[note: I published this as a diary entry earlier today because I knew it could be perceived by some as mean-spirited instead of as an expression of extreme frustration. But after listening to Hillary's infuriatingly nonconciliatory non-concession speech, I'm fed up.]
OK, Hillary. Just go ahead and take your ball, and go home.
Everyone has had enough of your dirty tactics, your George W. Bush math, and your constantly changing goalposts. We have grown weary of your endless gallery of changing personas and your revolving door of "metrics" by which you say the election should be judged. They change by the hour. By the sentence, in some instances.
You knew the rules of the game before you decided to play. You signed up with full knowledge that Democratic primaries are decided by delegate numbers. You knew that some states held caucuses instead of primaries. When you lost in those caucus states, you complained that they held caucuses. "Waaaaah!"
You knew - and signed a statement acknowledging - that the Florida and Michigan primaries would not count. You even said publicly that they would not count. When you realized you had no shot at winning without them, you suddenly got religion and cried about how "undemocratic" that mean ol' paper you signed was. "Waaaaah!"
During a debate, the mean ol' moderators asked you the first question. "Waaaaah!" They asked you the last question. "Waaaaah!"
The mean ol' media caught you in an outright lie about how you courageously braved sniper fire, and you complained that they ought not be so mean to li'l ol' Hillary as to play the footage that proved your dishonesty. "Waaaaah!"
Barack Obama read the rulebook and mapped out a strategy to win playing by those rules. And at every turn, instead of figuring a way to win by the preexisting rules, you have wailed about how the rules aren't fair. Any rule that helps you is a good rule. Any rule that hurts you, and usually only after it becomes apparent that it has hurt you, is a bad rule, and shouldn't count.
Just like a small child who doesn't get her way, you have sulked, stamped your feet, and puffed out your bottom lip to try to draw sympathy and manipulate a pitying response from the adults in the room. Your tantrums have worked on some of those adults. They are the ones who have never had a child and those who have only recently become parents. They are the ones inexperienced in the deceptive ways of children who quickly learn how to manipulate adults in their single-minded pursuit of unconditional gratification.
But the wiser grown-ups, those who have been around the block a time or two, have not been taken in by your "my-way-or-I'll-cry-way" approach to campaigning. They realize that to feed the petulance is to spoil the child forever, and instead of smoothing the way for the rest of the children, only serves to cause resentment and fosters a sense of apathy.
You don't change the rules in the middle of the game just because you are losing. Unless you're an 8-yr-old.
The vast majority of those who have supported you will support Obama. Some will stay at home, which although regrettable, is their right. But as for the very few who say they will vote for John McCain, good riddance. If they could do that in good conscience, they are no part of us. We have no use for them anyway. I'm all for unity, but if those votes are the price of unity, I'd rather be disunified.
So for your own good, and for the party's good, please take your ball and go home. We've found another, better ball. One not so full of hot air, and one that we can all share.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
