Revisiting the primaries, briefly and non-specifically.

[Occam Bandage]

Define "things" however you so desire. I intend the word to refer to negative attacks directed primarily at character. Hopefully this will not be inflammatory. If you still dislike one or both of the future Secretary Clinton and President Obama, please do not post specific reasons for doing so, though I certainly can't stop you.

[Occam Bandage]

1. kick for some more votes.

[DevonRex]

6. I'm kicking too because I'm too damned curious. :)

[Occam Bandage]

8. And again.

[onehandle]

2. "I still believe the things I thought about him then" is a wide open premise.

During the primaries, I believed that any of the top three candidates would make more states blue (and thus win) but that Obama or Clinton would make the reddest areas redder.

I was right.

That was nothing about his character, but about the character of America.

[Occam Bandage]

3. It is indeed, and intentionally so.

[Shiver]

4. Wasn't here for the primaries

I only joined after Obama had the nomination, and the only info I really had came from newspapers and random websites. I missed all the fighting that didn't take place on the opinion pages of the Wisconsin State Journal, and thus, have maintained a positive opinion of both the entire time - I supported Obama during the primaries, though, for reasons completely unrelated to Hillary's positions and ideas.

[DevonRex]

5. I voted that I supported Obama and no longer believe the things

I thought about Senator Clinton.

I want to stress that this is my CHOICE. We are in control of our choices. Sure, I could choose to continue to bash Hillary, but it is not at all productive. I still have some very definite opinions of the things that happened during the primaries. But I choose to follow Barack's and Hillary's lead and LET IT GO. Our choices define us. I choose to be defined as a person who can forgive and forget, who is not judgmental and suspicious. I choose to remember all the times I stood up for Hillary against my rabid right wing family. The reasons I stood up for her are STILL VALID, no matter how contentious the battle was in the spring.

Most of all, I choose to understand the feelings of others. We have some wonderful democrats here whose feelings we MUST take into consideration. What does it say about US if we continue to hurt THEM? There are specific posters I think of before I write anything derogatory about Hillary. I try to see my words through their eyes. If my words would cause them pain then I do not write them. And over time that method has healed me.

I also know that Hillary is absolutely qualified for the SoS position and that she will do a wonderful job in remarkably tough times.

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. None of your poll options really apply

I have supported Obama since the Iowa caucus. I've forgiven Hillary for the stupidity which came from her and her surrogates in the primaries, but that's a completely different matter from the question of her suitability for the position of Secretary of State. Her pro PNAC war votes & rhetoric make her a bad choice to represent the new administration to the rest of the world, in my humble opinion. And I don't believe she has the diplomatic experience needed at this most crucial time.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

9. Did not support/don't still believe what I did then.

My non-support in the primaries had less to do with him than it did to do with whom I was supporting (Joe Biden). Once Biden left, I remained mostly agnostic - mostly because the choices were Clinton or Obama, and I thought both had big downsides that might prevent them from winning. Obviously, my doubt about Obama's ability to win were eradicated, and fairly early in the G.E.

[rucky]

10. I'll NEVER forgive her for...

what were we talking about again?

It seemed really unforgivable at the time, though. Whatever it was.

[DevonRex]

11. LOL! Perfect. nt

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. I supported Clinton and my view of Obama hasn't changed (but it wasn't all that bad)

I was a Hillary supporter who could not stand to listen to her. I never really liked her. She's intensely irritating. But I think that in politics "like" is for children.

I never said anything all that bad about Obama except that:

1) he would most likely win but was a few percent (literally... like 2-3%) less of a lock than Clinton in a general election, which was correct. (Anyone who honestly believes John McCain would have gotten 46% against Hillary in a nascent Depression forfeits all credibility on American national politics.)

and

2) That he was a little to the right of Clinton on economic issues. Which he was and is.

Since he won the first point is rendered moot.

The second point isn't of great concern to me. It was an observation, not a condemnation.

My chief problem during the primaries was the torrent of flat-out lies disgorged by the most enthusiastic Obama supporters... jaw-dropping readily falsifiable lies. And I did not appreciate the influx of campaign sock-puppets who not only spread disinformation, but accused anyone who wasn't drinking the kool-aid of racism and were central to a coordinated attack on gay DUers. Those things I shall never forgive and my life will always be poorer for having witnessed them, but I do not attribute them to Obama himself.

He will be an excellent president. And that's no surprise. I always held open the possibility he would be a better president than Clinton. But she was a somewhat better electoral bet which is the only legitimate consideration when you're playing for the fate of the world.

My admiration for Obama the man doesn't change my view that his primary campaign was a hilarious con-job encouraging the least thoughtful net-left types to draw absurd conclusions based on nothing but their innate race prejudice--literally pre-judgment; assuming a black man must be a secret leftist merely "showing out" for the man.

I am not impressed with RW racism, and not real impressed with LW racism either.

But since I never believed any of that mythology it's no skin off my nose. And politics is all about deception. I am not naive on that point. I would have, however, preferred not to be called a racist for pointing out obvious truths with no racial component.

On balance, I am considerably more sold on Obama as president than many DUers. But that is not inconsistent with my primary stance.

[Xithras]

13. Didn't vote for him in the primary, still not a huge fan, but I voted for him in the GE.

What option did I have? McLame?

I supported the candidate who held these positions:

Creating a single-payer not-for-profit system of universal health care that provides full coverage for all Americans by passage of the United States National Health Insurance Act.
The immediate, phased withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Iraq; replacing them with an international security force.
Guaranteed quality education for all; including free pre-kindergarten and college for all who want it.
Immediate withdrawal from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Immediate repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Fostering a world of international cooperation.
Abolishing the death penalty.
Environmental renewal and clean energy.
Creating a moratorium on Genetically Modified Organism (GMO).
Implementation of H.R. 676, which integrates traditional medicine with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Ban offshore drilling.
Halt all Biochemical Aerial Spraying of Pesticides and other toxins.
Preventing the privatization of social security.
Providing full social security benefits at age 65.
Creating a cabinet-level "Department of Peace"
Ratifying the ABM Treaty and the Kyoto Protocol.
Introducing reforms to bring about instant-runoff voting.
Protecting a woman's right to choose while decreasing the number of abortions performed in the U.S.
Ending the War on Drugs.
Legalizing same-sex marriage.
Strongly promoting workers' rights.
Ending the H-1B and L-1 visa Programs
Restoring rural communities and family farms.
Strengthening gun control.
Legalizing medicinal marijuana and decriminalizing non-medical possession.

That's a true liberal agenda, and only Dennis Kucinich supported it. Barack Obama will made a good president, but he's a milquetoast lightweaight on progressive issues when compared to Kucinich. We're good now, but we could have done so much better.

[harun]

14. I wonder if Hillary were president would she have asked BO to be SoS?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

16. No. But he would have been VP without any doubt.

[JimWis]

15. I wanted Obama for president since day one. But I also like

Hilary Clinton. Just not as president. Glad she is still involved and would have been happy to have her as either a Senator or SOS.