Letters to the Editor
joemartin64
Published Letters: 86
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Obama sure is crashing and burning
[Read the article: How will it all end?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]right now. How can he be winning by slaughter rule in so many different states? She is our firewall if we need to hold NY and California in the general election. If we instead want someone to help in the swing states of Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Virginia, and, we shall see Ohio, then force McCain to direct resources into Kansas, Colorado, some Southern states - then I think we should get behind the candidate who wins in blow outs in those places.
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Da Coach
[Read the article: Clinton more electable than Obama, Mark Penn claims]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I remember that Illinois Republicans tried to recruit the toughest of all tough guys in Illinois, Mike Ditka, to run against Obama in 2004. Many Democrats were stewing with concern about whether Obama was up for a challenge like that, or was he too namby-pamby. Obama went straight back at Ditka saying he couldn't wait to ask why he only won a single Super Bowl with all the talent the Bears had.
He knows the drill when attacked - no wavering, go back at an opponent's supposed strong point, but keep it on the up and up. It's not rocket science.
The Penn criticism of Obama's vulnerability is that if he doesn't respond effectively Obama might end up with Hillary-level negatives. So the riskier candidate is the one who might end up in the same bad place as where the other already is. Now that is talking a barrel of good sense right there.
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FDR's first election
[Read the article: Clinton: "My opponent gives speeches, I offer solutions"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Having heard Hillary's position that her mastery of policy detail is a point in her favor looking toward an Dem President passing a Dem agenda, makes me think of Franklin Roosevelt's first election. He first secured a sizeable electoral victory over Herbert Hoover, as well as a big congressional majority.
After his election, he visited Supreme Court Justice Holmes as a courtesy. Justice Holmes was about 90 years old and had been on the court for decades. His comment about FDR: "He has a second rate mind, but a first rate temperament."
Passing an acceptable Dem agenda in 2009 and beyond has nothing to do with who can score better on a test. It has to do with reconstructing what FDR (the greatest agenda-passer in U.S. history) had - a mandate and a first rate temperament.
Obviously, neither Hillary or Senator Obama have a second rate mind. Only Senator Obama has a shot at a true mandate, plus the first rate temperament thing.
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The nomination contest is over
[Read the article: Obama takes Wyoming]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Here are the four important hurdles - pledged delegates, popular vote, states won and crossover appeal in the general election.
Obama will win pledged delegates. HRC must win the remaining few states/territories (including IN,NC,MS,OR) by Obama-type landslide margins to equal him in popular vote. He already has 28 state victories, so unless we add 6 more states to the Union before Memorial Day that issue is settled. Finally, regarding crossover appeal - we know Rush Limbaugh and every other Republican jackass is praying/hoping/dreaming/working for Hillary to be the nominee. Furthermore, the 2004 swing states contested by Democrats so far are WI, OH, MO, MN, NM, IA, and WA. Obama, as nominee, will add VA, CO, NE, and maybe even KS to the list.
Why are we even bothering with this discussion?
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Who do Republicans want as our nominee?
[Read the article: Who would the GOP rather face?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]DUH!!!!!!!!!
It's the only landslide she can win - Republicans wanting her instead of Obama in the general. I was in Orlando for a convention last week (the one the Fed Chairman spoke at) and listened on Ohio/Texas tuesday to conservative talk radio in my rental car. Laura Ingraham's show had a call from U.S. Air Force officers at Eisenhower AFB in San Antonio bragging about how they had just come back from voting for HRC in the open Texas primary: laughs all around.
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It's over but even more so
[Read the article: Fox News calls Mississippi for Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I cannot believe the G. Ferraro comments about her being victimized for being white. I get the gender issue, but for the love of all that is good for her, Hillary needs to make some sort of exit. Ohio and Texas didn't stem Obama's tide. If Senator Clinton wants to still contest Pennsylvania, amen to her, but let's look to the general, finally, with Obama as our absolute, no-going-back, presumptive nominee - because he is in everyone's view except Bill, Hillary, Rush etc.
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What is the point of all this?
[Read the article: Ferraro resigns from Clinton campaign]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Heartbreak is guaranteed here - gender or race fans, only one can win. So - let's vote for the best individual, and ignore groups. Obama is better than Hillary as an individual presidential candidate, and he's proven that with his insurmountable delegate lead. This wasn't America choosing between who gets to go first - the black candidate or woman candidate - it was Obama v. Clinton and Obama won. End of story.
Finally, Salon still navel gazes about who out of them might be a better general election candidate while 25% or all of HRC's votes in Mississippi's open primary come from Republicans. That issue is settled.
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Obama has longer coattails
[Read the article: Which Democratic candidate has the longest coattails?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Ya Think? is want my 10 year old would say. Only Democrats are having trouble with this question and the "who can do better in the general election" question. For everyone else it's obvious - Obama by a mile.
When 25% of HRC's popular vote in Mississippi comes from Republicans following Rush Limbaugh's orders, these are settled questions.
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And another thing -
[Read the article: Which Democratic candidate has the longest coattails?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A Dem won Denny Hastert's congressional seat this past saturday 53-47 against an enormously wealthy conservative. Obama was featured in all the Dem's ads, and was a huge force. The district includes rural north central Illinois and parts of DuPage county in Chicago's western suburbs. I cannot overemphasize how Republican DuPage is (I work there). No way this miracle occurs if HRC campaigned for the Dem instead of Obama. Multiply that across all the other congressional districts that fit this profile and an argument in favor of Hillary's coattails doesn't pass the laugh test.