Letters to the Editor
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The Long Stretch
It's been a long campaign and it continues. I've gone from being a lukewarm Clinton supporter to a passionate one. In the beginning I supported her because I figured she was the front runner and deserved my backing from the get-go. Then I watched an Obama speech and liked her more. I think it was partly his message, his dismissal of the Clintons' accomplishments when he spoke of turning the page ( yes, I wanted to turn the page on George Bush, but why should I dump the Clintons, who were good, along with that bad bathwater? This theme made me feel that he was turning the page on ME.) It was also his slogans, so similar (like his "just words" speech) to those of Deval Patrick, the disappointing candidate I voted for for governor here in Massachusetts.
The more I saw of Hillary, the more I liked her. I guess that's the way it goes once your mind is made up. I've had moments when I wished she would throw in the towel because I couldn't bear the pressure on her -- I certainly would have thrown it in! But over and over I've seen her rise up, weather every humiliation, defeat, and attack and I'm getting a little tougher too and really beginning to believe she can make it. The longer the odds -- the harder she fights. At this point, even if she has to scratch and claw her way, bend steel bars in her bare hands and the rules along with them - so be it! I'll stand by her all the way to the convention.
We had Al Gore who wouldn't or couldn't fight Bush tooth and nail for the hanging chad presidency and Kerry who was too polite, or I don't know what, above the fray, to fight the swift-boaters.
I'm beginning to believe that Hillary is the first Democratic candidate we've had who is strong enough to go all the way to the White House since Bill did it.
If Obama beats her, which will mean getting the supers to back him, fine. If Obama wants it over now, let him convince them to stiffen their spines and come out and declare for him. Once he reaches the magic number it will all be over. Until he does, this drip, drip water torture of quit, quit, quit is making me crazy but I'm pretty damn sure that Hillary can take it.
Uh-oh, I got all hot under the collar and I meant to be cool! Sigh. Is it November yet? If it's Obama on the ballot I'm not sure what I'll do. Probably, I'll vote for him but it's gonna feel like taking a punch to the gut.
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If You Vote For McCain
You are voting for four more years of a Republican Party dominated by Karl Rove and the same bunch of fools that we have been forced to tolerate over the past seven years.
A change is needed. Not an exchange.
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What is so complicated about this?
Let's review AGAIN, shall we? -- NEITHER Barack nor Hillary will have sufficient delgate votes at the end of primary season to be the nominee.
Repeat -- NEITHER BARACK NOR HILLARY WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT DELGATE VOTES AT THE END OF PRIMARY SEASON TO BE THE NOMINEE.
He's not the winner, he's not "winning". The polls continue to indicate that he can't get enough delegates to win. It has NOTHING to do with who has the most popular votes and NOTHING to do with who has amassed the most delegates by the end of the primaries. Either you get the magic number or you don't. Period. Surely you Obama supporters, with your insistance on following the rules in Florida and Michigan, can understand these rules too, no? You'd get it if we called it a "runoff" vote, right? You're familiar with that concept, yes? Well, just think of the superdelegates as a runoff vote then.
There is (and will be) effectively a stalemate in the primary process. The vote will go to the superdelegates who are not bound to vote for anyone and whose entire reason for being is to pick the candidate they see as the best candidate for the party. He has some arguments along this line and so does she. Hers just happen to be better at this point and supported by numerous polls now showing her a stronger candidate against McCain, but hey, you know, that's what conventions are supposed to be for.
Calls for her to step aside, and calling her a spoler if she doesn't, are just plain stupid. She's every bit as much of a winner at this point as he is. Because each of them has prevented the other from winning. Because neither of them has won or is likely to win as a result of the primaries.
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@manyctnj (Warning: Curling Reference!)
You're right, he's not the winner, but he certainly is winning. Only a fool would say otherwise. He has more delegates, while he cannot reach 2,024 on his own, he's certainly much closer to that number than Clinton. That my friend, is the definition of winning.
Think of it like curling (warning: curling alert): the game quite often does not go to the final end as the losing team will concede that they simply cannot make up the required points to best the winning side. Clinton at this moment is in the ninth end and is too far behind to beat Obama in the tenth. She doesn't have to concede, she can play that tenth end all she wants...but she simply isn't going to overtake Obama and right about now it's just an excercise in futility.
(unless the judges rule that Obama burned some rocks in the earlier ends and he loses points, then she can win...yeah, I know..that was a weak superdelegate metaphor...my bad)
cheers!
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Neutral view
I´m located in Europe, more than 5 000 miles away from the USA.
I myself am being a politicion in my home nation. Therefore I´m also keen on politics around the world, and especially at this point the democratic primary (I support democrats). So not being a supporter of either of the candidate, I can have a "cool" long-distance view over issue.
Let´s face it. Hillary is in real trouble. The latest bad news for her was the Penn case. Present trade-bettings and expectations at this point are: Obama 86 % and Hillary 12 % possibility to win the nomination. The new polls also show the trend. According to the latest polls, PA, NC, and IN, HRC is going to be about the same (or more) numbers behind of pledged delegates compared to Obama.
After Indiana, there are 210 pledged delegates to pic, and Hillary is around 150 delegates behind. You see the pattern? Even though Michigan and Florida would revote, she after all would still be behind.
Predictions are always predictions. Therefore you ought to check the market expectations (86 %---12 %).
You have a good campaing, but the nomination ought to be decided rather sooner than later.