We did not learn one goddamn thing from Obama's campaign.

Nicholas D Wolfwood

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Fri Nov-07-08 05:26 PM
Original message

We did not learn one goddamn thing from Obama's campaign.

Not one single fucking thing. That much should be apparent to each and every DUer this afternoon.

We've spent the days since the election assigning blame to every group imaginable for reasons why certain ballot initiatives passed or failed (I'm sure I don't need to elaborate.) We call the people aligned against us bigots, misogynists, and otherwise terrible names.

Are those labels fair? Probably, to be perfectly honest. But it sure isn't going to change the outcome the next time the issue comes up. And that's what's truly tragic about reading DU today - we didn't learn.

Barack Obama brought us together under a banner of hope and unity. If there's anyone out there that could've cast out labels such as "racist" or probably worse, it was him. He'd been disparaged every which way imaginable for what he was and even what he was not (ie. Muslim). Yet not once - not one single fucking time - did he ever imply that anyone was a racist for doing so.

No, President-Elect Obama will become the first African-American President because he built a diverse coalition through a message of hope, not hatred. It didn't matter who did what - it mattered where we were going and how we were getting there. It mattered that the issues caused us all to suffer, regardless of our race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any of the bullshit things that people use to divide us. He brought us all under his banner. THAT is why he succeeded where so many others had failed. He became President to ALL Americans.

You can have your bloodletting today if it makes you feel better. I understand you're hurt because, let's face it, bigots and misogynists are trying to take away your rights. There is no cause more worthy, there is no cause more just, there is no cause more unquestionable - it SHOULD be common sense. But it isn't, and for ever person you're labeling that truly deserves to be called a bigot, you're saying it to someone else that could change their mind. They won't now, however, because no one aligns themselves with someone that calls them names.

Instead of trying to kill hate with hate, and intolerance with intolerance, we need to reach out to those that can be reached out to. We need to tell them why they were wrong. We need to educate, and most importantly, we need to express to them that our plight is their plight. That we do share common ground, common goals, and common ideals. Until that day comes, when people of all backgrounds feel the same pain and understand what's going on, we'll never achieve our goals.

That's what makes me sad today. We have a shining example of what it takes to make dreams come true, make hope a reality, and make justice the law of the land - and yet we reject it in favor of the old paths. The paths that have lead us to this very outcome time, after time, after time.