Barack Obama has captured the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination by winning a majority of the delegates to this year's Democratic National Convention.  As a supporter of Obama, I am thrilled about his achievement, but I realize that many of my Democratic friends and colleagues are brokenhearted at this development.  All I can say is: I have been there before, and I sympathize with you.   

I have twice volunteered for a candidate who lost the race for the Democratic nomination: Jerry Brown in 1992 and Bill Bradley in 2000.  Both times, I was so disillusioned with the winner of the race that I did not support them or vote for them in the general election.  In 1992, I actually voted for George Bush Sr. (the last time I voted for a Republican for President), but did not rue the consequences, since Bill Clinton won and certainly went on to become a better President than Bush Sr. was (though I'm still upset with Clinton for all the trade deals).

In 2000 Al Gore's arrogance towards Bill Bradley during the brief primary season was one of the reasons I went on to vote for Ralph Nader that year.  This was a far more serious mistake, as Gore lost an extremely narrow race and George W. Bush's presidency has been one of the most destructive in American history.  I readily admit that I made the wrong choice in 2000.

To all Hillary Clinton's supporters: once your sadness has subsided a bit, please consider which of the two remaining candidates better represents your interests.  Is it really John McCain, whom many of you have vowed to support if Obama is the Democratic nominee?  Do you want a president who will try to get our troops out of Iraq within 16 months, or one who has said he would leave them there for 100 years?  Does John McCain represent your positions on the economy, the environment, and health care?  I know that you have opposed Obama throughout the primary season, and it may seem difficult -  if not impossible - to support him now.  So, I'm not asking you to immediately jump aboard the Obama bandwagon.  But sometime between now and November, just ask yourself: who would you really rather have as President: Barack Obama or John McCain?

-Eddie Konczal