Let them go

It's been a while since I watched the Godfather trilogy, but I seem to remember that whenever a new Don was chosen, foe and friend alike all lined up to kiss his ring as a show of respect.

It strikes me that if this Primary race was Hillary Clinton's version of the Godfather, the new Don would have to kiss her ring.

I have listened as Hillary Clinton supporters have escalated their public contempt for Barack Obama to the point that they openly jeered that they would vote for McCain after the rules committee meeting on Saturday. Meanwhile Obama jets around the nation calling her a 'wonderful candidate who ran an extraordinary campaign.'

We all know he is being gracious. As of yesterday, Clinton was still running what many objective observers called a misleading ad in South Dakota. There she claimed to have more than 17 million votes, more than any Primary candidate ever. When you do the math, the only way to substantiate that claim is to count votes that don't count and to not count votes that do.

On Sunday's Meet the Press, Tim Russert asked Harold Ickes, a prominent Clinton supporter, if Obama received the required number of delegates for the nomination, would Clinton concede? Ickes couldn't give a straight answer.

These are the same people who decry the sexist nature of the campaign and proudly claim as their base voters who are admitted racists.

Now they want to entrust their futures to John McCain? The anti-abortion, pro-war, pro-business, anti-labor, pro-rich people, anti-middle class John McCain? Is that really what they want?

At some point, we have to say 'enough.' The democratic party has spoken. We have a new Don. Kiss the ring, or deal with the consequences. If we win without you, God help you. If we don't, we keep our integrity.

I once heard a pastor preach a sermon where he said, "If you are in a relationship with someone who doesn't want to be with you, LET THEM GO. Don't beg them to stay, don't follow them around, don't waste another minute. You can't keep someone who doesn't want to be there."

I have the same message for Barack Obama. These people aren't inclined to show you the respect that you have earned, and you can't make them.

Let them go.