Letters to the Editor
-
why is this so hard to figure out?
I have yet to read some account or hypothetical scenario which would lead any sane person to believe that Clinton can win the nomination. Why do articles like this continue to dominate the media. One can only conclude it's propaganda.
Frankly, I couldn't give a good rat's a** about who wins, but the condescending attitude on the part of the media that this is still a race of some sort is nauseating.
I guess the country really is stupid enough to buy into "you need two horses to run a race" mentality that Salon and other media outlets put out there.
Sadly (because this current administration is the worst ever, and probably criminal too) it looks like the Dems will shoot themselves in the foot again and come next January's inauguration, Mr. McCain can coninue, or more likely intensify the deadly and awful policies of Mr. Bush.
-
Barack had it. Michelle blew it. And for the moment at least, we are seriously screwed.
As my wife frequently notes, though they don’t have much money or power, and though they are only benchwarmers, her blue-collar sisters and their spouses can at least say they are part of the greatest team on earth. The USA.
Early on, Obama generated a surprising degree of enthusiasm among this mostly Catholic crowd. Though my academic friends bristled, Barack’s invocation of “American exceptionalism” – symbolized in his stump by the “only in America is my story possible” bit – struck these folks as appealing, and struck me as a frame that could counter the more jingoistic and militant invocations of the right.
But that all came crashing down when Michelle uttered the unfortunate phase, “for the first time in my life I’m really proud of my country.”
We can parse and contextualize, note that the word “really” is a significant qualifier, but I don't think one can exaggerate the damage this worm has done to the shiny apple that was Barack.
PA showed two things: One, a mere +10 delegates shows Clinton cannot win the nomination without a coup that will seriously alienate African-Americans and depress a new generation of sure to be life-long Democratic voters. And two, Obama cannot win the election unless he can recast himself as an option for blue-collar folk who, if they have nothing else, at least have a country they can root for.
Clinton’s solution is to act more Republican than Cheney, to promise to give a nuclear elbow to Iran if it messes with Israel. That proves to me she cannot lead a country that needs to be guided away from its unaffordable military footprint and its ridiculous imperialist fantasies.
Obama has better ideas. But unless he can get Michelle to offer an apology for her tone-deaf comments, as galling as I know that would be for a black girl from the South Side, come November it’ll be Bush III.
-
@HP
"Cytherea, maybe we should just only nominate white men - since they are the safe choice. Right? Because that seems to be what you believe. And we used to do better in the South before civil rights, so let's rescind that and get the Southern Dems back. And Dems won all the time before women had the right to vote, so let's roll that back. Maybe even bring back the property requirement. Sound reasonable?"
Except towards the end it does. The first sentence is totally correct, at least at this moment in time. But why play it safe? Roll the dice and see what it brings you. And watch the working-class whites, Catholics, older voters, and Latinos flock to McCain. But hey, you don't need them to win any more, right? You've got a whole new metric. Fired-up college kids and BMW-driving liberal elites will join up with African-American voters and change the face of politics forever.
As the Mamas and the Papas once sang, "Dreeaaamm, Dream, Dream, Dream...."
-
Hillary Supporters
Great arguments. Just let me know how she wins the nomination.
-
Without
"Because I say so" as an answer. Cite some facts.
Cytherea must be thrilled to get Obama as the candidate against her boy McCain. Makes one wonder why she's been pushing so hard for Hillary all these weeks!
Hmmmmm.
-
Obama Folks
I don't mind that you are enthused about your candidate, but, really...do you have to be so damned nasty and arrogant about it? You can certainly support your candidate without sliming mine.
You're not winning over the approximately 50% of Democrats who haven't supported your candidate to this point. Worse, you're taking a huge chance by your tactics that you'll alienate them for good for the general election should he get the nomination. I really can't see your guy winning with just blacks and wealthy white yuppies; you need the REST of the Democratic base, as well.
And, for God's sake...whining about "negative ads" just shows how many naifs make up the core constituency of the Obama campaign. The political maxim in Louisiana, Texas and many other similar places is that politics is a contact sport; an ad that highlights the shortcomings of your candidate may make you angry, but, it isn't "nasty". A course of Political Ads-101 should be a part of your required curriculum.
Neither my candidate nor me are your "enemy"; please try to focus that energy and outrage at the true target: John McCain.
-
Something to consider
According to NPR and other sources, some 160,000 Republicans changed their voter registration to Democrat in order to vote in the closed Pennsylvania primary.
While I am certain some of those individuals sincerely changed parties, many likely did so to alter the outcome of the election (who can forget Rush Limbaugh encouraging his listeners to support Clinton in Texas).
Though I do not know if it is possible to determine how the majority of these 160,000 voted, we should nonetheless keep in mind that Clinton, according to the unofficial results at the Pennsylvania Department of State page, won by 193,701 votes.
If we assume (and I believe it is a safe assumption), the majority of these Republicans (and that is what they still are despite their current registration status) voted for Clinton, then her margin of victory among true Democrats in Pennsylvania is much smaller than the election results indicate.