To most here, this isn't about candidates or issues, it's simple evolutionary tribalism unfolding

[synesthesia]

You have the ones who feel safe, protected, included, in the Hillary camp

You have the ones who feel included in the Obama movement

This is why real or perceived slights to 'baby boomers' (who have difficulty feeling included in the Obama movement, unless they still relate with the youth), or sexism, or racism, etc. resonate so deeply on this forum. Most gay people see themselves relating with Hillary for obvious reasons. You can point and shout that you're gay and for Obama, but polls indicate you're an outlier.

You have the Edwards/Kuchinich crowd who form solidarity in progressive labels

This is why you see posts like, "Obama supporters have driven me towards Hillary!", despite the fact Obama HIMSELF does not direct or sanction whoever posts about him in DU. Tribalism. They no longer relate with the Obama tribe on DU, so they seek a more comfortable home.

Although most of you think what's going on here is 'ugly', 'petty', it's really not. It's as human as human gets. It's the fire that drove our evolution. It leads to unspeakable horrors throughout the world, but it is our species. You can't fight it.

I lurked during the Dean/Clark/Kerry 'wars' in 2004, and it was less intense. Racial, gender, and sexuality lines weren't as obvious with old white men running who didn't focus on LGBT.

Just watch the chaos going on here and observe. It's more than just a little bit interesting.

[msmcghee]

1. It's good to see somebody here gets it. n/t

[synesthesia]

2. *

Now Obama must somehow figure out how to get Latino tribalistic instincts aligned with a 'black man'.

I don't even know if the Democratic Party can ever go back to white guys again to be honest. Well within the niche they currenly occupy. They could re-align with the old Dixiecrats just as easily. This is a value neutral statement.

[floridablue]

3. Are you telling me

There is no future in the Democratic Party for an old WASP like me? A decendent of the Truman era where Mr. Truman said if you talked like a Republican you must be one.????

[synesthesia]

4. *

With the democraphic trending of Latinos in this country, the increased visibility of gays, african americans voting more, etc, etc., the Democratic party will most likely become the party for minorities, which will be 50% of the country in total

A lot of white people who now vote Democrat and don't realize they're slightly tribal will turn to the Republican party (which is going to make itself over to be more friendly), because they don't feel included.

This was actually Clinton's South Carolina strategy to be fair.

[floridablue]

11. I have always worked for inclusion

A party of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Gays make up a major part of the Democratic Party. Though I don't see the three groups having much of a common agenda, they can join together and stand against Bushism, etc etc.

But I am hearing you are going to throw the rest of us out. Have your own African-American candidate and not include us?

Probably I would be more inclined to just drop out rather than actually take up the Republican banner. No matter what you do, that still does not turn me into one of them.

So good luck without us.

[featherman]

5. Good call - tribalism in many micro-social environments is often

overlooked. Pretty obvious here when a former progressive hero endorses one or the other and then is "attacked" by the not-chosen tribe.
It's all pretty much rolling off my back at this point but the intensity of it sure is wacky

[Cronus Protagonist]

6. "Evolutionary tribalism" only provides me with 7 hits on Clusty

Being a student of human nature myself, of over 20 years, I was intrigued by this new term, "evolutionary tribalism" because I'd never heard of it until now, despite reading over 1500 books in my lifetime on the human sciences and religion.

So, looking to be educated further, I looked that phrase up on Clusty. It provided 7 hits.

Human Biodiversity: A critique of radical environmentalism and the ...
A concept that is well understood in terms of evolutionary tribalism. Groups compete for land, food, wealth, status, females, power --- you name it.
home.comcast.net/~neoeugenics/marks.htm - - Live, Gigablast

Religion | MetaFilter
Perhaps it all goes back to evolutionary tribalism, grouping for survival; to the notion of familiar or alien, inclusion vs rejection by real or perceived self (group) interests.
www.metafilter.com/37980/Religion#802104 - - Live, Gigablast

Confession about conservatism
I suppose it is in a way Evolutionary Tribalism, what they become use to, now we have forced Tribalism, we are going to ...
www.majorityrights.com/index.php/weblog/comments/confession_about_conservatism - - Gigablast

On Faith: Is Religion Man-Made?
A conversation on religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn. Visit
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/ ... In the controversial new book, "God is Not Great," author ...
newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/2007/05/is_religion_manmade/comments.html - - Live

The Contrarian: Defiance of a gentle heart.
Is it evolutionary tribalism? Is blame the human manner of dumping toxins flowing through our personal psychological ...
www.itotallydisagree.com/files/category-7.html - - Gigablast

Most of them conservative blogs. So, it's not a phrase that's used much, and it's not "the fire that drove our evolution" at all, it's more like a phrase coined by conservatives to explain how conservatives stick together and it clearly has no basis in the established human sciences.

It does have a nice ring to it, however vacuous its use may be.

[andyrowe]

7. It is interesting.

K&R

[alteredstate]

8. Great post

kicked and recommended

[lvx35]

9. I've been hearing this meme in my head for a few days now.

Good to see seomebody else come out and say it...Thought I was going crazy there.

I think you're right, but I try to avoid it. The truth is that I don't back Hillary that much over Obama. My guy is out of this race. But I think they're both decent and I like them both. Yet the tribal warfare does tend to suck you in. Somebody really believes Hillary's health-care plan is about such and such, so they are backing Obama. Then they scream about what they think her health plan is, and its wrong. Of course to me, it all seems like an incredibly insidious LIE put out by a crafty Obama supporter, so I come in, attacking them. I'm ready to scream about how I'd never vote for Obama and realize what a tool I'd be, as anybody here could be republican. Human nature is tricky that way, you've got to know yourself.

[amandabeech]

10. Well, I think that I'm in one of the Lost Tribes around here. nn/t