Letters to the Editor
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Published Letters: 149 Editor's Choice: 4
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super delegates fly away
[Read the article: 50 superdelegates ready to endorse Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]These 50 super delegates need to come out in support of Obama before the end of this evening's drama. The harmful attacking of Clinton against Obama has gone on long enough and now the results are clear: even if Clinton wins both Ohio and Texas by slender margins, she will pick up only a handful more delegates than Obama does. He will continue to pull away from her in the total count of pledged delegates.
Only if Clinton can pull off gigantic wins (65 percent and more) in all the remaining states including Texas and Ohio will she be able to reel in enough delegates to overcome Obama's lead.
Now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of their party. A gracious withdrawal will confirm Clinton's position as the savior of the party, ensuring her a key role for decades to come, whereas a contentious and bitter donnybrook will only serve to damage the eventual nominee for the fall general election.
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Math vs. Mo
[Read the article: It ain't over yet]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Despite my initial disappointment at the results of Tuesday's primary voting in Texas and Ohio, I remain optimistic that the insurmountable lead that Obama has accumulated in pledged delegates will sweep him to the nomination. If this is not the outcome, then certainly John (100 years in Iraq) McCain will be elected president in November.
The ugly turn of the campaign during the last four days was effective in convincing those who made up their minds at the last moment to support Clinton. Since these sly personal attacks questioning Obama's religion and competancy worked with this segment of the voting public we can be sure that Clinton will employ more of them in the coming weeks. This is bad for the Democratic party and a wonderful gift for the GOP.
I think that the manner in which Clinton pursues the nomination over the next several weeks will make all the difference in the enthusiasm that would greet her victory in Denver. If she campaigns under the banner of hope, vision, and fresh-thinking then she will draw many Obama supporters to her cause for the general election. If she relies on the old-time tactics of personal attack, half-truths, and distortions to wound a good man then I believe that in the fall Obama supporters will close their wallets, make no commitments of time and energy, and merely cast a reluctant vote for her against the war-monger McCain. This extinguished enthusiasm will result in a Republican victory.
The choice is up to Senator Clinton now.
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Managerial incompetance
[Read the article: "Penn should have been let go"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This excellent in-depth article from the Washington Post is not just another "inside baseball" analysis. It strikingly reveals the costs of putting personal loyalty over professional competance. Senator Clinton has surrounded herself with people who make her comfortable but are not necessarily the best qualified for their jobs. She has failed miserably to manage and control the resulting fighting inside her campaign. She allowed the bitter rangling to continue for weeks upon end rather than stepping in, as a strong manager should, to resolve the debates and renew the team's focus on moving forward. She demonstrates an utter inability to weigh conflicting advice and choose a resolution. The financial collapse of her campaign in the first quarter of this year is another important indicator of her lack of competance in a crucial leadership area.
In other words, Senator Clinton's inept management of her own campaign is a tangible and important indication of her inability to shape and guide a major organization. She is not qualified to lead our nation and would clearly be a shaky hand on the fabled "red phone" in a crisis.
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She can't manage ...
[Read the article: More on Clinton camp infighting]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...her way out of a brown bag. Hillary Clinton does not have experience leading anything larger than a Senate office of under 20 people. Despite her extravagant (and unexamined) claims about her leadership prowess, Senator Clinton has zero relevant experience that prepares her for assuming the presidency. The fact that she is a "fighter" is well established. Everything else on her resume is tragically baseless boasting.
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Powerful argument ...
[Read the article: Which Democratic candidate has the longest coattails?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...self-interest. Congressional Democrats (as well as other Democratic candidates in local races) across the nation are right to attempt to assess the positive impact that having Obama at the head of the national ticket will have on their campaigns.
It is clear that Obama will continue to generate a tremendous upsurge in voter interest and enthusiasm, that these energized Democrats, Republicans, and Independants will contribute money, time, and their votes to candidates up and down the ticket. Even if Obama does not finally carry states such as Wyoming or Idaho or Alabama in the general election, there is every reason to expect that voters drawn to his candidacy can push lower level Democrats across the finish line to victory.
Another important point to consider: of the two candidates who is more likely to bind up the wounds of the party after the nominating convention? It is difficult to imagine that Clinton -- with her divisive and unforgiving stance toward all opponents, her slash-and-burn rhetoric, and her "kitchen sink" attack strategy -- will be able to appeal to abused members of the party to join hands and work together in the fall campaign. In contrast, Obama demonstrates on a daily basis a calm demeanor, wry humor, measured judgment, and a willingness to see the other point of view. It is precisely these core aspects of Obama's temperment that will make it easy for him, as the nominee, to reach out and make an honest and effective appeal to those who currently oppose him.
Supporting Obama will make the Democratic party whole again and make victory in November that much more likely.