Top Comments- 6/03/08 Closing Time Edition

We have so many insightful and powerful diaries written here at Daily Kos.  Our diaries inform, inflame, impassion, and even entertain.  We Kossacks have strong voices and an even stronger will to be the change we wish to see in this country.

One of the richest, and perhaps most under-appreciated, areas of thought come in the form of comments attached to these diaries.

Here at Top Comments we strive to recognize and promote the talent of this community by highlighting outstanding comments found throughout the day by the diarist, and through nominations made at TopComments at gmail dot com by your fellow Kossacks. Include your username so we can credit you, and send 'em in by 9:30pm Eastern to ensure they make the final diary.

These nominations are subjective, and certainly not complete (as no one can read the complete site on a daily basis!). But we hope they will serve to shine a light where deserved, and to give the reader a good starting point in finding conversation on the site.

Please come in and make yourself at home...

It's the end of the world as we know it and I do feel fine!! C'mon inside...

It began with an earthquake January 3rd in Iowa.  It ends tonite- June 3rd- in Montana and South Dakota.  Exactly five months from first caucus to last primary. I can truly only speak for myself, but I think perhaps another Kossack or ten thousand two will join me in a huge sigh and a heartfelt "it's finally over." Another round of Primary Season draws to a close, and we begin the segue into Campaign 2008: Red and Blue Edition.

I thought I'd see what the dKos search engine pulls up for diary/story numbers, so searched on the following:

2008 election (9520 diaries in the past 1 year)
2008 election president (5811)
2008 election Clinton (4649)
Hillary Clinton (26197)
2008 election Obama  (4810)
Barack Obama (21624)
2008 election McCain (2500)
2008 election Republican (5941)
2008 election Democratic (7495)

Wow. Just wow. That's a whole lotta diaries, and if I think of the sheer number of comments contained within, my wrists cramp in carpal tunnel sympathy. I wish I could say I'd read even 10% of them, but I haven't. What's that? You want to know why I, a Kossack in (hopefully) good standing, didn't immerse myself in the Primary Season to End All Primary Seasons?

Here's why- this go-round felt a whole heckuva lot more like Teh Primary Warz or Ultimate Campaign: Extreme Edition than Choosing Our Candidate In A Dignified Manner.  There are other searches I wondered about before deciding I didn't want to know:

2008 election my candidate rules, yours drools
2008 election Hillary sucks
2008 election Obama sucks
2008 election my candidate dropped out & it's (insert candidate here)'s fault
2008 election I will never vote for your candidate
2008 election McCain is better than (insert candidate here)

We learn tonite whether Senator Clinton will concede (sigh, nope), and the tenor of the speeches from both remaining Democratic primary contenders will set the tone for Democratic National Convention in Denver. I hope it is gracious, conciliatory, respectful of each other, and that it truly begins to bring the two sides into right relationship. (posting this anyway, cause it's what I wished I'd hear...)

It is Closing Time, and as the song says: every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.  Yes, tonite marks the end of an historic quest for Senator Clinton to become the first female Presidential candidate from one of the two major parties. However...

We begin tonite- not in Denver, but tonite wherever we find ourselves- to rally together as one party, not two.  We must remember to work with and support each other as we recognize that our fight is not with each other; no, it is against the Republican machine that brought us deceit, death, denial, debt and dishonor. It is against the successor to the regime of George W. Bush. It is for the principles that we as Democrats hold in common.

Internecine fighting between supporters of Senators Clinton and Obama? As the Jedi might say:
"This is not the fight you are looking for."

On to Top Comments! First up are those nominated by you, the TC readership:

From moiv:

In Nancy Kallitechnis' diary Advice To Heal Division Of Democratic Party: End Sexism, ILeanLeft embeds an entire, wonderful diary in this comment.

From Land of Enchantment:

kingubu thinks Netroots Nation scholarships should cover just a bit more, in Meteor Blades' diary Helping Make Netroots Nation Inclusive. (Diarist's note: Read the diary, and contribute! If you need another reason... do it for Pastor Dan. He's getting old, you know :-)

From Killer of Sacred Cows:

In heartsandflowers' diary Clinton to Suspend Campaign (speculation), The Wizard makes a cogent point about why Clinton hasn't conceded yet: it's Bill.

From WaLa:

In johndeebo's diary Bob Beckel: Major Michelle Obama Scandal Tomorrow Makes Hillary Clinton The Nominee, Lava20 has the bestest diary response ticket EVAR!

From Bwren:

RO45 writes so eloquently of her family's history and Obama's impending nomination in CocoaLove's diary For my ancestors: Oh Happy Day!!

From lava20:

I can't seem to stop laughing at this comment from Altoid77 in the story I'm first! I'm first! by some guy named kos.  SuperDelegate counting...

From noweasels:

A lovely comment from RFK Lives, in georgia10's story How Far He's Come.

From captainlaser:

Please rescue this photo posted by Terre.

From me:

Pastry Assassin notices a look in Andrea Mitchell's eyes.

And lastly let's run the Top Mojo numbers to see what you the DailyKos readership chose as your Top Comments based on number of recommendations. I use the mojo magic secret formula crafted by cskendrick and tweaked by sardonyx.

Top 30 (including ties) excluding Tip Jars, first comments and C&J:

 1) yes, he will by CocoaLove — 449
 2) he really, really was by LauraD — 379
 3) not single-handedly by jdodsonvls — 334
 4) Have to do my part. by Angry Mouse — 296
 5) he spoke by jdodsonvls — 199
 6) Generic Daily Kos Diary Ticket by Lava20 — 172
 7) I just saw this on CNN by Steven R — 160
 8) everytime we're gonna make nice... by Shahryar — 154
 9) Very Decent Of You by TooFolkGR — 153
10) imagine if we had followed his energy policy by sc kitty — 144
11) His so legacy is sooo tarnished. by LJW — 138
12) But you see... by Ken in MN — 133
13) oh, wait a sec by CocoaLove — 128
14) ahhhhhh!!! by voila — 113
15) And As an Obama Supporter Let Me Say by TooFolkGR — 113
16) yeah, it blows my mind by LauraD — 112
17) I've been waiting for this diary by brooklynliberal — 108
18) Beautiful diary. by maconblue — 104
19) only in one instance by jpfdeuce — 100
20) sounds like Blackmail Mode to me n/t by bawbie — 100
21) Terrific.....as usual. by Scout Finch — 98
22) Reading the following brings a tear to my eye: by badger195 — 97
23) Great diary, angry mouse. by TomP — 96
24) United we stand... by Angry Mouse — 96
25) I'm happy Jimmy's on board. by llamaRCA — 95
26) I should add that I'm Jewish. by maconblue — 94
27) and you read it all in 29 seconds by FireCrow — 93
28) fyi by anna — 90
29) "The Moral Equivalent of War" by Jbearlaw — 90
30) And yet to think that LauraD was there by The Lighthouse Keeper — 89

Top 30 (including ties) with no exclusions:

 1) Tips for a dream realized. by Angry Mouse — 1014
 2) In a day that promises by Granny Doc — 636
 3) X-posted by emptywheel — 580
 4) yes, he will by CocoaLove — 449
 5) Tips for a good man who was President by Sun dog — 443
 6) Join us. by kid oakland — 428
 7) Tips and Rec it is over by Engine 08 — 403
 8) he really, really was by LauraD — 379
 9) Minnesota Wild Tip Jar by Rieux — 353
10) not single-handedly by jdodsonvls — 334
11) Recs for One last Bill Rant by Billary Redux — 324
12) Have to do my part. by Angry Mouse — 297
13) Tips? by BoBo2020 — 290
14) Tip Jar by davidkc — 288
15) while the title is a bit alarmist by clammyc — 260
16) I'm glad for you and all of us. by TomP — 241
17) Thanks for sharing this with us.... by la urracca — 240
18) Great diary. by Angry Mouse — 239
19) tips/flames for MY "citizen journalism"! ;-) n/t by carpediva — 218
20) he spoke by jdodsonvls — 199
21) Tips for Unity! by LV Pol Girl — 182
22) Generic Daily Kos Diary Ticket by Lava20 — 172
23) Tips by lizardbox — 167
24) Tips for the Democratic Nominee for President by RobertInWisconsin — 163
25) I just saw this on CNN by Steven R — 160
26) Very Decent Of You by TooFolkGR — 155
27) everytime we're gonna make nice... by Shahryar — 154
28) Tips/Recs for Democracy, as always by dansac — 149
29) tip jar by LauraD — 145
30) imagine if we had followed his energy policy by sc kitty — 144

So what are your favorite memories of the Primary Season?