What is the rush to end this thing? Why the hurry to have it over? What, exactly, are so many people concerned about? All the wrong things, apparently. There are more and better reasons for her to persist than not.
Hillary should continue her pursuit of the Democratic nomination because:
1) Over the course of the primary, Hillary received half – give or take – of the popular vote. Fifty percent of the voters invested with her their hopes, dreams, aspirations, trust and self-expressed political interests. That declaration of alliance brings with it an awesome responsibility. While there are certainly politicians who are so cold, so manipulative, so self-centered and sociopathic that they see the voters as mere pawns to be played and sacrificed for their own personal gain, I do not believe that Hillary Clinton is among them.
I watched Robert Kennedy, up close and in person, change from an aloof, detached, intellectually oriented, spoiled rich kid theoretical liberal into a passionate, committed, fire-breathing, gut-level, genuinely emotionally involved progressive and advocate for the poor, the weak and the disenfranchised.
The extent of his transformation surprised – and delighted – him as much as it did those around him, and it happened in the space of only a few months. It happened because he went out on the road to small venues and physically met real people, face to face; average people, thousands upon thousands of people who were struggling with life in ways that were – and still are – deeply shameful for our country, people who looked to him as their best hope for a better future for themselves and their children. As they spoke, and he learned to listen, they opened his heart and touched his soul.
Bobby Kennedy’s campaign did not change America; the people of America changed him.
I’ve listened closely to both candidates, neither of whom was on my short list last December. (I’ll talk about my impressions of Obama another time; this post is not so much about him.) What I’ve seen with Hillary has impressed me more than I expected it would. As with Bobby Kennedy 40 years ago, this campaign has made her a better person. That, at least, is something no one can take away.
When she talks of her responsibility to those who voted for her, it has to my ears no sound of falseness. I believe she has seen her calling, I believe she feels she has been handed a sacred trust, and I believe she will seek to carry out the mandate of that trust as fully and completely as she can. To do so, she must stay in the nomination race until it is completed – in Denver, at the end of August. To do otherwise would break the contract that binds her, and will devalue in an irreparable way her own sense of self.
2) The allegiance of her supporters is not hers to give. All, repeat ALL, of the responsibility for securing the support of the disaffected half of the Democratic Party rests with one person and his name is Barak Obama. The worst possible thing Hillary Clinton could do for the Democrat’s interests in November is to dispose of her supporters and symbolically “hand” them over as though they were chattels. She does not own them; quite the opposite, she is in fact beholden to them. Many, if not most of them, would see such an act as abandonment precisely because it would be.
If Barak Obama has to this point only secured the support of half of Democrats, that is something he needs to work on. Hillary’s continued presence as an alternative will serve to make him do the work he needs to do. The last thing the Democrats need is for their Party to head into the general election without being unified. Unity
will come from Democratic voters to Barak Obama, if it ever does, because he has earned it; it will not come to him handed over on a platter, all tied up in a bow.
3) The nomination process is not finished. It will not be finished until the delegates to the Democratic Party Convention have cast their votes and the Chair has gaveled the process to an end. To concede the nomination now, or any time before then, is to attempt to usurp the authority of the Democratic Party itself. That would be so clearly wrong from so many standpoints it does not bear listing them all. It must end through at least an appearance of process, and not by fiat.
The senior management of the Party, Dean, Pelosi and Reid, have rightly asserted that the primary process needs to be brought to a close and the business of the general election begun. But the end of the primary process does not mean the end of the nomination decision. That will continue, regardless of anyone’s wishes to the contrary. Dean, Pelosi and Reid – and indeed Obama and his supporters – will get their wish; indeed, they may have already. Obama will soon, if he has not already, secure enough pledged elected delegates and declared superdelegates to make him the “presumptive” nominee.
The focus of the political effort among Democrats will indeed now start to shift towards defeating McCain and the Republicans, IMNSHO a very good thing long overdue, and both Obama and Clinton can participate in one form or another. No “concession” from her is required for any of that to occur.
4) This shift in the campaign focus will give everyone an opportunity to find out just how well Obama can do against McCain; shall we say, mano-a-mano. Among the uncertainties with Obama is his ability to deal with a committed, savvy, unconstrained opponent. Clinton, in spite of all the whining from Obama’s camp, was very gentle on him; tactically she was in some ways constrained, plus it is not in her nature to be unreservedly destructive. McCain and the Republicans will have no such compunction, and the last time Obama went head-to-head with a smart and tough opponent Bobby Rush cleaned his clock.
All of his campaign wins, including this one, came from gaming the system. That’s something the Republicans know very well how to do, and how to prevent in their opposition. If Obama thinks he can win the general that way, he’ll be sticking his chin right into McCain’s wheelhouse. May as well have that happen sooner than later, and see if he can take a punch.
McCain has dared Obama to a series of debates over the summer, ten of them at once a week starting the middle of June. You would think that a candidate who didn’t fare very well earlier this year in one-on-one debating, and was too afraid to have any more with the relatively considerate Clinton, would be hesitant to start out this way against a vicious and skilled opponent like McCain. The Obama people seem receptive, however; even eager:
John McCain challenged Barack Obama to join him in 10 town hall meetings with voters before the Democratic National Convention in August.
An Obama adviser was receptive to the idea and said the campaign would discuss it.
McCain, the Republican nominee-in-waiting, sent his rival a letter outlining the offer on Wednesday, the day after Obama clinched the Democratic nomination. McCain suggested the first town hall be held June 12 in New
A McCain adviser first floated the idea last month. At the time, Obama said, “I think that’s a great idea.”
“Obviously, we would have to think through the logistics on that, but to the extent that should I be the nominee, if I have the opportunity to debate substantive issues before the voters with John McCain, that’s something that I am going to welcome,” Obama said in Bend, Ore., in May.
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said Wednesday that while the idea is appealing, the campaign would recommend a less-structured, lengthier exchange more in line with the historic Lincoln-Douglas debates.
“But having just secured our party’s nomination, this is one of the many items we will be addressing in the coming days and look forward to discussing it with the McCain campaign,” Plouffe said.
If I were the Obama camp I’d be more than leery of any suggestion made by the Republicans, but Young Blood is feeling pretty cocky these days; “High, Wide and Handsome” is the phrase we use out West. This debate idea is good for the Democratic Party, a chance to take Obama out on a test spin and see how he does. If he gains in the swing state polls, as he must to win the general election, then everyone who wants McCain defeated can feel more comfortable about this candidacy. If, on the other hand, he falters, there will still be time for the Party to change course and shift the nomination to Hillary.
To use another Western phrase, Hillary needs to keep her powder dry and bide her time. Events will play out as they will. If Obama can stand up to McCain, then she should unreservedly get behind him after the Convention and of course she will do so. If it turns out he cannot compete with McCain, however, she should again press her case with the Party elders and the Convention delegates; public opinion will support her, and nobody loves a loser.
Holding on to her delegates and respecting the will of the voters until the convention is the right, responsible and loyal thing for Clinton to do. It is also in the best interests of the Democratic Party and of the Nation.
***********
[NOTE. There was also this today from the Republicans, referring to the prospect of open format presidential debates:
McCain said President Kennedy had made such an agreement with former Senator Barry Goldwater for the 1964 election before Kennedy’s assassination.
No huge outpouring of horror and condemnation has ensued from the media over McCain being callous and thoughtless and outrageous, no debating over whether he was openly advocating or unconsciously wishing for Obama’s death through this statement, nor is the Obama campaign circulating the quote among reporters with feigned outrage over the reference to an “assassination”. Apparently, the gratuitous dredging up of a dead Kennedy and rattling his bones is fine with everyone so long as it’s done by a Republican.]
Front page
ABC News Reports Clinton "Likely" To End Her Bid By Friday
The report is here. The part about ending is this:
Who knows what exactly that means she’ll do. I’ve been lied to so much by our famously free media that I have no idea what to believe anymore. I’ve expected her to do something to retain SD support in case Obama falters. Democrats don’t have the stomach to just let things lie. The media beast must be fed. So Hillary will have to make some nod to Obama, which I’m okay with (so long as she extracts a sign of respect from him and retains her viability should Obama falter*).
If you want to have some fun, however, compare this in the ABC Report:
With Bob Somersby’s accounts of that debate. Notice how the ABC Report doesn’t mention the role that Russert and Williams played. Only that Clinton showed chinks in her armor. Sure she did after Russert and Williams repeatedly ran her over with a truck and then Obama and Edwards stomped on her. It wasn’t a debate so much as a wilding, led by the NBC News Team.
* Current BDBlue odds of Obama faltering remain at 20%, which includes 10% added on because so many party elite and Obama supporters seemed determined to take every action they can to make him unacceptable to a large swath of the electorate. Only 10% is currently related to Obama himself, although I’m not sure it’s a good sign that the Rezko verdict came in around the same time the DNC pronounced Obama the winner.
I doubt Obama will engage
I doubt Obama will engage in a town hall until after the two conventions, and after negotiating a better format.
And while keeping options open is OK for Sen Clinton, having an active campaign probably wont be tolerated by the Democratic Party.
What are they going to do, moondancer?
Send a sternly worded letter?
If she spends the summer fundraising with Democratic candidates, talking about Democratic Party values as she sees them, repeating her appreciation for the supprt she’s received, attacking McCain and the Republican Party, and tossing in some bone about supporting the Party’s nominee, she’ll be doing everything anyone could expect or require.
Nobody is going to force her to go around saying how wonderful special fabulous Barak Obama is. That’s his business to take care of. Bill’s going to go be busy with his foundation. Chelsea’s going back to her day job. Obama has the ball, as he’s requested - the next shot is his to take.
Regards the debates, McCain has thrown down the gauntlet and foolish Obama has already said he’d do it - one format or another. If he backs down now, as he did against Clinton, he’ll be mocked as a coward. Clinton didn’t pound him - she should have - and the media let it slide without comment. Against McCain, no such luck. Obama will have to show up or get the Wimp lable hung on him good and proper - and deservedly so.
Making campaign appearances on behalf of her
elected SuperD supporters could be a good expenditure of Clinton’s time over the summer.
NYT Says She'll Suspend
Which sounds about right to me. Not a direct threat to the party, not exactly going away either. Plenty of time to negotiate what she wants over the summer. Still able to step in if Obama falters.
It appears from the NYT report that there’s going to be quite a push to put her on the ticket. I still can’t tell if she wants to be the VP or if she wants to be asked (and to have some input in who the VP is) or perhaps she wants to keep a reminder out there that Obama and the party need her.
this is nasty--they're not confident in him at all--
if they were, they’d leave her alone instead of rushing her out so fast. They’re listening to the talking heads again too—instead of voters.
Every cycle in my lifetime, the second placers have gone to the convention without dropping out.
Expect she'll campaign for any Dem who asks her
but dominantly for the Senate, that’s her turf to tend. Where she can she’ll show up for House and Governor’s races, because it is what someone of her stature is expected to do. Relieves the “Presumptive” Nominee from having to waste his time, and in some states like Kentucky he would be more harm than help. She spends her time with people she can both help and build rapport with, never know when it will come in handy, and supports the Party while picking up some bucks for her own campaign debt.
It will be important for her to make nice with as many of the SuperDs who did not fall for her as she can stomach; she is, after all (clears own throat) still a young woman and her opportunities are by no means over.
The media wishes it were so, but that’s nothing new. From another ABC hit piece, and I use that term deliberately:
A fatality? Absolutely disgusting. I would say the author of that sentence, Emily Friedman, should be ashamed - but clearly she has no shame.
Projection
They wish she were dead. Instead, she’s more powerful than she’s ever been, even if she’s not the nominee. Her database alone is political gold.
Give us
a break. Obama can’t handle a debate, he is lost in his and his surrogates illusion. He will have to rely on embedded microphones to handle ANY debate.
they really do--they've been attacking since 92 and still
keep failing, over and over and over and over.
they know how weak he is--Hillary overshadowed him
every day and set the agenda even as she was being attacked from all sides—let alone McCain and Bill.
At the beginning
I didn’t want Hillary, but have since then learned that she is the only one who speaks to my beliefs. It was not a gender/race thing, it was about what I wanted for ALL of us, why did the Dem destroy that? Is it because both parties are one and the same?
I don’t know.
Clinton v. Obama: Round 2 (Will He Or Won't He)
Looks to me like the next phase of the fight is over whether Obama will be forced to offer her the VP. On her side, Charlie Rangel, Robert Johnson (who is going to lobby the CBC), Ausman (hoping to save Florida), and others. On his, Jimmy Carter, Nancy Pelosi (unless she’s changed her mind) and MSNBC.
Oh, also on hers 59% of Democrats, including half of his voters. Not that the Democratic Party has given two shits about what Democrats think this nominating season.
if he picks a VP quick, then the GOP has 2 to smear,
instead of one.
if he doesn’t pick one quick, the news is still about Clinton and not him.
According to NYT, Clinton will also endorse Obama
Doesn’t endorsement equal concession (i.e. releasing her delegates)? How will she possibly have any leverage if she does this?
maybe--suspension means they're free too, in a way--
it’s obvious that DC Dems who had been with her now want to get in line with the rest of the party, i guess.
I don't want Senator Clinton as an enablier/VP
on Oboma ticket. She is a full blooded Dem, but I will not support an Oboma ticket in any way. He is not a Dem in my opinion.
Hopefully the new generation of debate implants
will be less conspicuous.
[Fair use claim for parody as stated here.]
Unbelievable
For the sake of the Party, the should have allowed us to have an electable option. For the sake of history, they should have allowed the first serious woman candidate to finish the process. For the sake of common courtesy, they shouldn’t have bullied her out.
As to what Hillary will or won't say, forgive me
but I’m inclined to wait and deal with it when - and if - it happens. I’m not interested in running pillar to post over speculation by either the MSM or the BlogBoyz, so y’all are on your own with that.
Amber, they are ALL free, always have been
The Party rules say that all delegates are free to vote their conscience. Some states have laws requiring pledged elected delegates to follow the voter’s will but they have never been tested. By precedent it is likely that the Dem rules are all that can matter at the convention.
And again, I say, Clinton cannot command voters to shift their allegiance to Obama; he will have to earn it. I don’t believe she’s so stupid as to believe otherwise, or dumb enough to throw away her base.
I could be wrong, it happens, but we’ll see soon enough.
not voters--Supers--
for multiple reasons, they have been sticking with her. Now they’re obviously either being pressured or pressuring her to make it clear whether she’s in or out.
This isn’t about voters—-this is about DC Dems.
NYT-"Democrats urged her on Wednesday to leave"
“… Her decision came after Democrats urged her on Wednesday to leave the race and allow the party to coalesce around Mr. Obama. …
Her decision came after a day of conversations with supporters on Capitol Hill about her future now that Mr. Obama had clinched the nomination. Mrs. Clinton had, in a speech after Tuesday night’s primaries, suggested that she wanted to wait before deciding about her future, but in conversations throughout the day on Wednesday, her aides said, she was urged to step aside. …”
— http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/pol…
(they don’t mean me and you)
In or out?
WTF
? She’s in. What, do you think she’s going to say the hell with it now and crawl under a rock to lick her wounds? So far as I know, Edwards and Richardson and Biden and Dowd and Kucinich and Gravel are still “in” it. Why should she be any different?
She’s not going to abandon her campaign. The word she will use is “suspend.” She will still be a candidate, but she will not actively campaign for herself. Again, I could be wrong, but I can’t imagine why she would do otherwise. What circumstances would compel such an unnecessary move?
If “suspend” and a pledge to support the Democratic nominee isn’t enough, if the perception is that Obama can’t win the general unless Hillary gets herself off to a nunnery, then in truth he has no chance at all. Might as well just fold it up now. That would be a huge expression of weakness by Obama.
"Suspend"
past the overwrought opening prose, several paragraphs down, is this:
Suspend. Not the same as “leave” or “quit.” Tough concept for the digital-think MSM, apparently.
Whatever she says, whatever anyone says, she’s still “in” until the end of the Convention.
that's exactly it, bio-
they know how weak he is, and want all of DC’s elected Dems to keep propping him up—a lot of them were still with her, but are now caving in and joining the unity train.
(oh, remember our contract talk the other day? check this out—Tommy Thompson—new 11 mil “contract” awarded today— http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gedch… )
actually it allows her not to pay off
the debts until after the entire election cycle is done—suspend means you don’t have to settle debts—quit and drop out means you have to start paying up right away (i’m almost positive about this—not 100% tho).
I Agree, BIO
So far none of this upsets me. I expected her to suspend. That’s the only part of the story I believe. As for what she will or won’t say beyond that, I’ll wait and see.
Right now, I’m enjoying the power play over VP. I can see benefits to Hillary’s position as the VP and not as VP. But I see no reason why she won’t - and her supporters won’t continue to push to be asked. It’s good politics whether she wants the job or not.
First, it keeps her name out there and reminds everyone of how much Obama and the party need her. Always good. Even if the media may be doing nothing but spewing hatred about her today, that’s still one more day where the media talks more about her than him.
Second, this is payback for the sleazy campaign Obama has run against her and Bill. Obama is going to have to show her respect, what better way than asking her to join his ticket?
Third, if Obama really, really doesn’t want her as VP, what is he going to offer - and what can he get his party and SD supporters to help him offer - that will make her happy instead.
I think her big supporters said they wanted her out today, but I also think they told her they would support pretty much anything she wanted if she would suspend sooner rather than later. Or perhaps it’s a coincidence that so many of them immediately went out and were only too happy to tell the press that Obama should offer her the VP.
And Obama is now in a real pickle because this is all the press is going to talk about until it’s resolved. He can give speeches, he can raise money, he can debate McCain. But all anyone is going to want to talk about is will he or won’t he offer the VP slot to Hillary Clinton. He’s used the media’s obsession with Clinton to his advantage much of this campaign, but right now it helps her. Because he’s going to want to change the subject and he’s not going to be able to, IMO.
i keep thinking Krystal/Alexis
from Dynasty—they’ve all made Hillary the evil Alexis vs. Obama’s good Krystal—Which one is most interesting? Which one actually is the active and forceful one? and which is the boring one? What is there to talk about concerning the “good” one, really? …
: >
(and of course, there’s more to it too—the “symbolic” and “pedestal” nature of how Obama is characterized—all passive and eternal—even the comparisons to dead mythic figures like JFK, MLK, Lincoln —“historic”, etc…as opposed to the “maverick” on the “straight talk express” who “bucks his party”…)
What she should say...
I have heard from many of my supporters, and am hearing two messages.
The professional politicians are being placed under enormous pressure to endorse Senator Obama, and I want them to know that they should feel free to do so with no hard feelings. This is especially true for the Super-Delegates, whose willingness to stand with me until this point has been an act of courage and commitment that I honor and appreciate greatly.
But I have also been hearing a different message from the millions of americans who have voted for me, volunteered for my campaign, sent me messages of encouragement, and contributed their hard earned dollars to my campaign — their message is “keep fighting for us.” And thus, I will not be suspending my campaign, and I am not dropping out. I have pledged to support the eventual nominee of the party, and will do so when that nominee is chosen in August — and until then I will continue to fight for what I and my supporters believe is best for America.
Finally, in the interest of Party Unity
, I wish to end the speculation regarding the question of the Vice-Presidential nomination, and have notified Senator Obama that should I fail to receive the nomination, I will be continue to serve the people of New York State as their Senator.
that would rock, but she'd be savaged
even more if she so much as hinted at blaming DC Dems or Obama’s campaign for that “enormous pressure”.
So?
she’s going to be savaged anyway. She might as well take some of the knives in her back and put them to good use.
I Don't Think That's Clinton's Style, Paul
She doesn’t care about the media, but she is going to care about her colleagues approval and the voters in NY. Her fighting spirit only goes so far. I think she’s probably also very cognizant of her African American SDs. Those folks stuck with her under enormous pressure. She’s not going to want them to hear all summer about how their candidate is destroying Obama’s chances.
Besides which I think she doesn’t want to anger anyone in case Obama implodes. She’s betting it’s better to be loyal Democrat Hillary Clinton waiting in the wings, than divisive Hillary fighting to the convention. As for campaigning, she can do that in the guise of campaigning for others and fundraising to pay off her debt without calling it that. Then there’s the fact that she really is not going to want to be blamed if Obama loses in November. She’s going to be by some anyway, but if she plays the good girl, she won’t be by her base or most voters in the Dem. Party. And she lets her AA SDs off the hook, too. And there’s always 2012. You’ll note Teddy Kennedy never did run again and he’s a white guy.
And fighting on - openly - would prevent her from having all this fun making Obama offer her the VP slot. All in the name of Unity
, of course.
Hey Paul; love the script
but, probably not.
There’s sort of a set of dance moves for these things and all the steps have to be taken or it looks awkward. She needs to move the onus off her back for anything untowards that may happen. Defiance won’t change the delegate outcome, or the minds of the superDs that have gone to Obama; if anything, that would harm her case.
Her best course now is to, help me jubus, be a good soldier and get with the program. If Obama does well in the short term, she gets credit for stepping aside; farther down the road who knows what happens, maybe another chance appears.
If it doesn’t go well for Obama this summer, and there is a real chance that will be the case, the last thing she wants is for anyone to be giving her the stinkeye. A real true open convention, anything can happen; an Obama collapse that is seen as Clinton’s fault gets us President Gore.
I still dream, too.
For My Part, I'll Be Happy If Hillary's Script
includes the number of people who went to her website and told her to fight to the convention. Talk about a shot across the bow (which my guess is as much as she’s going to even consider doing).
“I asked my supporters on Tuesday to let me know what they wanted me to do. More than [x many] people logged onto my website, hillaryclinton.com, and left notes and made suggestions. [Y number] of you wanted me to continue fighting and take it all the way to the convention. I’m touched by this confidence in me. But I’ve given it a lot of thought and while I understand and appreciate this advice, I believe it is in the best interests of our nation to put a Democrat in the White House in 2009 and I believe the best way to do that is to avoid a protracted fight over the summer. Accordingly, I am suspending my campaign…”
Translation, my voters are pissed and want me to go to the convention. I’m not going to because I’m a good Democrat. So now what are you going to give me for being a good Democrat and what are you going to give my voters so they aren’t quite so pissed.
she has to throw the ball to him
emphatically and clearly—and make everything his responsibility —something like
“I know our nominee will do everything in his power to convince all those who voted for me that he understands the issues and problems that drove their votes, and that he will devote his presidency to solutions to the enormous problems facing us all.”
President Gore
A real true open convention, anything can happen; an Obama collapse that is seen as Clinton’s fault gets us President Gore.
that’s just it. I’m not a Hillbot — and I have no problem with any competent honest democrat being the nominee.
One of the reasons I wanted her to stay in was that she could, ’in the name of party unity’, concede and endorse someone else later on, because the Obots are so stupid they’d rather go down with the ship than allow Clinton to win the nomination.
But by endorsing Obama, when Obama implodes she no longer can play the role of “reconciler” — instead, if she switches support to an “open primary” she becomes Obama’s chief betrayer.
Well, that worked well for Edwards, right?
Remember the whole poverty as signature issue thing?
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
Come on, BIO
Like we could win with a white male nominee who didn’t even run in the primaries?
Can’t see it. Not after this campaign.
Right now, unless something extraordinary happens, like a videotape of McCain shouting ’allahu akbar’, he’s gonna be the next president.
I'm Glad To See The Direction Of This Thread
Hillary is going to concede and endorse Obama. That was always what she was going to do once Obama had actually received the requisite number of pledged and super delegates to win the nomination, and it was clear that the majority of the party, including most of her own most important supporters, wouldn’t follow her in a challenge that took this race into the convention.
So I’m glad to see even so passionate an Obama-doubter as Amberglow recognize what the political situation is for Hillary and for her husband, as well. Her decision to suspend her campaign and endorse Obama is not a betrayal of her voters, and all of them should know it, since she has stated that reality publicly again and again.
The problem, as I see it, is that the number of Democrats, including grassroots voters, who share the deep skepticism about Obama often expressed here, who see him as indistinguishable from George W. Bush, or would ever contemplate voting for John McCain, or any Republican for President in November, after the last eight years, represent a small minority, even of Hillary’s base.
I agree with Bringiton’s comparison of Hillary’s journey to RFK’s, and we had similar experiences of the latter; I was in Watts when Bobby came to actually listen to them, walking through the streets where they lived, and you could see on his face that what he heard was burning itself into his soul.
Frankly, I think one of Obama’s early tests will be whether of not he finds a way to use both Clintons in his own campaign, call it a sort of endorsement of the Clintons and the Clinton brand as a continuing force in the Democratic Party. His speech Tuesday night, gave indications that he realizes the need for this kind of real reconciliation.
I’m working on a post that will express my own take on where do we go from here, so I’ll save the rest of what I have to say for that. Hope to get it up later today. I intend to sticky it, so let me know if that gets in the way of anyone else’s desire to sticky.
Let me just share this with all of you. Tuesday, Tuesday night, and most of all yesterday, were among the most painful hours I have ever spent as a Democrat. The response of a wide swathe of pro-Obama bloggers made me incredulous. They all began to sound like Republican operatives, determined to keep Clinton voters from moving to Obama. A more hateful display of craven subservience to a narrative manufactured by the SCLM
I can’t recall seeing. That will also be in my post.
The Dems destroyed that...
… because they want to destroy your beliefs.
It really is that simple.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
Great post and great thread bringiton...
Might be useful to consolidate in a “What to expect” post for this Saturday’s event. Sort of a prophylactic to the press/A list — sorry for the redundancy — coverage.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
yeah, they took lessons from the GOP
distract the base with red meat non issues like “race and gender” they don’t have to spend a dime on “issues” like that.
Its our “guns and Gods”…hey, it works for the GOP, gets them out to vote: no dittohead would be “against” God, right?
Is there a legal way
to still remain an option in Denver, yet get out of the speculation/rumour mill in the meantime and give her all to supporting campaigning for (propping up) the “presumptive” (in the meantime) nominee?
(by dropping the vp talk as you suggest: say nicely I agree with DNC: I’m not the best vp)
So, is that legally possible?
Not that DNC laws matter nowadays…
but can someone point me to the terminology of such a situation?
suspend…= can supers change their minds (in private) at convention?
v concede = give up all possibilities of convention?
what other words exactly should we pin our hopes on?
this is my exact question:
“loyal Democrat Hillary Clinton waiting in the wings, than divisive Hillary fighting to the convention. “
loyal Democrat waiting in the wings: once she concedes or suspends, isn’t she unavailable at Denver?
or do you mean wait till 2012?
look forward to reading it
that is odd, isn’t it: “determined to keep Clinton voters from moving to Obama. ”
I looked over at my old home dailykos and they are still not happy or celebrating, just still telling lies to keep the Hillarybashing…its odd.
Leah, I think it would be unwise for Obama to try to include
both Clintons, no less one, in his immediate journey to the WH. I truly think he needs to distance himself from HRC in order to build a strong image - she, and Bill for that matter, will continue to overshadow him in any role.
I believe Bringiton said this and I agree. Clinton needs to/will suspend her campaign (which I think she will on Saturday)and respectfully thank everyone including BO. Then she is free to continue to raise cash, continue to be visible, continue to build good will - trip overseas for one of her foundations? - continue to champion universal healthcare and continue to show that she is still the most viable, electable democrat.
This is not over until the convention. John Edwards has not conceded, Mike Gravel has not conceded, Dennis Kucinich has not conceded - Hillary Clinton will not concede.
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Dotcommodity, doesn't suspend mean you can activate?
I love this job!
Suspend means:
For a Democrat, suspending a campaign gives you three benefits:
He can continue to receive federal matching funds for his campaign donations.
He will remain on the ballot of the remaining primary states, and retain the delegates he has amassed so far.
If he gets over 15% in a congressional district, then he still gets delegates.
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I'm looking forward to the post...
… but I have to call out “incredulous,” since it isn’t as if I, among others, haven’t been screaming about this very thing at the top of our lungs for months. Snarl. The idea that there’s no place for us in the party is reality-based in that we’re constantly being told that very thing.
My prediction: No offer to Hillary of VP. No concession on policy. In particular, no concession on UHC. Obama doesn’t want any of that, and, in any case, his base wouldn’t let him.
[x] Any (D) in the general. [ ] ?????. [ ] Any mullah-sucking billionaire-teabagging torture-loving pus-encrusted spawn of Cthulhu, bless his (R) heart.
Leah, i'm past doubt now to
outright rebellion— i can’t in good conscience vote for him — it would be giving up on all the issues and fights i care about, and that the country needs fixed.
and this is just one giant, glaring reason why—I can’t vote for anyone who so fundamentally chooses to lie about our political reality — read this from BDB
i bet it's Richardson--
i’m almost sure — he’s weak and timid, and won’t ever outshine Obama—and has foreign policy experience (and they think he’ll help with Hispanics, but he won’t)
Apologies, something strange happened with this thread
my computer showed no new comments, who knows why, so I didn’t open it up this morning; not intending to be neglectful.
Thanks awfully for the kind comments and civil conversation. Thanks, actually, to all, just for reading.
My bottom-line political position hasn’t changed for ever; maybe that’s a bad thing, but there it is anyway. Any “D” is far better than any “R” - period. I would vote for a slime monster from the pits of Perdition with a “D” next to it’s name before I’d vote for John McCain, or not vote at all, or throw one away on some hopeless third party. Nothing matters to me but that the Republicans are ousted from the White House. Whatever needs doing after that is something I’ll worry about doing after that.
Leah, as always, I look forward to what you have to say. Still so awfully painful about young Bobby, eh? I’ve tried several times now to write about all that, the spring and summer of ’68, and it just won’t come. A lot of other things went horribly wrong for me right then, an involuntary recasting of the die and so many changes happening all at once I didn’t apparently process his death properly.
Forty years on you’d think a man could just deal with it but no; I start to write and end up staring, lost in reverie, maundering about, ruminating what-ifs by the bucket load and the next thing you know, an hour has gone by and all I have to show for it is a half-assed title and some tears. If it weren’t so sad it would be pathetic.
Lambert, understood, I’ll do what I can.