Thursday, May 15, 2008

Time to Kiss and Make Up

Your assignment: name three things you like (or respect or admire) about the candidate you aren't supporting. This is something we'll all need a lot of practice with: folks who supported the losing candidate will have to get used to cheerleading for the nominee; folks who supported the winner are going to have to be gracious toward the losing candidate's supporters.

There's too much acrimony over this foolishness. Too many people have gone down one rabbit hole or another, become so invested in their candidate that they can't see any good in the opponent. The harder it is to think of the other candidate's virtues, and the less inclined you are to try, the more you need to do it.

I'll start: I admire Senator Clinton's dedication to policy details; her toughness in the face of 16 years of the most deranged wingnut viciousness; and her efforts on behalf of equality (for women in particular, but not exclusively).

Now it's your turn.