# Clinton supporters: what, if anything, would convince you she should voluntarily withdraw? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 12, 2016, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714 "2016-07-12T11:19:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/81 "2016-07-13T22:47:50Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > And do these candidates have names and faces? You know, people like Jed Bartlett and Mackenzie Allen or David Palmer or Jack Ryan. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2016, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/82 "2016-07-13T23:46:40Z")
Jack Ryan is a crypto-fascist running dog jackal of the ruling class! ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/83 "2016-07-14T00:18:37Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s funny, because Bill didn’t have much opposition because when he announced, Bush (the elder) had sky-high approval ratings (probably due the first Gulf War being underway and being so successful). Now we see Hilary having had little opposition, one imagines, because she was seen as such a shoe-in. It took Bernie to show how vulnerable she was and I can imagine there are more than a few Democratic presidential hopefuls kicking themselves right now (including Biden). You talking about Bill Clinton, yes? He had several primary opponents, most of them higher-profile than he was when the race began–Tom Harkin, Jerry Brown, Paul Tsongas, Bob Kerrey: several senators and a much better known former governor of a much bigger state. Not exactly an All-Star team of candidates in retrospect, but it’s not as though it was Clinton and Nobody Else–or that Clinton got into the race and everybody said, “Oh. Well, it’s over.” In fact, it took Clinton quite a while to kick it into gear: of the first eleven states to vote, if wikipedia is to be believed, he won only one (Georgia). He wasn’t the frontrunner for quite some time. Which makes sense, as he was scarcely known for anything except giving a bombastic and poorly received speech at the previous convention… ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/84 "2016-07-14T00:58:23Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > This is all in your warped, biased opinion. The only time she should ever step down will be following her 8-year presidency. The OP is not alone ! I wish we had anyone but Hillary running and I wish she would drop out too ! She making it too easy for Trump to win ! ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/85 "2016-07-14T02:41:23Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Jack Ryan is a crypto-fascist running dog jackal of the ruling class! Crypto? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/86 "2016-07-14T06:09:58Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > It’s funny, because Bill didn’t have much opposition because when he announced, Bush (the elder) had sky-high approval ratings (probably due the first Gulf War being underway and being so successful). Now we see Hilary having had little opposition, one imagines, because she was seen as such a shoe-in. It took Bernie to show how vulnerable she was and I can imagine there are more than a few Democratic presidential hopefuls kicking themselves right now (including Biden). Shoo-in. The term is SHOO-in. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/87 "2016-07-14T06:12:41Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Jack Ryan is a crypto-fascist running dog jackal of the ruling class! Gosh, there’s no need to mince words… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/88 "2016-07-14T06:14:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Now we see Hilary having had little opposition, one imagines, because she was seen as such a shoe-in. It took Bernie to show how vulnerable she was and I can imagine there are more than a few Democratic presidential hopefuls kicking themselves right now (including Biden). I don’t know. Sanders was as successful as he was because he was uniquely placed to tap into an unrepresented section of the electorate. What other figure was in that position? Any other Democrat would have essentially been Martin O’Malley or Jim Webb - trying to compete against Clinton on her own turf. ---
**Author:** ![escaped](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@escaped](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/escaped)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/89 "2016-07-14T20:04:12Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > This is all in your warped, biased opinion. The only time she should ever step down will be following her 8-year presidency. That’s very presumptuous of you to say she wil get 8 years when she may or may not get 4. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/90 "2016-07-14T20:36:27Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > I’m not a Trump supporter, I’m a Bernie supporter but I accept he lost, thats not my point here. I think the US public should demand better from their candidates than either Clinton or Trump. Look at the unfavorables, you can keep saying they don’t matter but it’s an undeniable historical fact that there has never before in US history been an election where both major party candidates have unfavorables ratings above 50%. It’s a sad fact of the current US political system that third party votes are wasting a vote, it doesn’t have to be that way (eg preferential voting). For Bernie to win, he’d have to have more people vote for him. That didn’t happen. Therefore he isn’t the nominee. If you don’t think the people are qualified to pick their leaders, then fine. Is that what you’re saying? If you want to beat Hillary Clinton you have to run a candidate who gets more votes than her. You didn’t do that. Hillary Clinton is therefore the nominee. And if you think Bernie would be crushing Trump while Hillary is barely beating him, you’re delusional. Hillary never laid a glove on Bernie, and for good reason, it would have been counterproductive. How do you think Bernie would be doing on Fox News? How do you think he’d be doing in the Wall Street Journal? Bernie doesn’t have very high negatives because the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy didn’t even bother to crank itself up against him. They kept themselves focused on the real opponent, Hillary. If somehow Bernie had won the nomination what would be happening? You’d be seeing a new Bernie Sanders scandal on the front pages of every newspaper every week until November. Anybody who would vote for Trump over Hillary, but claims they’d vote for Bernie over Trump is a fucking liar. These people don’t exist. No progressive person could vote for Trump, because he’s fucking Donald Trump. If you vote for Trump then you’re not a progressive. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/91 "2016-07-14T21:06:02Z")
What would convince me that HRC should voluntarily withdraw? Well…how about if Trump withdrew and was replaced by someone reasonable like John Kasich, and then Hilary’s campaign did poorly. That might do it. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/92 "2016-07-14T21:15:26Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Anybody who would vote for Trump over Hillary, but claims they’d vote for Bernie over Trump is a fucking liar. These people don’t exist. No progressive person could vote for Trump, because he’s fucking Donald Trump. If you vote for Trump then you’re not a progressive. End of story. First of all, maybe relax a little? Second of all, who gives a shit if not every Bernie supporter earns your personal “progressive” badge? A lot of his supporters just hate big banks/the establishment or are pissed about how big their student loan debt is. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/93 "2016-07-14T21:24:54Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I don’t know. Sanders was as successful as he was because he was uniquely placed to tap into an unrepresented section of the electorate. What other figure was in that position? Any other Democrat would have essentially been Martin O’Malley or Jim Webb - trying to compete against Clinton on her own turf. Indeed. How does someone like Joe Biden run on the anti-establishment wave? A lot of Sanders’ supporters were disappointed in Obama’s administration. How does Biden capitalize on that? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/94 "2016-07-14T21:26:11Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Second of all, who gives a shit if not every Bernie supporter earns your personal “progressive” badge? A lot of his supporters just hate big banks/the establishment or are pissed about how big their student loan debt is. I think it’s in reference to lots of Sanders’ supporters who made it their own personal crusade to endlessly talk about how Clinton wasn’t a real progressive. ---
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/95 "2016-07-14T22:26:50Z")
There’s neither any reason for Clinton to withdraw, nor do I want her to. But to answer the OP truthfully, yes, I’d agree with the others who say illness/disastrous health crisis is it. Which would be terrible. I’m like a dog with a mangy old bone who loves it and won’t give it up, but I’ll offer this answer to “if not Hillary, who else could possibly run?” I can think of someone who has the almost completely unique qualifications that others have mentioned as being ideal: - A ‘cult of personality’ aura & name recognition - Progressive creds - Considered ‘cool’ by millennials - Respected by older voters - Undeniably fit for office - Already placed under the ‘scandal’ spotlight with nothing new to discover - Can be considered both “experienced in Washington” and “An outsider who thinks out of the box” Oh, and finally - Already fucking won a presidential election Anyone wanna take a guess? 😃 The biggest downside might be his age, but actually he’s the same age as Hillary, so I think that would’ve been a low hurdle to get past. A vote for him might feel like we were correcting a grievous mistake made 16 years ago. A cleansing of a filthy stain in our history. Well, actually, the biggest downside is that the guy justifiably doesn’t want to go through this process again, so it would never happen. 🙂 I’m only mentioning it because we’re dealing in hypotheticals, and the mention of “name recognition” and “cult of personality” reminded me that–to quote Yoda–there is One Other. But we don’t need One Other. Hillary is our candidate, and I think she’ll mop the floor with Trump just fine, and will likely carry on most of Obama’s policies and generally be fine in office. I didn’t vote for her in the primary, but that’s primarily (pun!) because I’m in New York and I had the luxury of voting for someone I agree with more. But I’m with her, as they say. True blue lefty and happy to pull the HRC lever to defeat the Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2016, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/96 "2016-07-15T01:42:37Z")
If not Clinton…maybe John Kerry. Similar overall qualifications. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714/97 "2016-07-18T19:26:50Z")
I’m mystified by the OP. If Hitler was still alive, I wouldn’t expect him to _voluntarily step down_ from his dictatorship. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clinton-supporters-what-if-anything-would-convince-you-she-should-voluntarily-withdraw/759714.md?page=4)