If nothing else, the primary run between Clinton and Obama has, I believe, been useful for opening dialogs among progressives about sexism, racism, and other forms of embedded privilege.
I'm not going to deny that it has been ugly. Some "progressive" sites have proven to be anything but, instead being rabid partisans defending their candidate against all comers, as if that candidate is the second coming. The disconnect between the means and the stated ends of getting a "progressive" (which in this case gets reduced down to "not Bush" or "not the GOP") candidate in office is shocking and brutal.
Yet it also seems to me that I'm seeing something good emerge from the fray - at least on blogs like Shakesville. What I am seeing is a massive cluesticking of progressives about the extent of their privilege, about where their blind spots lie, and so on. I see men being startled to realize that, yes, they are feminists. I see straight people learning to see homophobia - and learning to respect the experience and wisdom of their GLBT allies when those allies call out homophobia that these straight progressives don't see. And I see white people learning to admit their privilege and racist blinkers, and to listen when people of color explain what they see.
I generally think I'm pretty good on the feminism thing, and on the GLBT issues, and with issues of classism, or ageism, or fat-phobia. I am learning, however, that I have much farther to go in terms of racism, particularly the racism that is directed towards black men and women.
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