Time to Stop the Demospat

I wrote earlier, here, that the Democrats are risking a long-term rupture between Obama supporters and Clinton supporters. How that translates to African Americans and Other is anybody's guess at this point. If we go by what the pollsters tell us, younger African Americans trend toward Obama, and older African Americans trend toward Clinton. We can only hope that the spat ends quickly, and that hurt feelings are sincerely addressed and healed, or younger voters may find other things to do in November. God forbid.

Neither candidate is well served. The media mouths are trumpeting the spat to the heavens, seeming to take joy in making the Democrats--especially Bill Clinton--look worse than perhaps is the case. In my view, the candidates are not out of historical bounds in their remarks, after all. The tempers and sensitivities, however, never easily controlled in matters of race and gender, seem to be rising by the hour. Dobbs and Schneider, Blitzer and Cafferty and Crowley, at least, are talking of proprieties and behavior unbecoming a President, but I don't see that.

What I do see is ammo that Republicans, media critics, and Clinton foes can sack up and stow away for the general election. Two of our three leading candidates are behaving childishly, and that won't play well framed in the Oval Office.

Note to the DNC: Call them into the principal's office and read them the riot act.