the thing is over. Hillary's campaign at the end of the 08 primary was an embarassment, and I say that as someone who supported her so fervently back then that I literally sobbed when she conceded.

These kinds of stories always come out, and they're always a mess. I don't think this is an indictment of Bernie's character. He's always seemed on the angry side, and I don't like his shouty rhetoric, but I don't think he's an unreasonable monster as painted in that article.

He still very much has the opportunity to do the right thing. I am hopeful.

I understand your position. I really do!

[Surya Gayatri]

43. True enough...there is definitely some CYA dishing in that article.

And, political strategists still have to get jobs after the thing is over.

Anyway, I'll do my damndest to back away from the deliberate provocations and mostly limit my posting to the HRC Group until the deadline.

[Peacetrain]

38. Purl!!! awesome op

[auntpurl]

39. ...

Hey, today it's easy to be the bigger person. My heart is filled with joy!

[Peacetrain]

40. Mine is too!!

When I saw her put her hand to her heart.. I think the reality of winning really hit her for the first time last night.. I have to admit.. I teared up

[auntpurl]

41. Cried my eyes out from the minute she walked out into the crowd.

I'm woman enough to admit it.

[Peacetrain]

42. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Surya Gayatri]

44. She so rarely allows herself to show such heartfelt emotion in public.

That was genuinely from the heart. I had tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat.

[Peacetrain]

45. Yep... it was an amazing moment

[auntpurl]

46. I don't think she'd ever be allowed to.

This is one of those things that a woman candidate for President must not EVER do - show strong emotion. Obama can visibly tear up when he was discussing the mass shootings, but the minute Hillary EVER shed one tear, that would be it for her. Too emotional, pre-menstrual, unstable, can't be trusted with the nuke button...etc etc. All the arguments I grew up with why a woman would NEVER be president.

[Surya Gayatri]

48. Always that damn double standard. Will it ever end?

"...but the minute Hillary EVER shed one tear, that would be it for her. Too emotional, pre-menstrual, unstable, can't be trusted with the nuke button...etc etc."

[bklyncowgirl]

49. As a Sanders supporter, I think this is a good start.

As a cynic who has always believed that the powers that be will never let anyone who is not a reliable corporatist anywhere near the presidency I was thrilled with the power of his campaign and even for a short time believed that perhaps, against all odds, a powerful populist message could overcome the hostility of the owners of this country. That turned out to be more complicated than I had hoped. Perhaps in the future someone else will take up the banner. For now its a choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. While I may agree with Trump's current position on trade and trade alone, on other issues I care about it isn't even close. Barring unforeseen circumstances, I'll trudge up the Hill, fingers clamped on my nose desperately thinking of climate change, and vote for Clinton in November even if I have to take a shower afterward.

Hopefully between now and the convention Secretary Clinton will do some things that will get me beyond grudging acceptance to the point where I feel I can actively support her and convince others to vote for instead of staying home or voting for some sure loser third party out of protest. I'd like to see more of the Hillary Clinton who faced down hostile congressional panels. I'd like to see her become more open; release those transcripts now that the primaries are over and get out and hold a no hold barred press conference or two. I'd like to see her kick Debbie Wasserman Schultz upstairs and get someone less divisive in at DNC. I'm hoping for an inspiring vice presidential choice--not some old party hack or Clinton loyalist.

Most importantly I want to see her articulate a vision for a future that will be better than the past and tell us how she intends to get us there--to borrow a phrase "A Future to Believe In". She's real good at the prose of politics. Her website is full of 12 point plans and policies but she is lacking the poetry that made Obama such an effective candidate. Often the message I get from her is "This is as good as it gets so quit your bitching."

How are we going to transition to a future in which outsourcing, unchecked immigration and automation will make ordinary American workers obsolete? How are we going to manage a transition to renewable resources that at the same time will give those displaced by this transition a chance for a decent life? Job training is a lovely concept but what happens when there are no jobs--we all can't be computer engineers especially when every day American IT workers are being replaced by cheap foreign labor brought in on H1B visas? How are you going to make health care, higher education and a decent retirement affordable for the average family. Above all, how is a consummate corporatist like Hillary Clinton going to curb corporate greed?

At this point I don't see many of these questions answered but I would love to be surprised.

[auntpurl]

51. You describe (not in your policy issues but your state of mind)

almost precisely where I was in 2008 with Obama. Someone posted on here "Give him a chance, he might surprise you." (I can tell you I was about ready to punch the face off that person when they suggested it, I was SO angry and disappointed at the end of that primary!) But you know what? I did give him a chance, and he did surprise me. I've never had cause to regret my 08 or 12 vote for Obama.

So, you know, I won't say it, but...give her a chance, she might surprise you?

A list of things I will be pushing Hillary/the party on:

1. Pushing for abolishing Citizens United
2. Getting rid of superdelegates
3. Getting rid of caucuses
4. Restricting military intervention anywhere to when we have Congressional support AND an international coalition of allies
5. Improving and expanding the ACA

[bklyncowgirl]

53. I forgot Citizens United. Yes, that's big.

At any rate I'm not optomistic--but I've been wrong many times over a fairly long life.

[DinahMoeHum]

54. She can become a great POTUS because We. The. People. . . .

. . .will demand that she be a great POTUS.

And, fellow Bernie supporters, you can do your part beyond 2016, such as working with
Brand New Congress to help kick those short-arsed jackholes in the GOP out of the Senate, Congress, and state legislatures:

http://brandnewcongress.org/home

[LAS14]

50. I'm with you!

[Hortensis]

52. With you, AuntPurl!

[auntpurl]

55. ..