Letters to the Editor
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What Hillary should do now
I've been trashing Hillary all over Salon, but I honestly have no problem with her continued candidacy. There are plenty of reasons to run that have nothing to do with winning. For example, Ron Paul is running because he brings something to the debate -- a belief in limited government and a sane foreign policy -- not represented by the nominee. If Hillary were to continue her campaign to promote her plan on healthcare or simply to "go out strong" that'd be fine by me. I'm not even really bothered by the tone of her campaign, since it seems to backfire on Hillary every time she crosses the line. I doubt this stuff is going to hurt Obama in the fall. If anything, the Rev. Wright and Ayers are now such old news, I can't imagine the GOP still beating this drum in the fall.
What does concern me is the constant shifting of the goalposts, because that signals to me that under NO circumstance will Hillary voluntarily leave. For example, the "new math" her campaign rolled about about the number of delegates Obama needs to seal the deal. I hope this is just bluffing for the sake of keeping her supporters involved, because when all the states and territories have voted Obama will have a clear majority of delegates and an insurmountable lead in the popular vote. At that point, the race really IS over and it'd be reassuring for Hillary to say she's going to run the race out to the end and abide by the decision of the superdelegates, instead of suggesting in cryptic tones that she will hold the party hostage if she doesn't get what she wants.
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Hillary will do what she will do
The last time the Democrats took the fight into the convention was 1980, Carter versus Kennedy. Didn't exactly work in November. The last time the GOP did was 1976, Ford versus Reagan. Same result.
Is it about a Democratic president in January or about Hillary? It's for her to decide. And it will be fair for all of us to judge her by her actions. And it will be fair for all of us to judge her by her actions.
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Only problem with your argument, Joan, is the counties.
North Carolina. Solidly black Democratic population. Irrelevant as we all knew he'd get that all along.
Indiana. Large black population in the cities, particularly on border of Chicago (Lake County) - and I know this is going to shock everyone - famous for fraud.
Bloomington. Lafayette. College campus towns.
Did he win a single other county, including those in solidly Democratic southern Indiana - you know the 3 Congressional seats we hold?
No. Not one.
We already knew he won blacks and lefties. IN and NC changed nothing.
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Thanks, Joan
That's all I've been asking for from Hillary, and Salon, for the past couple of months. I just got back from hearing Obama at a rally in Oregon, and the only thing he talked about was the importance of defeating McCain in the Fall, and that he thought his plan was the best way to do that. He didn't say anything bad about Hillary (in fact, I can't say that her name even came up) but if he had gone on about Hillary this or that, it would have been as tiresome as when I hear and see the clips of Hillary aiming shots at Obama.
I want, and have wanted, to hear Hillary talk about why she is the best to take down McCain; instead, she seems to have spent more energy trying to convince me that a vote for Obama is the real danger to the country.
BTW, the rally was in Linn County, a notoriously white, working class bedrock Republican County. The audience loved what Obama had to say.
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she could start campaigning for Obama
hey, it's just a thought
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Hillary's gonna keep on campaigning?
I'm so happy I could just shit.
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It's still up to her
I am not exactly sure what tuesday showed that forces Clinton to quit. She doesn't need to get enough delegates to win, only enough to prevent Obama from getting enough candidates to win. Then anything goes. Thats the way the system was designed, so why is everyone upset that it is playing out as designed?
Due to the demographics of NC Clinton would have had to get 80% of the White vote to overcome the 90% black vote for Obama. That would have looked great in a headline. "Democrats vote by race." It's very good that did not happen but that it did not happen is not reason for Clinton to quit.
Obama should have won Ind. It's his backyard and he out spent Clinton by who knows what factor.
Clinton can bow out if she wants to, however nothing that happened tuesday forces her to do so.
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What should Hillary do?
The answer to that question is so simple it is amazing it is still even asked. Senator Clinton needs to admit defeat, resign gracefully, and work on repairing the immense damage she has done to the Democratic party this past several months. If her supporters truly care about the issues she has fought for, then they need to throw their support behind Senator Obama so that we avoid another four years of a Bush-clone administration.
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?
Has Joan Walsh ever written anything original or incisive or creative? When was the last time? Is there anything in these blogs that anyone hasn't already heard about, or read about? It reads like a blog written by someone who only had 45 minutes before deadline, and so just watched a bunch of stuff on MSN, and summarized that. Hillary's in trouble? Jeremiah Wright? She may drop out? But she has the right to continue, if she wants? But negative campaigning is bad?
Joan, if you don't have anything interesting to say, then remember; you don't have to say anything at all.
You are the perfect cross-section of the American public. Unfortunately, that's not really what I look for when I go to read opinion columns. If I want to hear what everyone else has already said, I can just turn on the TV or stick my head out the window, you know?
There are so many interesting ways to discuss this campaign. I don't see any of them happening here. But I am, as always, fascinated by the train-wreck that is your column, as well as your numerous horrible commentators. ...Hi, Shawn!