This diary started swirling in my head around the time of the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner in Iowa, and has been taking shape up there among the cobwebs, all the way through a candidate forum, another debate, and the launch of DK5.
It’s still not quite fully formed, but I’m going to go for it anyway.
Recently, I’ve made some changes in how I interact at Daily Kos about the presidential primary. I’ve been doing the Hillary News & Views diaries long enough to become a fairly well-known Clinton supporter, so I hope that gives me enough credibility to offer this invitation to my fellow Clinton supporters.
I am promising to act in a way that I believe is consistent with the candidate that I support for the presidency, and I invite as many of you to join me.
What is it that I will and will not do?
1. I will make the case for my candidate without tearing down any other candidate, sticking to the facts and to the issues.
2. I will define Bernie Sanders by his best qualities, and his supporters by the best among them.
3. I will engage in good faith conversations about the primary and the contrasts between the candidates.
4. I will avoid and ignore obvious attempts at derailing and walk away from arguing for its own sake.
5. I will remember that we are all on the same side, even when it feels like that isn’t true.
6. I will empathize with the supporters of other candidates, and remember that I’m just as impossible to persuade away from Clinton as they are from their chosen candidate.
7. I will celebrate alongside Sanders supporters when they have a victory, like the recent Postal Workers Union endorsement.
8. I will not take premature victory laps, taunt, or gloat when Clinton nabs an endorsement or leads in any given poll.
9. I will not remain silent when I see sexism, but I will remember that just like racism, sexism is institutionalized, and progressives are not immune to its ill effects.
10. I will, however, remember that what makes progressives different from conservatives is that we don’t actually want to be sexist or racist, and that if Clinton is the nominee, we will all push back together against sexism, even if we’re supporting different candidates now.
11. I will remember that issues have ramifications beyond how they affect my preferred candidate, and I will respect the voices of those most affected when discussing those matters.*
* Suggested addition from FogCityJohn.