Unity Comes Slowly But Surely, and in Spite of Outlying Harassers

[Content Note: Harassment.]

I've got a new piece up at BNR on the contingent of Bernie supporters who are harassing female reporters and writers, and how they won't prevent Democratic unity, no matter how hard they may try:

The harassment has come via phone, email, and social media from self-identified Bernie supporters. Though there has been well-documented and sustained harassment of (particularly female, and especially women of color) Hillary supporters and/or Bernie critics throughout this primary, there was an escalation with a focus on reporters following the AP's announcement that Hillary had enough combined delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination.

To be clear: This is a very small minority of Bernie supporters. There is a larger majority (71 versus 64 percent) of Bernie supporters who say they support Hillary in the general than Hillary supporters who said they would support then-candidate Barack Obama at this time in 2008. "And yes, it did take time, but those skeptical Clinton supporters did gradually come around to help elect Obama."

...Unity came slowly but surely then, and it will come slowly but surely this time because the fact is this: Hillary and Bernie are both progressives, whose primary difference is in approach, not in beliefs. Hillary is a pragmatic progressive who knows how to work the system to get things done, and most progressive people will come to see that, if they don't already.

Head on over to read the whole thing.

One thing Clinton's nomination has made abundantly clear: You might be able to intimidate some women into silence, but you can't stop us in the voting booth. If anything, you just make us more damn determined to show up when it really counts.