I believe that some so-called "supporters" are planning to vote Republican.

[yardwork]

I'm seeing an ugly phenomenon in the country right now, and it's reflected on DU.

A lot of the people who voted for bushco in 2000 and again in 2004 are now supposedly planning on voting Democratic in this election. Some of them claim to be excited about Obama's "message of hope." Others claim to be drawn to Hillary Clinton's experience and pragmatism.

Here's what I think - some of these supposed supporters don't intend to vote for either Hillary or Barack.

Scenario 1. There are longtime Republicans who claim to be supporting Obama. Their hatred for Hillary is visceral. The truth - they don't intend to ever vote for a woman or a black man with a Muslim-sounding name. They'll tear down Hillary as much as possible, hoping that Obama gets the nomination. Then they'll vote for the Republican in the general election.

Scenario 2. There are Republicans who claim to be supporting Hillary. They attack Obama, starting trouble over flag lapel pins and his church and his name, etc. They hope that Hillary Clinton will get the nomination. Then they'll vote for the Republican in the general election.

The fact is, bigots are bigots. They're generally not selective in their bigotry. If a person hates and fears gay people, they're unlikely to feel comfortable voting for a woman for president. They're unlikely to feel comfortable voting for a black man, or a person with a Muslim-sound name. These bigots may even be members of the same demographic. There are gay people who vote against their interest. Some women attack other women and won't support a female for president. Some black people will go to the polls and quietly pull the lever for the white guy. People who make bigoted decisions have issues - they have problems.

Don't let their personal problems become our problem. Don't let them sidetrack the Democratic Party. We are Democrats! Democrats stand for something. We don't call women bitches. We don't insinuate nasty things about other candidates. We don't play race cards. We don't abuse gay people and then pretend that they're "overreacting" when they stand up for human rights.

From now on, when I see a post or a thread that viciously, personally attacks a Democratic candidate, I'll know what to think.

[LostinVA]

1. BINGO -- terrific!

k&R

[yardwork]

6. You know it.

[readmoreoften]

2. I think our whole primary has been managed by the MSM and Republicans in many ways.

Look at how the Republicans rallied to elect Lieberman last term.

[yardwork]

4. Absolutely. This is all about corporate control. They put w in the White House.

The corporations - which control the media, advertising, and just about everything that reaches people's eyes and ears - want corporatists in the White House. That is why Al Gore had to be destroyed. That is why John Kerry was swift-boated. That is why Edwards's campaign was ignored even when poll numbers showed him close to Clinton and Obama.

That is why we Democrats are now left with two candidates who don't propose to do anything to significantly confront corporations. And I'm convinced that a lot of their so-called supporters will vote Republican in the GE.

We're in a mess.

[unpossibles]

3. K & R nt

[yardwork]

5. Thanks!

[bookman]

7. At the last minute...

...they will switch back.

I had a Republican relative who said he could not vote for Bush in '04. After the election he admitted that he changed his mind at the last minute. A force of habit. Many republicans I know just vote that way out of habit.

One has Parkinson's and disagreed with Bush on stem cell research. But he voted for him. Damn, that made no sense.

[yardwork]

9. I know. There are people who, when faced with the ballot, will vote R.

They will do it especially if they can convince themselves that the Democratic candidate is somehow "worse" than the Republican. Let's not enable them to reach this conclusion.

[yardwork]

8. Follow-up - I've seen some posts in recent days threatening to vote R.

A number of posters here on DU are saying, "If Hillary is the nominee, then I'll vote for McCain." Or, "I can't support Obama. I'll vote Republican if he's the nominee."

I suspect that these folks are counting on being able to vote Republican, one way or the other.

[Sadie5]

10. Not this voter

I will never vote for a repug. The don't have one iota of truth in them.This has been proven throughout the years.

[yardwork]

15. I agree. I used to try to be more tolerant of Republicans, but not now.

Not after the last seven years.

[bigtree]

11. Will Pitt posted a poll back a few

asked if Duers were supporting the Dem nominee, no matter what . . .

frickin avalanche of yeas. This is a question, only, for the fringe of posters here, I believe.

[yardwork]

14. I agree that they are in the minority, and I'm not calling anybody out.

I'm saying, as a general statement, that some of the folks who claim to support Obama or Hillary prove by their very words that they are not interested in what the Democratic Party is all about.

Anybody who calls a female candidate a "bitch" is an unreliable vote for Obama, simply because one kind of bigotry likely conceals another. Likewise, making nasty comments about somebody's Muslim-sounding name indicates a person who is unlikely to support a female candidate in the general election, no matter what they say now.

In other words, folks who use bigoted terms to defend their candidate are unlikely to vote Democratic in the long-run. I've seen it over and over again.

[bobbolink]

12. And you really think there are NO DEMOCRATS who are bigots?

Have you been reading this forum very long?

[yardwork]

13. I think that you may have misunderstood my OP.

Of course I didn't say that there are no bigots who are Democrats. I said that the Democratic Party is supposed to stand against bigotry of all types.