Thread by @SallyAlbright

@oufenix @oregondemocrat This is a character issue. It's not "cannibalism"- Democratic Party is a coalition, not a monolith. We all have different interests. The primary is where we determine the best candidate to advocate for all of us.

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@oufenix @oregondemocrat For a large faction of our party, what Warren has done is disqualifying. That's an important consideration.

We should be talking it. It's called vetting. All of them need to be vetted.

Sarah Palin wasn't vetted. John Edwards wasn't thoroughly vetted. Bernie wasn't vetted.

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@oufenix @oregondemocrat No one is above scrutiny. We don't owe candidates anything. It's up to them to plead their case and defend themselves.

I assure you there's nothing we know that the GOP doesn't know about. It's important to air it out or they will spring it on us in the fall.
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat We are just getting started. We have a year until the Iowa caucuses. It's only going to get noisier.

Candidates are going to rise and fall. Your candidate might drop out before Iowa. Or right after. That's when the bulk of them do, then we still have 4 more months.
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat A robust primary is not a bad thing. It will make our candidate stronger and better prepared to take on GOP.

What will destroy the party is attacking and abusing fellow Resistors if they dare suggest your preferred candidate isn't perfect or their priorities differ from yours
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat The last three days have been awful. We've been battling Berners for years but we don't need to turn our frustration in on ourselves. Instead of blocking trolls, Resistors are blocking each other. This is rendering the fabric of the kinship we've forged.
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat Of course we should keep things civil and fair. Of course we shouldn't make racist or gendered attacks.

But if we keep saying calling any and all legit criticism of Elizabeth Warren "sexist" or AOC "racist," we're no better than Berners calling us anti-Semitic all the time
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat GOP has long accused us of calling every single swipe at Hillary "sexist" and now we're playing right into their hands.

When we weaponize the terms, we delegitimize them, and we lose all credibility.
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat If anyone can explain why talking about AOC attacking the party is racist, or addressing what Warren did is sexist, I absolutely want to listen. I haven't seen any Dem cross that line or say anything we wouldn't say about a white man

But if I'm missing something, I'm all ears
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat One thing I keep seeing "This isn't important. Focus on Trump." I've never understood the logic that an off topic tweet is a "distraction"

Would tweeting something different or not tweeting at all somehow help us take down Trump?

If so, I'm all ears. But I don't get it.
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat Another flaw in that logic: Calling him names or mocking his hair is not "fighting" Trump. There's literally nothing within our power we can do about Trump at this point.

All we can do is support House Democrats- a very good use of Twitter- and get our own house in order.
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@oufenix @oregondemocrat This is not the time to be preaching unity. This is a time to observe, question, and listen to each other

So don't stop talking. And if you see someone on Twitter you respect say something you don't like, maybe try to figure out why before you call them stupid and block them
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The Warren thing has been drowned out by everything going on this week, but it will continue to unfold. New facts will emerge, people will weigh in, and the other candidates will be asked about it. Maybe it will be a thing, maybe not. No use in arguing. Time will tell.
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So to recap:

- It's going to be a long primary
- Legit criticism is not attacking
- Vetting is not bad
- Not everything is racist or sexist
- Support House Dems
- Listen to each other
14/14

(I think I'm shadowbanned again so I'll tweet this again in the morning.)

@oufenix @oregondemocrat *rended, not rendered