Letters to the Editor
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What is Hillary's End-Game?
Even if she makes it to the convention the only way she is going to get the nomination is by a back room deal that will blow up the Democratic party permanently and spark calls for Obama to run as a Third Party.
Neither of which would be bad in the long term, but certainly precludes any sort of progressive Presidency for the next four years and basically gives John McCain 08. And all because of... what? Hillary's Ego and Entitlement to Power.
I hope Dean, along with Al Gore who knows a few things about being cheated out of an election, will step in stop this nonsense.
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Silly little detail
Although Howard Dean is eligible to vote in Vermont, I believe the governor is actually a native of New York.
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@ writerinLA
I don't know, I guess since she CAN win, why should she leave? As long as both candidates keep it dignified, no harm.
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In defense of W.E.S.
This is a true phenomenon. My mom and her husband will both vote McCain in November, but they voted Obama in the primary "so we don't get Hillary."
I realize this is anecdotal eveidence, but they're not the only ones.
The Republicans think they have a better shot against Obama than Clinton.
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As I Have Said Before
Many of the republican big mouths don't even care if they win the general this time. Many of them are saying losing this time will usher in the next Big Daddy Real Conservative in 2012. Their victory this time is Hillary not winning. That's why we are wimps if we don't make Hillary the nominee.
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I think Dean is wrong
The problem isn't the long race. A long race could actually be a good thing, since it keeps the party in the news. The problem is that the campaign is ugly. The Democratic Party is divided between people who think that many Clinton supporters are racists and people who think that the Obama campaign has unjustly used charges of racism to gain votes. A lot of formerly loyal Democrats are saying they won't vote for whoever ends up winning. I think that Dean is assuming that if this election ends soon we will have time to heal, time to recover from the ugliness of the primary. He's wrong. This campaign has opened up wounds that were healing over. It will take a long time to recover - more time than we have. The opportunity to stop it is long past - they would have had to step in to referee during the first angry outbreaks. The damage is done. Once more the issue of race has divided our party. The winner and still champion: The right winger's who maintain discipline among their party members. They've had to swallow hard to rally around McCain, but they have. Rove made a very public contribution to McCain's fund.
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Whether Howard Dean is right or not...
...he should shut up already.
Personally, I think a prolonged primary could be a good thing. People are excited about the Democrats, talking about the Democrats. It's an engrossing story and as people get more invested in it, the more we may profit from that (dare I say) momentum. As a party.
But even if I'm wrong and Dean is right, he needs to stop the hand-wringing and project strength. Have you ever seen a fight on a playground? No one likes the kid who gets upset and thinks we should just cut it out or go get the teacher.
Sure, I'm a *little* concerned about what effects this prolonged primary *could* have on our chances in the general. But overall, I'm glad we're the hot story and McCain can't get a whole lot of traction in the media. Dean should be too. Or at least act like he is. Because you know what always ensures Democratic losses? Acting like losers.
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Dean should stop talking
and start leading the DNC. He may have helped during the last midterm elections, but he's done nothing to encourage party leaders in Congress to accomplish anything substantial, he's done nothing to promote unity within the party, and he's done nothing to rectify the primary fiascos in Michigan and Florida.
P.S. Hillary should stay in the race.
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Just don't give Republicans ammo for the general
I don't see anything wrong with a battle all the way to the convention; unless Obama & Clinton create taliking points for McCain, in their efforts to win the nomination.
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The Uselessness of Polls
It's always risky to put up one's anecdotal evidence against "scientific" polling, but while reading this I kept thinking of two things:
o) Hasn't this campaign showed us how basically useless polls are in predicting outcomes? Before the New Hampshire primary, Obama was blowing Hillary out; then she won. Before the Wisconsin primary, it was supposed to be close, and then Obama blew Hillary out. Haven't we learned that in a race between a woman and a black man, our former models are simply inadequate, or just plain wrong?
o) I haven't talked to a single person--not one--who wants Hillary to stay in the race. Not one. With friends in Maryland, California, Oregon, and Texas, they all want the race to be over.
So before we go jumping up and down about these poll results, let's remember what previous poll results have done for us in this campaign (ans.: bupkiss), and take a deep breath.
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At the risk of sounding "whiney"
The recent poll that shows that 25% of Clinton voters SAY they would vote for a Republican over Obama (as opposed to 10% of Obama supporters switching to a Republican over Clinton), is saying something that the media and Obama’s campaign are missing. It is this: Clinton supporters are not stupid. They know when their candidate is being treated unfairly by the media and that Obama is taking advantage of it. Obama supporters don’t see it, of course, because they like the unfair treatment. The media doesn’t see it, because they think in 24 hour news cycles.
The thing is that when someone is treating you or someone you like unfairly, you tend not to like the person that is doing it and dislike anyone who is willing to go along with it. As a Clinton supporter, I doubt I will ever watch Keith Olbermann again, and I no longer see Obama as a second best alternative to Clinton. I see him as a Machiavellian politician who never gets challenged on the absurd responses he makes to criticism and never gets challenged on the arrogance and utter snideness of his campaign officials.
There is danger in railroading someone, and that is that they won’t like it. The Democratic leadership had better remember that. If for example, the nomination is still close after today and the DNC decides to pressure superdelegates to support Obama in order to force Clinton out of the race, the ramifications of that may not be pretty.
I think that the Clinton supporters who now say they would vote Republican will probably come to their senses, but if Obama and the media continue to play like Republicans (making personal attacks and then trying to claim it is the other side that is making personal attacks), former Clinton supports might decide there is no difference. If Clinton does get the nomination, no one will be able to say it was handed to her; not so with Obama.