Letters to the Editor
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The "divide" is overblown
Obama will no doubt have some work to do when he finally, officially wins the Democratic nomination, but I think this idea of a demographic divide in the party has been seriously overblown.
Obama will carry the overwhelming majority of Hillary supporters. A percentage of Hillary supporters might say they'd back McCain, but I think those numbers are inflated by posturing - the threat of leaving the party is leverage - and the heat of the moment. On the issues, Hillary and Obama are too similar to abandon one for McCain, who's looking more and more like he's running for Bush's third term. As the difference between Obama and McCain becomes increasingly clear this fall, I expect many Clinton supporters to back the party's nominee. Obama's performace vs. Hillary among "white, working class voters" is not necessarily an indication of how he'll fare against McCain among this group. To be honest, I doubt Obama or Hillary would do very well vs. the GOP among this demographic in a general election.
The only way I see a large percentage of Democratic voters defecting to McCain is if the Dem nominee is seen as illegitimate; for example, if Obama leads in delegates and the popular vote but the supers give Hillary the nod anyway. But that isn't going to happen; Obama will split the remaining delegates and win the nomination in June. Far as electability goes, the real battleground in the fall will be among independents, and Obama is much stronger among this group. Obama may have a tougher time in Ohio or Florida than Hillary, but he will put several traditionally red states like Virginia and North Carolina in play. Had Kerry been able to carry a handful of these states in '04 he'd have won. I'm not at all worried about Obama's electability in the fall.
Finally, it's not just a matter of cold political calculus. It's also a matter of fairness. The party established its nominating rules. According to those rules, Obama won. He's run a masterful campaign and the party owes it to Obama to support him this fall.
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Kudoos to Brazile
Donna Brazile said it like it is. Paul Begala was and is a very obnoxious pundit and Donna Brazile was not the only one to pounce on him. He is so whinny.
Donna's right, and "just" it the key word. She did not say we can win without the white and Hispanic vote. She said everyone is imortant. Besides Hillary has not won any states with high Hispanic populations by double digits, and Obama has won more states that are 'white" than Hillary. In fact in IN & NC he increased his votes among working class. Yes the African American vote increased and it was in direct reaction to the race baiting around REV Wright. African American are JUST s important as the white working class and Hillary and her pundits should stop trying to build a divide.
I disagree that Hillary is not race baiting. She is. She played up the Rev. Wright against Obama and that is race baiting. The whole "bittergate"is so absurd. Last night my friends were discussing our disgust with both HIllary's race baiting and pandering to the working class over this bitter comments. Shouldn't we be proud of intellectuals after listening to Bush for 8 years? Hard working? excuse me but us weialthy white voters are wealthy because we are educated and we WORK HARD for our money. Demcrats need the youth vote. It is the future of the party.
I really have not noticed much sexism in the media against Hillary, except today in the NYT keep calling her Mrs. Clinton instead of Senator Clinton. However I am very disturbed by CNN's constant rhetoric about Obama will win, or not win, here or there, because there is, or is not a large African American population. They never give him credit for all the states Obama won are mostly white. Besides Obama has not played the race card, but Hillary and her supporters constantly play the gender card. Rule one: If you don't want sexism, then don't play the gender card.
I think that the Hillary campaign is playing up the racial divide and trying to create one where it does not exist. Its part of her strategy to try ad make sure Obama does not win the general election. It is not going to work.
It's time for Hillary to stop being divisive and drop out gracefully. It time for her supporters to stop saying its sexism. She has no chance in hell of winning this nomination. She needs to maintain what dignity, if any, she has left.
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IWW already solved this one
clear back in the 30s.
"We're the (party) of the working class. Who's the working class? Well if you put in a shift and get a paycheck you're in the working class. You can be a mechanic, a laborer, a pipefitter, or a doctor or a lawyer, but if you work for a boss, you're in the working class and we're here to represent you."
Joe Hill
The democratic party used to be the party of labor. The party of the people. It didn't matter what your race, or sex or religion was, if you weren't one of the bosses, you were a Democrat. What happened? It's time for the Democratic party to dump the DLC (Democrats of the Liesure Class) and get back to it's roots. The mere fact that anybody worth less than a million dollars will vote Republican means that the Democratic leadership has lost it's way. When they start working for the working class again then there won't be any crap about sex or race, and the owning class will no longer be able to use those fake dividing lines against us.
Somebody better tell Hillary and Barry who it is they're supposed to be working for before we get yet another corporate shill in the white house.
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Super delegtes not taking Hillary's bait
Last count today. Obama only needs a total of 163 delegates to get to 2025 and secure the nomination. He only need 33 pledged delegates to have a majority of pledged delegates. He will get that on May 20.