When You Walk Away... Just Walk Away

As tensions mount in the primary race - remember, people, we still have 4 weeks until Pennsylvania - the idea of calm debate has largely flown out the window.  When even a breathless Obama supporter like Nick Beaudrot over at Cogitamus is suggesting that folks should calm down, it's probably time to step back.

Last night, along with my post here, I started getting into it over at Ezra's.  Even with try to avoid my "no posting without eating" edict, I still found myself, this morning, getting into a fairly pointless round of arguing better suited, I suspect for the elementary school playground.

As I thought about the metaphor, I realized how these memories can stick: being a weboy, and a gay wee boy at that, I've had my share of bullying.  And frankly, I think too few see the point of view of the bullied: at some point, you realize, the safest move is not to play.  You take yourself off the playground... probably to theater class, or dance class, or music lessons... you just disengage.  You maybe try to find new armor, like an arch wit, that will see you through.

I admit, it's taken a while - a lifetime, maybe - to realize that walking away means really walking.  I love a good political argument, but I also, as I've said, value the idea that we should try to keep it civil, respectful, less personal, and more focused on the issues at hand.  Stay too long on the playground, and eventually, the ball will hit you once too often, and even the calmest, most pacifist among us, may well be set off. Best to step away.  And mean it.

I've said why I support Hillary Clinton.  My reasons for supporting her haven't changed.  I appreciate the objections some supporters of Barack Obama have, I understand that this or that issue, this or that minor dispute has more meaning for some than for me.  But my support really hasn't wavered.  I think she's better on the issues, I think she's shown the strength and the judgment to be President, and I think she'd be good at it. I don't think Barack Obama would be bad at it.  I just prefer her.  You'd be amazed at how hard it can be, sometimes, just to get those ideas across. I am.

But, as Riverdaughter says, perhaps today should be about housecleaning.  About changing the light bulb on the porch, doing the laundry, helping my Mom, ironing my shirt. You know, because I'm a man who can iron (in fact, I think it's embarrassing when anyone can't iron). Today, I'm just... walking away. 

Have a good, productive day.  I will. :)

Comments

[Tammy]

Well, you fought the good fight. I appreciate it; I checked out much earlier.

I'll donate $10 for every idiotic comment over there to Hillary - that way the bullying won't have all been for nothing.

[jinbaltimore]

ish! I don't think Ezra should leave political posts like that to dangle on a Fri. afternoon - they ferment!

[Ben]

I'm grateful for this post. I was initially for Hilary, but am now a Obama supporter, but would still be ok with Hilary as the nominee. Perhaps not as enthusiastically as I would be for Obama, but that's because I feel that I can better rely on Obama not to get us into any more wars than Hilary, who comes off to me as a bit too hawkish for my taste. The other differences between them seem pretty insignificant to me. So why has the discourse between us become so nasty? It's so egotistical and juvenile. It's no wonder the Republicans fuck with us so much. We should be fortunate to have two candidates of such caliber on the democratic side. Obama is not the boogey man and Hilary is not the she-devil. So let's all just get a grip,

[donna darko]

Hawkish or not, this fall will be about national security and she is better than Obama in this regard. If she becomes President, hopefully we can work with her to be more of a peacenik.

Anti-Clintonism has been this nasty for 16 years. People only complain when Obama is subjected to criticism.

[donna darko]

To Obama and Obamabots, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen/race. Clinton supporters have weathered these storms.

[Redstar]

Ah, housecleaning!! I've been on the couch all day, hungover, my own special way of taking the day off. ;)

Can you hop over here with the vaccuum when you're finished up at your place? My place could really use some spring cleaning!!

[hydrino]

I'm a Republican, who was going to support Hilary, but with the democratic party self-destructing, I'll vote for McCain. The democrats have shown themselves, once again, to be a bunch of losers.

[jinbaltimore]

hydrino,

I'll take our "losers" any day over your repub "winners."

[weboy]

hydrino - as J says... Godspeed. As a Democrat, I would never, ever dream of voting Republican. That you would contemplate someone as clearly liberal - and clearly as despised by the GOP establishment - as Hillary Clinton, tells me you're not going to find what you need there, at some point. But the Democratic Party is not the Republicans, there's healthy arguing, and disagreeing. After a while, you get used to it. Or, you stay in the GOP.