Letters to the Editor
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Don't panic
I guess I'm one of the only Obama supporters who doesn't care if Hillary stays in until the last primary is over or not (although I do think that she needs to get out before the convention). It basically boils down to four main reasons:
1) I'd rather have the Rev. Wright thing run its course as much as possible while Obama is still in the primary. I know that Obama's going to be attacked as unpatriotic and "other" by the Republicans in the fall, but dealing with it during the primary gives him time and opportunity to try out different defenses and see what works. It also weakens the line of attack if it's already been overplayed for months before Obama captures the nomination.
2) I don't think that Hillary can continue going after Obama as viciously as she has been without risking further defections from her circle. With the race speech, Obama proved that he is a legitimately inspiring figure, and the candidate a who lot of Democrats have been waiting their whole lives for. She already lost Bill Richardson because of the type of campaign she's been running against him, and if she keeps it up, I think it's only going to get worse for her.
3) Yes, John McCain is making a lot of mistakes that the Democratic nominee isn't able to capitalize on, because there isn't a nominee yet. But that also relegates him to second-tier coverage as long as the focus is on Obama and Hillary. Yes, it's annoying that his Iran/al-Qaeda gaffe didn't get the kind of coverage that it should have. But I'm sure that his campaign is pissed that his entire trip to Iraq didn't get much play either. He's getting the kind of coverage associated with high-ranking members of Congress, while Obama and Hillary are getting the presidential treatment.
4) Assuming that Hillary drops out (or is pushed out) of the race following the last primary in the first week of June, that gives Obama five months to campaign against McCain, which is an eternity in a presidential campaign. Yes, he might have to spend a month or two mending party fences, but I think he's going to have a lot of help with that from a party that's largely excited about him and wants badly to take the White House and dominate Congress in November. By the time August rolls around, if Hillary and her people don't decide to throw a tantrum, we should have a nice big group hug at the convention and an energized party that's ready to spend the next three months kicking ass. I can't see any scenario where John McCain will enjoy the same advantage from his party.
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Bryan
Okay we got you on record. Now when Obama loses in the general you can't blame Hillary right?
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"When Clinton made the comment about how she and McCain were ready to lead and Obama was not. "
And that is why she's finished in '08 and dead in the water for 2012. I really believe she thought that tactic would cause an avalanche of terrified super delegates and party leaders to bow before her. All she did was commit career suicide. IF somehow she manages to wrangle the nomination through some shadey backroom manuevering (highly doubtfull) she'll lose in an epic landslide to John McCain. African Americans, young voters, independants and a lot of disgusted Democrats would sit it out. She would be a disaster for the down ticket Democratic nominees. If Obama is the nominee there is no question in my mind the Clintons will give a not so subtle defacto endorsement to John McCain. Nominee or not, either way, she's cooked her own goose.
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@siebecker
I'd go easy on the "Clinton endorsed" McCain promotion. All Clinton said was that she and McCain has more experience. Obama supporters are taking this a step further, suggesting that she was endorsing McCain, which implies that the candidate with more experience is obviously the one that should be President. If you think this way, then you shouldn't be supporting Obama, and if you don't think this way then you shouldn't be suggesting that Clinton endorsed McCain.
In summary: Suggesting that somebody who has more experience is automatically more qualified to be President is NOT something that Obama supporters should be doing. The only productive response to Clinton's suggestion that McCain has more experience should be "So? Experience isn't everything, my candidate is more qualified because....".
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Polls differ, and they change fast...
Gallup just put up its new numbers, and Clinton has regained two points since Sat morning. Gallup now has it Obama 47%--down a point--and Clinton 46%. A virtual tie, and the lines are going the wrong way for Obama supporters.
http://www.gallup.com/
Rasmussen, polling daily as Gallup does, shows Hillary up another point from yesterday, 46 to 44 for Obama. Also, his unfavorable rating is highest now than ever before--52%.
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/daily_presidential_tracking_polling_history
The only thing sure is that, contrary to what Politico and the other Obama spokesmen claim, the race is not over yet. Not at all.
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@meffert
Do you really believe that the right wing won't be able to figure out that McCain has more experience than Obama? Do you truly believe that they won't be able to find a way of expressing this that is more effective than using a quote from Clinton? Or do you just want to score points against Clinton?
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@ladouceur
Here is the *very* latest:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/105589/Gallup-Daily-Obama-Clinton-Back-Tie.aspx
It may be that ultimately the Wright affair and the questions it raises about Obama will not hurt him.
But we can only wait and see what the voters in Pa and the remaining states do.
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So Salon Waits for Others to Point out the obvious
So with the handwriting on the wall for over a month, Salon decides to print the obvious (by quoting Politico) that Hillary can't win...
Well, she could destroy the party by continuing to slime Obama and then twisting arms (hey, the Clinton Royalty must be obeyed) of the Super Delegates to get the nomination...
but as Politico points out, you have to be from another planet to think the Democratic Party can do this to the African-American community and still get their votes... no AA votes... McCain wins.
So Salon... what the hell took you so long?
Shouldn't Salon have been in the forefront of calling for Hillary to stop her slime campaign and begin now to try to put the egg she broke back together?
Salon, you disappoint