Clinton and Obama, Get a Fucking Clue

Listen up, you two assholes, and listen tight:

Democrats have spent the last eight years decrying the way Republicans, especially George W. Bush, has run campaigns. From Bush's disgusting smear of John McCain in the South Carolina primary (the "McCain has a Black love child" smear) to the "Swift-boating" of John Kerry (wherein George Bush, a deserter, impugned Kerry's patriotism, Democrats have condemned and reviled George Bush for those tactics.

There is a difference between Democrats and Republicans that you must keep in mind: Even the Republicans who were disgusted by the Black Baby Smear voted for Bush. Republicans are often automatons when it comes to loyalty to their party.

Democrats are not. If you engage in scorched-earth tactics to win the nomination, expect millions of supporters of the loser to hold a grudge. Do not think that because you manage to lie, cheat and steal your way to the nomination, we will support you.

We will not.

And I am particularly incensed by this bit of race-baiting from a campaign that should know better. Do not think that people are not paying attention to this, because they are. Do not think that thinking Democrats are not noticing the use of the Rovian fear card or the smears, for they are.

The nominee had better win clean. For if there is any hint that the nominee won the nomination by underhanded tactics, expect many of the supporters of the loser to sit this one out. This morning, I heard that the Clinton campaign is trying to argue to the super-delegates that if Obama is the nominee, white men and Hispanics will defect to McCain while if Clinton is the nominee, African-Americans will still turn out for her.

I don't buy that. If African-Americans gain the impression that Clinton somehow stole the nomination from Obama, do not count on a huge turnout from those precincts. If the impression is that Clinton and the party apparatchiks stole the nomination from Obama, do not count on the hordes of young voters to back Clinton.

And let's get this right off the table: Michigan and Florida knowingly broke the rules about scheduling their primaries. Unless they do another primary or hold caucuses, which they have to pay for, their delegates do not count. We expect four-year-olds to play by the rules, we should demand nothing less from Florida and Michigan. If those wrongfully-chosen delegates are seated and Clinton wins, you will see a mass defection on November 4th. People will stay home, or if they go to the polls to vote in another race, they will either not vote for president or they wil vote for Ralph Nader.

Fight a clean fight, people. Or quit. For if you choose to win the nomination by resorting to Rove's Rules, you will only gain a pyrrhic victory. Your nomination will taste bitter in your mouth as you watch John McCain give his victory speech at 9PM Eastern time on November 4th.